Hutan Tanaman Energi (HTE) MAP of Indonesia
FoE Japan has implemented survey and and advocacy activities regarding the impacts of industrial plantation forests (HTE) in Indonesia on local natural forests and people with Forest Watch Indonesia, one of Indonesian NGOs focusing on monitoring based on the forests data.
As one of our activities, we have published HTE map of Indonesia provided by Forest Watch Indonesia.
HTE Map
©Forest Watch Indonesia
What is HTE?
HTE (Hutan Tanaman Energi) often translated as “Energy Plantation Forest,” refers to a plantation-based forestry scheme intended to supply biomass feedstock for energy use.
In practice, HTE is designed to produce woody biomass (e.g., wood chips/pellets) through fast-growing tree plantations established within Indonesia’s forest estate or other designated forest areas under government licensing. “Forest degradation”—the practice of clearing natural forests that previously grew in that area and converting them into plantation forests—is currently permitted.
Views from FoE Japan
In recent years, the import volume of wood pellets from Indonesia to Japan has rapidly increased; as of 2024, about 30% of them produced in Indonesia are exported to Japan as fuel for biomass power generation. This is because the Japanese government promotes biomass power generation as a renewable energy source for decarbonized society. In Indonesia, the production of wood pellets involves the logging of precious natural forests and their conversion to HTE, leading to deforestation and forest degradation.
This operation is having a negative impact on local communities and ecosystems. Local NGOs have reported conversion of natural forests into monoculture plantations brought about biodiversity loss, increase in flooding and the worsening of flood damages.
FoE Japan carried out a site visit to Gorontalo Province in Indonesia, which exports approximately 50% of its total wood pellet production to Japan in order to gain a better understanding of the status of forests and local communities there with Indonesian NGOs.
As a result, we can find that a lot of HTE are concentrated in Gorontalo Province, on the island of Sulawesi, located in the right side of the center of the map, and are successful in identifying the locations of HTE respectively. It is also clear that a large volume of wood pellets is being produced from forests being logged in this region.
We, FoE Japan, will continue to work on halting deforestation and forest degradation with local people as well as ensure that their human rights are not compromised with their safe and secure lives.
