Indonesia plans to halt diesel imports by the second half of 2026 through the implementation of its B50 biofuel programme, which consists of a 50 per cent blend of palm oil and 50 per cent fossil diesel, announced the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, as reported by Antara News.

The country is currently in the final phase of testing B50 biodiesel in various types of vehicles, including ship engines, trains, and heavy equipment. These trials are expected to last between six and eight months, after which a final decision on rolling out the programme will be made.

According to the Ministry of Energy, ensuring sufficient palm oil production will require measures such as expanding cultivation areas and reducing exports.

The previous biofuel programme, B40: comprising 40 per cent renewable biocomponents, mainly derived from palm oil, and 60 per cent fossil diesel, has already demonstrated positive results.

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