Bahlil Reveals Japan's Fuel Stock for 254 Days, Indonesia Only 25 Days
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia explained that there is a substantial gap between Japan’s energy resilience and Indonesia’s, particularly when assessing the fuel stock (BBM) of the two countries. ‘In fact, our energy resilience, our storage, is capped at 25–26 days, not more than that,’ he said at a press conference on the latest developments in the Middle East and implications for the ESDM sector, held at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) office in Jakarta on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, as quoted by Antara.
Compared with Japan’s energy resilience, Indonesia appears markedly behind. Indonesia’s BBM stock can last less than 30 days, while Japan maintains BBM stocks for 254 days ahead.
Bahlil explained that the disparity is caused by Indonesia’s limited fuel storage capacity. ‘Now, if we import that much (as Japan does), where would we store (the BBM)? That is our problem,’ he said.
Therefore, the government is working to construct storage with a capacity of up to 90 days or three months, to align with international standards. The feasibility study for the storage project is still ongoing.
The government will increase storage capacity for crude oil, BBM, and LPG from the current 25–26 days to 90 days or three months. Bahlil targets that storage development will commence in 2026, and it is planned to be built on Sumatra Island.
Currently, crude oil, BBM, and LPG stocks are above the government’s minimum national resilience standard. The minimum standard set by the Indonesian government is 23 days.
‘So, with regard to preparations for Eid al-Fitr, the fasting month, I am pleased to report that our BBM, crude, and LPG stocks are all above the national minimum standard,’ said Bahlil.
Energy resilience has recently become a focus of public attention, especially in relation to the United States-Israel–Iran conflict. On Saturday, 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched a series of strikes on various targets in Iran, including Tehran. Reports say the attacks caused damage and civilian casualties. Iran retaliated by launching missile strikes on Israel and US military facilities in the region.
The following day, Sunday 1 March 2026, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the joint US-Israel strike. Iranian state television confirmed the death. Iranian media reported that the Strait of Hormuz had effectively been closed following the US-Israel strikes, although no formal blockade announcement had been made. The Strait handles around one-fifth of global oil trade and a large volume of LNG exports from Qatar and the UAE. Approximately 20 percent of global daily oil consumption, or around 20 million barrels, passes through that corridor.