December 11, 2025 | 05:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has approved the use of palm oil waste or Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) as a raw material for bioavtur. Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation stated that this is a significant achievement in the effort to develop environmentally friendly aviation fuel.
The Director General of Air Transportation, Lukman F. Laisa, stated that the result was announced after Indonesia submitted the default Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) value calculation for the raw material. According to him, ICAO's recognition is a strategic milestone for Indonesia to enter the global bioavtur market.
"This approval confirms that POME is recognized as a sustainable aviation fuel raw material with highly competitive emission values, capable of reducing emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil fuels," Lukman said, as quoted from a written statement on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
He mentioned that Indonesia submitted the Core LCA Default Value through Indonesian representatives at ICAO, namely the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection. The submission was made in January 2025 after the Directorate General of Air Transportation coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and collaborated with two Indonesian partners, Indonesia Palm Oil Strategic Studies and PT Tripatra.
Following a technical evaluation by independent experts from the University of Hasselt in Belgium and verification by the ICAO Council in late November 2025, the emission value of POME-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was determined to be 18.1 grams of CO2 per megajoule (CO/MJ). This figure is stated in the official ICAO document, CORSIA Default Life Cycle Emissions Values for CORSIA Eligible Fuels.
POME, a byproduct of crude palm oil processing, is included in ICAO's positive list as a raw material with significant potential to reduce emissions. "With a large raw material potential, Indonesia has a strong opportunity to become a competitive SAF supplier in Asia," Lukman said.
Although ICAO's recognition opens up great opportunities for Indonesia's bioavtur industry, Lukman stated that the government needs to ensure sustainable POME supply, have a clear supply chain, and meet global sustainability standards.
Therefore, he encourages support from various parties to ensure consistent production of POME-based bioavtur. "Collaboration in the form of policies, incentives, investments, and the development of supporting facilities is crucial," he said.
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