Jakarta – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) said that the crucial stage before implementation, or road tests, has not even begun and will take months. This potentially threatens to delay the government’s plan to implement the 50% biodiesel (B50) programme by early 2026.
Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eniya Listiyani Dewi, said in an official statement on Tuesday, 12 August, that the field testing process will take at least six months and could take up to eight months.
Under these conditions, the implementation of B50 is expected to run in mid-2026. Eniya asserted that apart from road tests, there are several other technical preparations that must be fulfilled for the programme to run optimally. “If that (target 1 January 2026) doesn’t seem likely. Because we still need preparations,” she said.
Based on data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, until June 2025, domestic biodiesel utilisation had only reached 6.8 million kilolitres (kl) or 50.4% of the annual target of 13.5 million kl.
B50, a blend of 50% biodiesel with 50% diesel fuel, is expected to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. However, technical challenges still loom, such as a higher flash point than pure diesel, which risks damaging the engine if specifications are not adjusted.
In addition to technical issues, production capacity is also a significant constraint. To fulfil the projected B50 demand of 19.7 million kl, Indonesia needs an additional seven to nine factories processing CPO into biodiesel. Currently, the national capacity is only 15.8 million kl per year.
“Strengthening this production capacity is as important as testing in the field, because without both, the B50 target will not be able to run,” said Eniya. (Hartatik)
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