BRIN says ANG has potential to save Rp26 trillion in LPG subsidies

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said its adsorbed natural gas (ANG) technology has the potential to reduce the government's annual Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) subsidy burden by up to Rp26 trillion by utilizing domestically sourced natural gas.BRIN Head Arief Satria made the remarks after meeting President Prabowo Subianto with 150 BRIN researchers at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.

"Based on our preliminary calculations, this technology has the potential to reduce the LPG subsidy burden by up to around Rp26 trillion per year," Arief said.

According to Arief, ANG is one of BRIN's strategic energy innovations, developed through a sister laboratory collaboration with 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Susumu Kitagawa.

The technology uses metal-organic framework materials to enable compressed natural gas (CNG) to store significantly more gas than conventional systems while operating at a pressure of 30 bar.

"Indonesia has abundant natural gas resources in the form of CNG, yet at the same time we remain heavily dependent on LPG. Our LPG imports are still very large," he said.

Arief noted that with the metal-organic framework, the researchers have achieved an important breakthrough by producing adsorbed natural gas from CNG at a pressure of 30 bar while significantly increasing its storage capacity.

Baca juga: BRIN mengembangkan modifikasi cuaca hingga desalinasi hadapi El Nino

According to him, the technology enables a gas cylinder the size of a standard 3-kilogram LPG cylinder to store more gas, extending its usage from about 10 days to around 15 days.

BRIN is continuing research to double that duration, he added.

Baca juga: Kekuasaan Tidak Pernah Datang ke Ruang Kosong Pelajaran dari Sejarah Politik Sumbawa

"If this technology is implemented, it could save up to Rp26 trillion annually in energy-related subsidies," Arief said.

Arief said President Prabowo Subianto had instructed BRIN to accelerate the technology's implementation as it could reduce foreign exchange spending on LPG imports while strengthening Indonesia's energy security through greater utilization of the country's domestic natural gas reserves.

The technology is currently undergoing trials, with BRIN aiming to complete testing in 2026 and begin deployment in 2027 as an alternative to imported LPG.