InfoSAWIT, KOTAWARINGIN TIMUR — Amid growing global demands for a cleaner and more sustainable palm oil industry, Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA) Group has taken another significant step forward. Through a strategic partnership with PT Organics Bali and PT Organicsindo Konstruksi Energi—internationally recognized biogas technology companies—BGA has officially begun operating its biogas-based renewable energy project using Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME).
The initiative, located at PT Karya Makmur Bahagia (KMB) in Kotawaringin Timur, Central Kalimantan, completed its commissioning stage in September 2025. With the methane capture facility now operating at full capacity, the project marks a milestone in responsible waste management and renewable energy adoption.
POME—an organic-rich effluent that naturally emits methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂—now flows into a Covered Lagoon BioReactor (CLBR). This modern anaerobic digester converts the effluent into methane-rich biogas without releasing emissions into the atmosphere.
With a production capacity of 30,558 Nm³ of biogas per day, or about 916,740 Nm³ per month, the facility supplies renewable energy directly for mill operations. The biogas use is estimated to cut emissions by up to 327 tons of CO₂ per day, demonstrating the significant impact of converting liquid waste into clean energy.
Ready for the Carbon Market
The facility is equipped with an enclosed flare system that complies with international carbon market standards. This prepares the project for future registration under carbon credit schemes, enabling BGA to eventually generate verified emission reductions (VERs).
Using biogas as an alternative co-firing fuel for the mill’s boiler also helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels, improving energy efficiency while aligning consumption with the mill’s production profile.
“Sustainability is achieved through innovation and collaboration. Turning liquid waste into renewable energy provides tremendous benefits, and this launch marks an important milestone in our journey toward measurable energy efficiency and emission reduction,” said Rieza Rakhman, Project Planning and Development Department Head at Bumitama.
Dr. Robert David Eden, Director of PT Organics Bali, emphasized that the partnership demonstrates how waste management can deliver both environmental and economic value.
“The KMB facility shows how palm oil mills can cut emissions, strengthen energy resilience, and prepare for participation in the emerging carbon market,” he said. (T2)
