3 kg Green Cylinder LPG to be Replaced with CNG, Currently in 3-Month Trial

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has opened the option of substituting energy from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or elpiji with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for household needs. This option is highly relevant at present amid high import dependency. Bahlil conveyed this to President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, in response to the vulnerability of LPG supply due to global dynamics. “So friends know that our LPG is still 75-80 percent imported. Our LPG needs increase every year,” said Bahlil. “Today, Candra Asri and Lotte require 2-3 million tonnes per year for feedstock. As for household consumption, it’s around 7-8 million tonnes,” he added. According to Bahlil, dependency on imports is a weak point, especially during global geopolitical turmoil that affects supply stability and prices. “The issue now is that when there is political turmoil like this, getting import certainty for LPG is there, but we depend on the global market. So we are formulating to find other alternatives,” he explained. As a solution, the government is beginning to promote the use of CNG, which is considered safer in terms of supply because it is based on domestic resources. The use of CNG is already in place in the commercial sector. “CNG is one of the alternatives. CNG is already used by hotels, restaurants, MBG, it’s there. But in the classification of 20 kg and above, there are those of 10-10 kg and above,” he said. The main challenge now lies in the conversion for the small 3 kg cylinders commonly used in households. Bahlil stated that the trial is still ongoing because the gas pressure is much higher than LPG. “For the 3 kg, the cylinder is still being trialled. Because the pressure is very high, around 200-250 bar. This is what we will try to modify,” he said. The government targets results from the trial to be obtained soon, before deciding on mass conversion steps. “Insya Allah in 2-3 months we will get the results. Then if it’s declared ready, we will carry out the conversion,” he emphasised.