REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Three state cement manufacturers have been using biomass as alternative energy source to replace coal and reduce electrical energy in stages.

The three cement producers are PT Semen Indonesia, PT Semen Padang, and PT Semen Tonasa.

Semen Indonesia has won an energy award from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in recognition of the company's efforts to diversify energy needs by taking advantage of biomass renewable energy as alternative fuel and to play an active role in developing new technology and innovations in the energy sector.

"The award has confirmed the commitment and concrete work of Semen Indonesia in implementing a concept of sustainable business," Semen Indonesia President Director Dwi Soetjipto said on Monday.

Dwi remarked that cement industry was an energy-intensive industry, which also consumed coal as non-renewable energy.

"By taking advantage of biomass, double goals could be achieved: first, conserving the environment, and second, increasing the efficiency of operating costs, which will eventually increase in corporate profitability," he affirmed.

The use of biomass has stimulated local economy because it had been obtained from areas around the plants. The areas include Tuban, Lamongan, and Bojonegoro districts, East Java; and Rembang District, Central Java.

"The use of biomass has also helped in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so that the impact of global warming can be minimized," he noted.

Semen Indonesia has always increased the use of biomass as an alternative fuel to reduce coal consumption every year, he noted.

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