<p>JAKARTA, April 20 (Reuters) - Indonesia is in talks with Japan’s Toyota Motor Asia on a potential joint investment in bioethanol production in the Southeast Asian country, a government official and executives from Toyota told reporters on Monday.</p>
<p>Here are some details:</p>
<ul>
<li>A renewable energy subsidiary of Indonesia’s state energy firm Pertamina is discussing potential joint investment with Toyota Tsusho for a bioethanol plant in Indonesia’s Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra, said Deputy Investment Minister Todotua Pasaribu.</li>
<li>If they reach a deal, construction on a plant with capacity of 60,000 kilolitres of bioethanol per annum could start in the second half of 2026, with production eyed in 2028, he said.</li>
<li>A new 6,000-hectare (around 14,800 acres) sorghum plantation will produce the feedstock, Pasaribu said.</li>
<li>The estimated total cost of the investment is $200 million-$300 million, he said.</li>
<li>Japan’s Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (raBit) is involved in the talks, Pasaribu said.</li>
<li>Speaking alongside Pasaribu, Masahiko Maeda, Toyota Motor Asia’s chief executive for the Asia region, said Toyota vehicles could use the bioethanol produced in the Lampung plant.</li>
<li>Pras Ganesh, an executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia, told Reuters on the sidelines of the press conference that discussions were still underway and a deal has not been reached.</li>
<li>Indonesia has set a target to produce bioethanol using domestically available sources such as biomass from palm oil, corn and sorghum to reduce its reliance on imported fuels.</li>
<li>The country plans to impose mandatory 10% bioethanol content in gasoline in 2028.</li>
</ul>

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- Indonesia is negotiating with Toyota Motor Asia for a joint investment in bioethanol production, specifically in Lampung province.  
- The proposed plant aims for a capacity of 60,000 kilolitres per annum, with construction potentially beginning in late 2026 and production targeted for 2028, at an estimated cost of $200 million-$300 million.  
- This initiative aligns with Indonesia's goal to boost domestic bioethanol production and reduce fuel import reliance by mandating a 10% bioethanol content in gasoline by 2028.

Indonesia, Toyota in talks on potential bioethanol project