South Korean politician calls for investigation of biomass energy material imported from Indonesia

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A member of South Korea’s National Assembly has called for a halt to wood pellet imports from Indonesia and an investigation into their environmental impacts after government data and satellite analyzes linked the country’s biomass imports to deforestation in Indonesia.

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“We must stop imports of wood pellets… and it is important for our government to investigate exactly what types of environmental destruction are occurring immediately,” Moon Dae Lim, a lawmaker for South Korea’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said in a recent written letter. Responses to questions from The Associated Press. “Identifying and correcting potential risks in supply chains and value chains is the key to a sustainable project.”

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Biomass can come from organic materials such as plants, wood, and waste, and many coal-fired power plants can be easily modified to burn alongside coal to produce energy. As countries accelerate their energy transitions, demand for biomass is increasing: the use of bioenergy has increased at a rate of about 3% per year between 2010 and 2022, the International Energy Agency said. Experts, including the International Energy Agency, say it is important that this demand occurs in a sustainable way, such as using waste and crop residues rather than converting forest land to grow bioenergy crops.

In South Korea, bioenergy has grown to become the second-largest source of renewable energy, and more than 80% of its main raw material — energy-dense wood pellets — depends on imports, according to a policy report on the state audit written by Moon. It was published in October.

Data suggests that a growing number of those wood pellets are coming from the vast tropical archipelago nation of Indonesia. In 2023, the country was South Korea’s third-largest source of wood pellet imports after Vietnam and Russia.

More than 60% of the biomass made from virgin natural forests destroyed to produce wood pellets since 2021 has been shipped to South Korea, the AP found in an examination of satellite images, company records and Indonesian export data. In the same time frame, Indonesian wood pellet exports to South Korea jumped from 50 tons to more than 68,000 tons.

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The largest exporter of wood pellets from Indonesia from 2021 to 2023, according to data from Indonesian conservation NGO Auriga Nusantara collected from the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry database, was Biomasa Jaya Abadi. The wood pellet processing company is located in Gorontalo, close to the concession owned by Banyan Tomboh Lestari.

More than 3,000 hectares (7,410 acres) of forest have been cleared in a concession owned by Banyan Tumbuh Lestari, from 2021 to 2024, according to a satellite analysis that the international environmental organization Mighty Earth shared with the AP. An additional 2,850 hectares (7,040 acres) were cleared for road logging.

“If we ban imports of wood pellets (Biomasa Jaya Abadi), we can prevent a large amount of forest destruction that is happening in Indonesia for export to South Korea,” Moon said. “The Korean government’s active responses to forest destruction could also send a message about the importance of sustainability not only to the Indonesian government but also to related industries throughout Asia.”

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In an email, a spokesperson for Biomasa Jaya Abadi said it harvests its forest products strictly from within government-designated areas and that it replants trees.

“The company’s wood pellet ecosystem has very strict legal, traceability and compliance procedures to ensure the company is fully compliant with all applicable regulations in Indonesia,” the company spokesperson wrote.

Environmental activist groups praised Moon’s report and questioning as a step in the right direction to demand accountability for biomass use in South Korea.

“Moon’s questioning represents a pivotal moment. By highlighting climate injustice linked to South Korea’s energy policies, these investigations put pressure on the Korea Forest Service to confront its role,” said Hansai Song, program director at the South Korea-based NGO Solutions for Development. “We hope that this audit will lead to a re-evaluation of import standards and force the Department of Trade, Industry and Energy to rethink its subsidy policies, which currently benefit a narrow set of corporate interests at the expense of forests.” “global.”

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In response to a question from the Associated Press, the Korean Forest Service said it had asked the Indonesian government to provide biomass-related data through the South Korea-Indonesia Forestry Cooperation Center in Indonesia. But it did not receive an official response as the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry was split into the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forestry in October.

The Korean Forest Service also told the AP that it confirmed that the Indonesian wood pellets were produced through the country’s legal logging procedures. She said she respects other countries’ local policies on logging.

“Every country has the right to govern itself in line with its economic and environmental policies, and this must be respected,” the Korea Forest Service said. “If we take unilateral action on wood products approved by the Indonesian government, there are concerns about the possible outbreak of diplomatic and trade disputes. Therefore, we ask the Indonesian government to confirm the relevant data and the authenticity of the legitimacy certificates.

The Indonesian Forestry Ministry did not respond to requests for an interview or comment from the AP. Banyan Tumbuh Lestari does not have publicly available contact information; The AP contacted major shareholders for comment but received no response.

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Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea.

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