VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Energy Ministers' meeting who are members of the G20 agreed on the important role of biofuels for the clean energy transition.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif attended the meeting on the second day of the G20 Energy Ministerial level virtually.

Arifin Tasrif said on the website of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta, on Wednesday, that Indonesia is trying to build national energy independence and sovereignty by encouraging increased use of biofuels.

The meeting resulted in documents related to the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Platform. 

One of the successful innovations is the implementation of biodiesel 30 percent (B30) in the transportation sector, which is estimated to reduce emissions by 16.9 million tons of CO2. 

"This biodiesel utilization program is a concrete form of Indonesia's active participation in the action to reduce global GHG emissions," Arifin said at the meeting.

He said Indonesia has also found an effective catalyst in the production process of fractions or types of petroleum formation using palm oil or green fuels at Pertamina's refineries, namely Katalis Merah Putih.

In the joint communique, the G20 Energy Ministers acknowledged that the current crisis, apart from having a direct impact on health, economy, and society, has caused the destabilization of the global energy market.

They also noted the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on the most vulnerable communities and communities, underlining the need to ensure that energy sector recovery efforts leave no one behind.

Therefore, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed on the importance of international cooperation in ensuring energy system resilience that benefits all parties.

"We emphasize that the immediate challenges posed by the pandemic have not dampened our determination to advance our efforts by exploring various options and leveraging various technologies and fuels according to the national context to ensure a stable and uninterrupted supply of energy to achieve economic growth," the Joint Communique states.

Meanwhile, in the CCE Platform document, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed that biofuel is one of the important components to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through technology and innovation or reduce elements and neutralize carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition or recycle elements.

Biofuels together with hydrogen could play a role in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner energy systems and supporting economic growth.

"We also note the cross-sector roles of bio-energy and biofuels among the four elements in the CCE," the Joint Communique of the G20 Energy Ministers states.

The CCE Platform has four elements, namely reduce, which is an effort to reduce GHG emissions by utilizing technology and innovation.

The second element is reuse, namely reusing carbon emissions and making it an industrial raw material. Next is recycling, neutralizing carbon emissions through natural processes and decomposition.

The fourth element is removed, which removes emissions from the atmosphere and heavy industry and facilities through carbon capture and storage.

At the end of the meeting, the G20 Energy Ministers agreed to encourage a transition to clean energy with a wider variety of options, technologies, and fuels under the conditions and situations of each country. (Antaranews)

Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah became the emir of the new ruler of the oil-rich nation on Tuesday night, according to state media reports, occupying the highest position after decades of service in the security service.

Sheikh Nawaf, 83, has served as crown prince since 2006, leaping over the traditional order between the Al Jaber and Al Salam descendants of the royal ruling family.

State television carried a speech by Anas Khalid al-Saleh, the Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait, announcing that Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in hours after the death of Sheikh Sabah, as quoted by The New Arab.

Sheikh Nawaf, like Sheikh Sabah, was born before Kuwait discovered the oil fields that made this small country one of the richest countries in the world. Born June 25, 1937, Sheikh Nawaf became governor of the Hawalli region of Kuwait and later became the country's interior minister, a position he held for nearly a decade.

Sheikh Nawaf served as the Kuwaiti defense minister starting in 1988. He was cast in 1990 when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and occupied the country for seven months. On February 24, 1991, US and allied forces invaded Kuwait and ended 100 hours later.

America only suffered 148 deaths from fighting during the entire campaign, while more than 20,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed. Sheikh Nawaf served as Minister of Social Affairs and Labor after the war, then as Deputy Chief of the Kuwaiti National Guard and again as Minister of the Interior. He became crown prince under Sheikh Sabah in February 2006.

Shaykh Nawaf is married, has four sons and one daughter. (RRI)

Kuwaiti leader Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah died at the age of 91, the Kuwaiti national news agency Kuna reported on Tuesday.

"With great sorrow, we the people of Kuwait, the Arab nation and the Islamic state, and the friendliest people in the world, mourns the death of His Majesty Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait. We belong to Allah and to Allah we will return," Kuna, as quoted by The New Arab said on Wednesday.

Before the announcement of his death, Kuwait stopped all regular programming and broadcast the verses of the Koran, in a rare act which marks the impending announcement of an important death.

The emir is widely regarded as the architect of modern Kuwaiti foreign policy, recently lauded in the Arab world for his anti-normalization and state neutrality on many divisive regional issues. The emir - who has ruled the Gulf state since 2006 - traveled to the US for treatment.

Prior to his departure, Al-Sabah authorized his half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to use part of his constitutional powers. (RRI)

The Indonesian Consulate General in Penang and the City Government of Bandung held a "Virtual Business Matching Bandung - Penang 2020" in economic recovery, Tuesday (29/9).

The Deputy Mayor of Bandung, Yana Mulyana and the Indonesian Consul General in Penang, Bambang Suharto opened the activity.
The Secretary of the Directorate General of Asia Pacific and Africa, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rossy Verona, and the Penang State EXCO for Trade, Industry, and Entrepreneurship Development, Dato 'Abdul Halim bin Hussain also attended the event.

"The purpose of holding these activities is to seek business opportunities between Bandung and Penang entrepreneurs, especially MSMEs," said Bambang Suharto.

Bambang said, due to the COVID 19 pandemic the value of trade between the two countries has decreased.

"However, through the means of information technology, this is not an obstacle and both parties need to take advantage of this opportunity in a new normal situation," he said.

77 small and medium entrepreneurs attended the event in the city of Bandung and 70 small and medium enterprises from Pulau Pinang that are engaged in food and beverages, clothing, crafts, and spa products.

In the event, the Penang business actors who were present were members of the Penang Malaysian Association of Malay Traders and Entrepreneurs (Perdasama), the SME Association, the Malaysian National Cooperative Force Berhad Angkasa, the Malaysian Malay Trade Council, the International Halal Penang, the Penang Exporters and Importers Association, and micro and medium enterprises in the Penang and Kedah areas.

Bandung MSME entrepreneurs attended the event, accommodated by the Bandung City Government.

On that occasion, there was also an exhibition of various Bandung MSME products which received positive responses from their partners in Penang.

Pulau Pinang is the second smallest state of Malaysia after Perlis, but in terms of population density, it ranks first. The state also has the lowest percentage of the Muslim and Malay population among the states in Malaysia. The main city on Pulau Pinang is George Town which is one of the largest cities in Malaysia. (Antaranews)