Germany-Indonesia Bilateral Partnership: BMWK and IKI High Delegation Visits to IKI Projects in Indonesia

From August 15-21, 2024, a high-level delegation from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) visited Indonesia to engage in bilateral discussions and visit some International Climate Initiative (IKI) projects in Indonesia.

The Climate and Biodiversity Hub Indonesia (IKI Hub), implemented by GIZ, had the honor of hosting the delegation on August 16, 2024, in Jakarta. The event featured a round-table discussion with representatives from BMWK, ZUG (IKI Office), and 23 of the 47 active IKI projects in Indonesia. The session, led by Karin Allgoewer, Program Manager for Climate and Biodiversity Hub Indonesia, focused on project progress, challenges, and future collaboration.

The high level delegation included Vera Rodenhoff, Deputy Director General for International Climate Action and International Energy Transition at BMWK; Philipp Behrens, Head of the Division for IKI at BMWK; Katharina Berner, Deputy Head of Division for South and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania at BMWK; Constanze B?ning, Senior Policy Advisor for IKI at BMWK; and Berit Kasten, Project Manager at IKI Office (ZUG).

In response to inquiries from IKI project implementers, Vera Rodenhoff underscored the importance of IKI in global climate initiatives, particularly in Indonesia's energy transition and biodiversity conservation. Philipp Behrens emphasized Indonesia's pivotal role within IKI's portfolio, with 47 ongoing projects, and highlighted the need for robust collaboration in areas such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), long-term planning, and private sector engagement.

On August 18, 2024, the delegation together with the German Embassy in Indonesia, and officials from the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation of MEMR visited one of the ongoing IKI projects, "ExploRE" – a strategic initiative focused on exploring economic mitigation potentials through renewables. This project, implemented by GIZ, showcased the first commercial biomethane plant in Langkat, North Sumatra, developed by KIS Group and UKINDO Palm Oil Mill. The visit offered an immersive experience in biomethane production, illustrating the transformation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) into a valuable energy resource. Delegates explored the circular economy aspect of palm oil, where solid biomass wastes are repurposed for clean energy and additional income generation.

The visit commenced with an introduction to the plant’s operations. Participants then proceeded to the mill and visited the POME pond, where the effluent undergoes an initial stabilization before put through the anaerobic digesters. In the anaerobic digester area, delegates learned about the installed technologies, including covered lagoons and Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR), where POME is converted into biogas through microbial activity. The resulting biogas, rich in methane (~65%), is stored in tanks and subsequently refined in the biogas upgrading unit to produce high-quality biomethane (>90% methane), which later being compressed up to 200 bar as Compressed Biomethane Gas (CBG) into the truck (Gas Transport Module) for distribution.

Throughout the visit, delegates engaged in in-depth discussions on the technical processes, commercial viability, and its pivotal role in reducing methane emissions and advancing clean energy initiatives. The visit was closed by presentation from the Government of Indonesia on the overview of bioenergy target achievement and GIZ’s presentation on Indonesia’s bioenergy and biomethane market development.

On August 20, 2024, the delegation visited a completed IKI project titled "Reducing Emissions through Integration and Optimization of Public Transport in Indonesia," implemented by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) in collaboration with Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation.

The project, which ran from 2015 to 2022, significantly improved Transjakarta services, increasing ridership from 350,000 in 2015 to 1 million in February 2020, and avoiding 191,000 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions. The project also enhanced physical integration between BRT Transjakarta and other mass public transportation systems, and promoted inclusivity and accessibility through guidelines now regulated by Governor Decree 31 of 2022 and the Ministry of Public Works Guideline 07/P/BM/2023. During the visit, the delegation toured key integration points, including the Terowongan Kendal Pedestrianized area and several major public transport stations, showcasing the project's impact on Jakarta's public transportation system.

On the same week, the delegation also visited two ministries of Indonesia, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas Republic of Indonesia with Directorate of Environment and Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia with Director General of Climate Change (DGCC), Executive Secretary of DGCC, and Representative from Directorate of Climate Mitigation.

International Climate Initiative is an important part of the German government’s international climate finance commitment since 2008 that has been contributing to the protection of the climate and biodiversity by fulfilling its international obligations within the international community.