IPB Responds to EPA
Bogor Agricultural University gives respond to the results of research conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of United States related to the use of palm oil as raw material of biodiesel and diesel oil that can be renewed under the Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS) in the United States.
"IPB has made a conclusion based on the analysis by IPB researchers that a number of assumptions and data used by the EPA need to be reassessed," said IPB Vice Rector for Research and Cooperation, Prof. Dr.Ir. M Anas Fauzi, M.Sc. in the discussion with the press in the Rectorate Building, Darmaga Campus of IPB, Bogor, (3/5)
Previously, EPA released a Notice of Data Availability Environmental Protection Agency (NODA) on January 27, 2012, stating that oil palm can only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 %, while EPA requires the reduction of carbon emissions by oil palm of at least 20 % so that the commodity can be used as the raw material of biofuel in the country. In contrast, the study by a team of experts from IPB has showed different results. According to Anas, the calculated CO2 emission by IPB team is 50 tons of C02 per hectare per year or equivalent to 28 % of emission reduction.
"This figure is higher than the EPA required emission of 20 %. Thus, palm oil is safe material for use as biodiesel compared to other vegetable oil-producing materials and has met the Renewable Fuel Standard," he said. In the discussion with the press, one of IPB’s experts in forestry, Indra Budi Setiawan, said that it is not true that the management of oil palm plantations in Indonesia do not pay attention to environmental factors.
"Currently Indonesia has a commitment to implement ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil)," he explained. Budi denies that Indonesia is unable to manage peatlands properly.
"We are ready to verify and validate scientific data to prove the truth of the EPA figures. If EPA can come here (Indonesia), we are ready together with them to come back to the field to measure it," he said. (Mtd)
