Jakarta: Indonesia has stopped importing diesel fuel from July 2026 following the nationwide rollout of B50 biodiesel, President Prabowo Subianto said, describing the move as a major step towards strengthening the country’s energy independence.
Speaking at the TNI Harvest Festival in East Java, Prabowo said Indonesia had become the first country to commercially produce B50, a diesel fuel containing 50% palm oil-based biodiesel blended with conventional diesel, Tempo reported.
“Starting this July, we no longer import diesel from abroad because we are producing it from palm oil,” Prabowo said, according to the Presidential Secretariat.
He said replacing imported diesel with domestically produced biodiesel would keep more money within the country and provide greater economic benefits to Indonesian palm oil farmers.
The announcement marks another milestone in Indonesia’s strategy to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels by expanding the use of domestically produced biofuels.
Alongside the B50 programme, the government has begun introducing E10 petrol, containing 10% ethanol, as the first step towards wider adoption of bioethanol.
Prabowo said Indonesia plans to gradually increase the ethanol blend to E20 and accelerate the construction of new bioethanol plants to support future demand.
He noted that Indonesia currently has only one bioethanol production facility, highlighting the need to expand production capacity as the country advances its biofuel programme.
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest producers of palm oil and has steadily increased biodiesel blending mandates over the past decade as part of its efforts to improve energy security, reduce fuel imports and support the domestic palm oil industry.
