ESDM to Conduct B50 Road Test on Railways Next Week
The railway sector’s test will take place next week. Next week, we will conduct it using the route from Lempuyangan Station to Pasar Senen Station.
Bandung Barat, West Java (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) will soon conduct a road test of biodiesel 50 or B50 in the railway sector next week or from the end of April to the beginning of May 2026.
“The railway sector (road test) next week. Next week, we will run it using the route from Lempuyangan Station (Yogyakarta) to Pasar Senen Station (Jakarta),” said the Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of ESDM, Eniya Listiani Dewi, when met at the B50 Road Test Fuel Blending and Filling Station in Lembang, West Bandung Regency, West Java, on Tuesday.
Then, for other locomotives, the road test will be conducted from Gambir Station in Jakarta to Pasar Turi Station in Surabaya.
Eniya explained that the kick-off for the B50 road test had actually been carried out simultaneously in six sectors on 9 December 2025. The six sectors include automotive, mining, agricultural equipment, maritime, power generation, and railways.
However, for the railway sector, the road test was adjusted because it was waiting for the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday season to pass.
“The railway test will start now because it was indeed waiting for Eid to finish. So, we adjusted it. The others have kicked off since 9 December, so they are already underway. Later, we will recap the results,” said Eniya.
After conducting the road test in the railway sector, Eniya said they will carry out tests in cold areas, such as Bromo, East Java.
Eniya stated that B50 is still in the road test phase, targeted to be completed in May 2026 for the automotive sector. The road test phase, according to Eniya, has been ongoing since 9 December 2025 on 9 vehicle units.
After the road test, the Ministry of ESDM will check the engine conditions.
The road test and engine inspection for the automotive sector are targeted to be completed in June 2026. Eniya said that preliminary results from the B50 test indicate that the B50 fuel quality meets the required specifications.
“This engine performance was reported with no filter changes,” said Eniya.
On Tuesday (31/3), Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that Indonesia will implement the B50 policy starting 1 July 2026 to save subsidies worth Rp48 trillion.
He said that Pertamina is ready to implement the policy.
The B50 implementation policy, according to Airlangga, has the potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels by 4 million kilolitres (KL) in one year.