HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday officially launched Indonesia’s mandatory B50 biodiesel program, making the country the first in the world to require the use of fuel containing 50 percent palm oil-based biodiesel.
“Today, we are not only launching B50, but also taking a major step toward a more energy-sovereign Indonesia in line with the President’s Asta Cita vision,” Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Holopis.com reported, Friday (10/7).
The program was launched at the KM 57 Rest Area in Karawang, West Java, and is expected to play a key role in strengthening Indonesia’s energy security while reducing reliance on imported diesel fuel.
Before the launch ceremony, Prabowo toured an exhibition explaining the technical aspects of the B50 fuel before attending the official event alongside senior cabinet ministers.
According to Bahlil, Indonesia previously consumed around 38 million to 40 million kiloliters of diesel fuel annually and imported between 3 million and 4 million kiloliters of diesel each year.
He said the nationwide implementation of B50 has enabled Indonesia to eliminate diesel fuel imports for the first time.
“We used to import around 3 to 4 million kiloliters of diesel annually. With the implementation of B50, we no longer import diesel fuel, and this is the first time we have achieved that,” he said.
In his remarks, Prabowo described the launch as a historic milestone for Indonesia and the global energy industry.
“With the launch of this program, Indonesia has officially become the first country in the world to implement mandatory B50 biodiesel. This is not merely a technological achievement; it is proof that Indonesia can harness its own natural resources for the benefit of its people. It is a major milestone on our journey toward energy independence,” the president said.
Prabowo formally inaugurated the program alongside Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Investment and Downstream Minister Rosan Roeslani, and Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri.
The government says the B50 program marks a significant step toward national energy self-sufficiency while reinforcing Indonesia’s ambition to become a leader in renewable energy based on its abundant domestic natural resources.
