InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Pongamia (Milletia pinnata), a fast-growing, medium-sized legume tree, is now being considered a new source of bioenergy. A report titled A Technical and Economic Appraisal of Pongamia pinnata in Northern Australia states that the plant has great potential to produce second-generation biodiesel and support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The report combines the initial findings of Wylie et al. (2021) with the latest technical and economic studies. The results show that Pongamia can contribute to tackling climate change, foster economic development, and offer profit opportunities for plantations in northern Australia.
This context is becoming increasingly important as the world faces the impacts of global warming: droughts, fires, extreme floods, and rising sea levels due to melting ice. Most countries are now racing to significantly reduce GHG emissions before 2050. In Australia, although emissions from electricity have decreased thanks to solar and wind energy, the agriculture and transportation fuel sectors are still major contributors—more than one-third of total national emissions.
The Need for Sustainable Biofuel
Dadang Gusyana, an Agronomist Consultant at Agriconsulting Europe S.A. (AESA) in Brussels, emphasized the need for sustainable alternative fuels. He referred to the Net Zero by 2050 report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2021, which states that advanced biofuels are urgently needed to achieve net-zero emission targets.
Long-distance transportation, mining, agriculture, and aviation sectors are predicted to remain dependent on liquid fuels for a long time. Therefore, biofuels produced from biomass—whether from energy crops or agricultural waste—are a realistic transitional solution.
In 2019, global biofuel production only contributed 3% of the fuel needs for land transportation, with a small portion for aviation. However, the IEA targets that biofuels must meet 64% of global transportation fuel needs by 2050 to drastically reduce dependence on petroleum.
Challenges of First and Second Generation Biofuels
First-generation biofuels, which are food-based like canola, soybeans, corn, and sugarcane, are often criticized for competing with food needs. About one-third of global canola and soybean production is currently used for biodiesel. An increase in new factory capacity could even divert two-thirds of the world's soybeans and half of its canola to energy, in addition to millions of tons of corn and sugarcane converted into ethanol.
In contrast, second-generation biofuels are derived from woody biomass or agricultural waste. Their raw materials do not directly compete with food because they come from by-products or are grown on marginal land. This is where Pongamia stands out: the plant can grow in nutrient-poor soil, is heat-resistant, and produces high-quality vegetable oil.
The Role in Reducing Agricultural Emissions
Agriculture itself accounts for 13% of Australia's carbon dioxide emissions, with 66% of that coming from ruminant animal methane. For this reason, large-scale tree planting is often projected as a carbon offset solution. ClimateWorks Australia estimates that the country needs to absorb 45 million tons of CO₂ through "carbon forests" by 2030 to curb global warming below 2°C.
However, this strategy also carries a risk: using large areas for carbon forests could displace food production, similar to the polemic of first-generation biofuels. Therefore, the existence of plants like Pongamia provides a more balanced alternative—able to absorb carbon, produce renewable fuels, and not sacrifice food. (T2)
