Gaikindo: Automotive Industry Ready to Implement B50

The Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) has stated that the national automotive industry is ready to implement the use of the B50 biodiesel fuel blend. “The automotive industry is ready to implement B50, and the road test for B50 is running smoothly and well,” said Gaikindo Chairman Putu Juli Ardika in Jakarta on Monday. According to him, the industry’s readiness is supported by the sector’s continuously developing performance and an increasingly strong manufacturing ecosystem. Putu Juli noted that Indonesian-produced vehicles have been exported globally, demonstrating the national automotive industry’s growing competitiveness in the global market. Furthermore, he said that in expanding market opportunities, the national automotive industry showcased its competitiveness at the largest industrial exhibition in the Eurasian region, INNOPROM 2026, in Ekaterinburg, Russia, from 6 to 9 July. He stated that through this event, Indonesia opened up cooperation opportunities with Eurasian countries, including in the supply of automotive components. “The automotive ecosystem is running well. We are also offering components if needed because we export a lot of components. This will be very good to support the automotive industry and after-sales in Eurasian countries,” he said. He added that differences in vehicle specifications, such as steering wheel position, are not an obstacle for the Indonesian automotive industry in expanding export markets. The national industry is considered to have experience in making adjustments according to the needs of destination countries. Previously, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasasmita expressed confidence that Indonesia has strong potential to become a major player in palm oil-based bioenergy development through innovation, downstream processing, and international cooperation with Russia and other Eurasian countries. “Through innovation, downstream processing, and international cooperation, we want to make the palm oil industry not only a driver of the national economy but also part of the solution towards energy security and sustainable industrial development,” the Minister said in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Saturday (11/7). On 7 July, Indonesia participated in a forum themed ‘Palm Oil and the Future of Sustainable Energy’ at the INNOPROM 2026 event in Ekaterinburg, Russia. As the world’s largest palm oil producer, Indonesia used the forum to demonstrate its industry’s readiness to support the global energy transition. One of the strategic programmes introduced was the mandatory implementation of B50 biodiesel, which came into effect in July 2026. In addition, Indonesia introduced various policies supporting the sustainability of the palm oil industry, ranging from smallholder replanting programmes to human resource capacity building and biodiesel technology development.