IPOMI Reveals B50 Biodiesel Problems: Not Technology, But SPBU Storage
Jakarta — Kompas.com
The government’s plan to implement the expansion of mandatory B50 biodiesel by July has sparked concerns among road transport operators. With the biodiesel blends currently circulating (B35/B40), bus operators already face a number of field technical issues.
Bus operators under the PO (public transport) worry that increasing the palm oil content in diesel going forward will further shorten the service life of modern bus engine components, based on their experiences so far.
“Storage issues at SPBU are very significant during the transition periods, from hot to cold. Condensation occurs. Separation between the vegetable and fossil components happens faster,” said a man known as Sani, on Wednesday (20/5/2026).
Sani explained that the dispenser at SPBU merely dispenses fuel without any re-blending process inside the underground storage tanks.
“Once it enters our tanks, it is filtered; the filter becomes gel. So the filter ends up jelly-like, because it traps the biodiesel and water,” Sani said.
The impact of biodiesel turning to gel is immediately felt by fleet operations.
Buses will experience power drops and even stalling on the road due to clogged fuel filters.
This condition forces bus crews to keep spare diesel filters on hand.
Furthermore, in the long term, the leakage of biodiesel with high biodiesel content risks damaging critical components with costly repair bills.
“Our injectors have shorter lifespans. The injectors and the fuel pump are the first to fail. That’s the quickest way to go,” Sani said.
“They talk in theory. ESDM says there’s no problem during testing. Sure, the tests last only a month and a few thousand kilometres. Meanwhile we operate in the long term, and it’s a dilemma,” Sani added.
To anticipate the upcoming B50 launch and to address current biodiesel issues, several bus operators have even had to spend more to install additional equipment—a magnet-equipped catalytic device in the fuel line of their fleets.
The devices, costing Rp 10 million to Rp 15 million, are installed to separate water content before the biodiesel reaches the engine’s top filter.
“Even though premium chassis manufacturers like Scania, Mercedes-Benz, or Volvo state they comply with B50 in theory and on paper, in the field the storage tanks themselves are the problem,” Sani said.