Legislator Hails B50 Biodiesel Launch as Milestone for National Energy Sovereignty
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Junaidi Auly, a member of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), said the launch of 50 per cent biodiesel (B50) - a blended fuel of diesel and palm oil - represents a moment of national energy sovereignty.
The legislator, who focuses on energy affairs, considered the inauguration of B50 by President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday (9/7) to reflect a commitment to optimising domestic energy potential amid global geopolitical dynamics and volatility in world energy prices.
“The launch of B50 is an important moment in the journey towards national energy sovereignty. It deserves appreciation because it shows the courage to use domestic resources as a foundation for strengthening Indonesia’s energy resilience,” Junaidi said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
Nevertheless, he reminded that the programme requires continuous evaluation. The government needs to ensure implementation runs well on the ground, from the availability of raw materials to the readiness of user sectors.
According to him, the success of B50 should be measured by its impact on the national economy, such as a sustained decline in diesel imports, increasingly competitive national industries, greater benefits for palm oil farmers, and an energy system that the public experiences as more efficient and reliable.
Junaidi added that the B50 momentum must also be used to strengthen national technological mastery. Indonesia needs to continue developing innovative research, engine engineering, and supporting industries so it can produce competitive energy technology.
He affirmed that Commission XII of the DPR RI stands ready to support the government in facing the next challenge, namely ensuring the policy truly becomes the foundation of Indonesia’s energy sovereignty.
“When its benefits are felt by the public, industry grows stronger, farmers become more prosperous, and dependence on imported energy continues to fall, that is when B50 will be recorded as an important milestone in the national energy transformation,” he said.
President Prabowo Subianto launched the Mandatory B50 Programme in Karawang Regency, West Java, on Thursday (9/7), as a step to strengthen energy self-reliance and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
Indonesia, Prabowo said, is the first country to implement a mandatory B50 policy. He described the policy not merely as a technological achievement, but as proof of Indonesia’s ability to harness its natural wealth for the people’s benefit.
“This is proof that Indonesia can utilise its own natural wealth for the interests of its own people. This is an important milestone for the nation’s own self-reliance,” the Head of State affirmed.
On the same occasion, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia guaranteed that the quality of B50 is suitable for car engines produced by both Asian and European manufacturers.
Bahlil explained that, based on tests carried out over roughly six months, the quality of B50 is far better than B40. The assessment was based on filter replacements made during road tests.
With B40, he explained, filters were replaced after 10,000 to 20,000 kilometres of use; meanwhile, during B50 road testing, some vehicles had not yet replaced their filters even after covering 40,000 kilometres.