Biomass for small power generation in the Archipelagic Islands of Indonesia host to the world’s third largest forest

This paper describes a future trend in which biomass becomes a first rank primary energy used worldwide based on the premise that biomass combustion is a carbonneutral process. Should biomass be explored as tomorrow’s energy for small power generation in Indonesia? The climate change status is briefly described, especially with regard to the 2095 atmospheric concentrations target of 550 ppm across the board. This exceeds the target set in the Copenhagen Accord which limited it to 450 ppm by 2100 to ensure that global temperature increases are kept at 2C. With Indonesia’s forests as resources of woody biomass, the elements of forest ageing, decline and dieback which account for this resource’s degradation are described here. Indonesia’s energy situation, its renewable energy share in electricity development, declining fossil fuel reserves, biomass use for cooking and the possibilities of implementing biomass planning for small power generation are also addressed here. Biomass gasification, catalysts, global partnership in the transfer of green technology know-how and other suggestions are also described.