State electricity company PLN is expected to become the biggest consumer of bio-fuel by absorbing 2.1 million kiloliters of this alternative energy source next year, Antara news agency on Sunday quoted Achmad Faizal, marketing director of the company, as saying.

The industrial sector, believed to be the second biggest bio-fuel consumer in Indonesia, is expected to use 1.65 million kiloliters of bio-diesel and 850,000 kiloliters of bio-premium.

The Indonesian government has begun implementing a bio-fuel development programme in 2006, and in this connection, Pertamina introduced its bio-diesel under a brand name of 'Biosolar' on the market on May 20, 2006, and bio-ethanol under a brand name of 'Bio-premium' on August 12.

Pertamina has projected the sale of bio-fuel at 1.1 million kiloliters up to the end of 2006, comprising 400,000 kiloliters of industrial bio-diesel, 350,000 kiloliters of bio-diesel for power generators, 330,000 kiloliters of automotive bio-diesel and 20,000 kiloliters of automotive bio-ethanol.

The sale of bio-fuel is expected to grow to 13.2 million kiloliters in 2008, composed of 4.2 million kiloliters of bio-diesel for power generators, 4.0 million kiloliters of industrial bio-diesel, 3.3 million kiloliters of automotive bio-diesel and 1.7 million kiloliters of automotive bio-ethanol.

The bio-fuel sale target is raised to 23.4 million kiloliters in 2009, consisting of 7.0 million kiloliters of bio-diesel for electricity generation, 6.6 million kiloliters of automotive bio-diesel, 6.4 million kiloliters of industrial bio-diesel, and 3.

4 million kiloliters of bio-ethanol.

The target of bio-fuel sale for 2010 has been set at 31.1 million kiloliters.