Government to Trial CNG as 3 kg LPG Alternative Next Week

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has revealed that a trial of 3 kilogramme compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders for the public is scheduled to begin next week. The project is intended as an alternative to replace 3 kg liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, the supply of which is currently still dominated by imports.

The CNG cylinder trial is currently in the final testing phase at the Oil and Gas Testing Centre (Lemigas) before it can be trialled with the public. This is to ensure that the 3 kg CNG is truly safe for use before mass commercialisation.

“The trial is next week. We will check it,” Bahlil said when asked about the timing of the public trial, speaking at the Ministry of Finance office in Jakarta on Tuesday (11/8/2026).

Meanwhile, the Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of ESDM, Laode Sulaeman, stated that the compressed natural gas programme is designed to have a more efficient subsidy scheme compared to the existing 3 kg LPG programme. The government projects that the use of CNG cylinders will provide savings on state subsidies because it utilises domestic gas sources.

“He conveyed that it is subsidised, but the subsidy saves 30 to 40 per cent, meaning the subsidy is still lower than the LPG subsidy. That is the point,” Laode explained during the same occasion. “Yes, equivalent to 3 kilos. One 3 kg LPG cylinder will be made equivalent to one CNG cylinder equal to 3 kilogrammes of LPG,” Laode added.

The government hopes that next week’s trial will serve as a foundation for expanding the distribution reach of CNG nationwide.