Indonesia drops 2.4 tonnes of dry ice over South Sumatra to tackle haze

Indonesia used aircraft to drop 2.4 tonnes of dry ice over South Sumatra on Oct 15 and 16. The unusual operation was designed to tackle thick haze produced by forest and land fires. It began around Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang, where smoke had disrupted flights.

The trial tested whether dry ice could weaken atmospheric conditions that hold smoke near the ground. If those conditions weaken, the smoke may rise, potentially improving visibility. Three flights took part, with a combined flying time of seven hours and three minutes.

Visibility at the airport improved during the operation, rising from 1,000 metres to as much as 3,000 metres. However, officials said more research is needed to establish whether dry ice caused the change. South Sumatra recorded 189 high-confidence hotspots and is one of six provinces prioritised for fire response.

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Unlike ordinary ice, it changes directly from a solid into a gas. That change can cool nearby air and alter local atmospheric conditions, although the article does not establish exactly how much of the reported improvement came from this process.

Indonesia’s stated theory is more specific. Officials are testing whether dry ice can weaken atmospheric conditions that keep fire smoke close to the ground. If those conditions become weaker, the smoke may rise, allowing visibility to improve. Aircraft released the material over South Sumatra during a controlled, two-day trial.

The method remains experimental. Visibility near Palembang airport improved from 1,000 metres to as much as 3,000 metres, but officials cautioned that other weather factors may have caused the change. The operation will therefore be evaluated before the technique is considered for other affected regions.

Indonesia used 2.4 tonnes of dry ice during its South Sumatra trial. The material was released over two days, from Oct 15 to Oct 16. The operation focused first on the area around Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang, where haze had affected flights.

Three flights carried out the operation. Together, they recorded seven hours and three minutes of flying time. During the trial, reported visibility at the airport improved from 1,000 metres to as much as 3,000 metres. That is an increase of up to 2,000 metres, or three times the starting visibility.

The figures show a notable change, but they do not prove the dry ice caused it. BNPB official Berton Panjaitan said further research was needed to separate the effect of the material from other weather factors. Indonesia plans to evaluate the trial before expanding it to other regions.

Thick haze from forest and land fires affected Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang. The poor visibility disrupted flights, making the airport the initial focus of Indonesia’s dry-ice operation. The trial sought a rapid way to reduce the haze around a critical transport site.

During the two-day operation, aircraft released dry ice over the area. Officials reported that visibility improved from 1,000 metres to as much as 3,000 metres. Better visibility matters because pilots and airport operators need clearer conditions to manage takeoffs, landings, and flight schedules more safely and reliably.

The result is encouraging but unconfirmed. Berton Panjaitan said further research was needed to determine whether dry ice caused the improvement or whether other weather factors were responsible. The airport outcome will form part of the evaluation of whether the method can be used elsewhere.

Forest and land fires burn vegetation and other ground material, releasing smoke and tiny airborne particles. Winds can carry that mixture beyond the fire zone, creating haze across wider areas. The article links this process to repeated episodes that have blanketed the region in haze.

Smoke does not always disperse upward. Atmospheric conditions can keep it close to the ground, especially when the air is stable and vertical movement is weak. The article describes these as conditions that trap smoke near the surface. Indonesia’s dry-ice trial was designed to weaken those conditions so smoke could potentially rise.

This matters because ground-level haze reduces visibility and can disrupt transport. At Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport, thick haze interrupted flights. Indonesia is prioritising South Sumatra and five other provinces for fire prevention and response because of the continuing risk from forest and land fires.

The reported improvement happened during the dry-ice operation, but timing alone cannot prove cause. Weather and atmospheric conditions naturally change, and those changes can also affect how smoke spreads or how far people can see. The article does not identify one confirmed explanation for the airport’s clearer conditions.

Visibility around Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport rose from 1,000 metres to as much as 3,000 metres during three flights. Officials are testing whether dry ice weakened the conditions that trapped smoke near the ground. However, the same period may have included other changes in wind, cloud, or atmospheric stability.

Berton Panjaitan explicitly said further research was needed to determine the cause. Indonesia will evaluate the operation before deciding whether the technique works well enough for other affected regions. The trial therefore provides an important observation, not a final scientific verdict.

Indonesia is testing alternatives to dry ice for forest and land fire response. One is a suppressant made from cassava flour. Another is Realiza Antichamas, a Portuguese powder that becomes a fire-suppressing gel when mixed with water. These methods are intended to help prevent or suppress fires in South Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The gel has been trialled in both regions. According to Dudung Abdurachman, it could be delivered by helicopter and by ground crews. He said it did not harm wildlife or kill plants. The article also reports that results were described as optimal, but the product is still in trial stages.

Important limits remain. Demonstrations reported in the media did not establish whether the gel could extinguish fires smouldering deep underground. Indonesia must therefore assess its performance in difficult fire conditions, just as it must evaluate whether dry ice genuinely disperses haze before wider deployment.