Bahlil: Indonesia No Longer Imports Diesel After B50 Programme Implementation

KARAWANG – Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has announced that Indonesia has stopped importing diesel following the implementation of the mandatory B50 biodiesel policy.

“With the implementation of B50, thank God we no longer import diesel products into our country. And this is the first time, Mr President,” Bahlil said at the launch of the Mandatory B50 Biodiesel Programme at the Rest Area KM 57, Karawang Regency, West Java, on Thursday (9/7/2026).

Bahlil explained that total domestic diesel consumption stands at around 38 to 40 million kilolitres per year. “Previously, we were still importing roughly 3-4 million kilolitres per year,” he said.

He continued that Indonesia no longer imports diesel following the implementation of B50. Bahlil therefore stressed that Indonesia is not merely launching B50, but also taking a major step towards an increasingly sovereign Indonesia in the energy sector.

This achievement aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita on energy resilience. The implementation of B50 in July 2026 was also driven by Prabowo’s instruction to Bahlil to strengthen sovereignty in the energy sector.

“We interpret the President’s direction and orders not merely as a matter of B50, but of sovereignty, self-reliance, and national dignity, so that we can produce energy from our own country,” Bahlil said.

President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated the Mandatory B50 Biodiesel Programme at the Rest Area KM 57, Karawang Regency, West Java, on Thursday.

The legal basis for the Mandatory B50 Biodiesel Programme is Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation Number 4 of 2025 on the Cultivation and Utilisation of Biofuels, along with the Ministerial Decision Number 257.K/EK.01/MEM.E/2026 on the Obligation to Blend Biofuels of the Biodiesel Type with Diesel Fuel at 50 per cent.

The B50 programme requires a 50 per cent blend of biodiesel in diesel-type fuel oil. In its implementation, biofuel business entities, fuel oil business entities, and distribution business entities are required to apply quality standards in accordance with the specifications that have been set.

This policy forms part of the government’s strategic agenda to reduce dependence on imported fuel, strengthen the added value of national natural resources, and safeguard Indonesia’s economic and energy resilience.