Jakarta: Brazil is pushing to bring Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer, into the Global Biofuels Alliance in a bid to expand global cooperation on sustainable biofuels. The call came during a meeting between Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Brasilia on Wednesday, reports JakartaGlobe.ID.
In a joint statement released after the talks, both leaders acknowledged their countries as leading producers of bioenergy and expressed a shared commitment to promoting sustainable fuel alternatives. The statement emphasized their intent to work together in international platforms like the G20 and BRICS to support the global transition to cleaner energy.
“President Lula invited Indonesia to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, highlighting the potential for deeper cooperation in renewable energy,” the statement said.
Formed in 2023 under India’s G20 presidency, the Global Biofuels Alliance now includes 29 countries such as the United States, and 14 international organizations, including the World Bank and the Indonesia-based Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC). The alliance helps its members by offering technical guidance and support for national biofuel programs.
Indonesia, which relies heavily on palm oil to produce biodiesel, already mandates a 40 percent palm oil blend in its biodiesel fuel—commonly known as B40. The country plans to increase this to 50 percent in 2026. Brazil, meanwhile, is a top ethanol producer, using sugarcane as its primary feedstock. Though Indonesia also makes ethanol from sugarcane, its production remains far below Brazil’s level.
At a joint press briefing, President Prabowo praised Brazil’s progress in the biofuel sector.
“You’re setting a great example with how you’ve adopted biofuels and advanced agricultural innovation,” he said.
Prabowo also revealed that Brazil had agreed to let Indonesian technical teams visit the country to study its biofuel technologies. He reaffirmed Indonesia’s goal of reaching 100 percent renewable energy by 2040, adding that some experts believe the target could be met even earlier.
“We are impressed by your achievements in biofuel development,” Prabowo added.
According to Brazilian government data, the country set a new record in 2023 by producing nearly 43 billion liters of ethanol and biodiesel combined, including more than 7.5 billion liters of biodiesel. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Energy Ministry reported that the country distributed at least 4.3 million kiloliters of B40 fuel during the first four months of 2025.
