Indonesia Urges Incentives to Enhance Shipbuilding and Renewable Energy Use in Maritime Sector

Synopsis

The Indonesian government is advocating for increased incentives to boost the domestic shipbuilding industry and promote the adoption of renewable energy in the maritime sector, aligning with its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Key Takeaways

Government seeks incentives for shipbuilding.
Push for renewable energy adoption in maritime.
Goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Need for policy changes to support retrofitting.
Indonesia lags behind in renewable energy use.

Jakarta, Feb 25 (NationPress) The Indonesian government is pushing for enhanced incentives to foster the expansion of the domestic shipbuilding sector and to stimulate the uptake of new and renewable energy within the maritime industry.

This initiative is designed to boost energy autonomy and is in line with the nation's long-term goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Antoni Arif Priadi, Director General of sea transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, remarked on Tuesday, "Electric vehicles and electric motorcycles receive incentives. Ships should also be considered for this initiative. The critical question is how vessels powered by new and renewable energy can receive incentives, including those that are refurbished."

Antoni noted that Indonesia's shipbuilding sector is currently trailing behind other nations in the adoption of new and renewable energy. He pointed to Japan as a case in point, where hydrogen-powered vessels are already under development, while Indonesia is still at the nascent stage of utilizing biodiesel.

"Several shipping firms have begun building vessels with electric main engines instead of the conventional combustion engines. However, Indonesia remains dependent on petroleum. The challenge now lies in identifying the most appropriate new and renewable energy solutions for our nation," he stated, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

He further emphasized the regulatory challenges hindering the adoption of new and renewable energy in shipping. Unlike passenger vehicles, the process for retrofitting ships is more complex. He urged for policy reforms to facilitate the integration of new technologies into existing fleets.