New B50 Fuel to Launch Tomorrow, Here's Its Engine Performance

The government is scheduled to officially launch B50 biodiesel, a diesel fuel with a 50 percent palm oil blend, on Thursday (9/7/2026). The policy is part of the government’s strategy to reduce dependence on imported diesel. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has released the results of engine performance tests using B50 biodiesel. Based on laboratory and road tests, the quality of B50 meets established standards, indicated by a water content far below the maximum limit. Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) at the Ministry of ESDM, Eniya Listiani Dewi, explained the technical parameters from the laboratory and field tests. The water content figure in the B50 blend is one factor that maintains diesel engine stability during road trials. “The water content test result is 208.81 ppm. That means it is below 300 ppm. Lower is better. If there is more water, it is often said to disrupt engine performance. So we emphasise that the less water, the better,” she said at the B50 Road Test Blending and Refuelling Station in Lembang. The government is tightening the technical specifications for B50 compared to the currently running B40 programme. The monoglyceride parameter is reduced to a maximum of 0.47 percent mass, and oxidation stability is increased to a minimum of 900 minutes to ensure engine performance is maintained even with a higher plant-based blend percentage. “So we set these requirements for biofuel business entities to ensure good performance. It is improved because we also test the performance, so we set the B100 specifications to be much better,” Eniya explained. Beyond engine stability, the use of B50 has been proven to reduce sulphur content in fuel by up to 50 percent. With half the sulphur content removed, the resulting emissions from diesel vehicles are claimed to be approaching Euro-4 environmental standards. “FAME functions to reduce sulphur. With a 50 percent blend, the sulphur drops by 50 percent. It contains no sulphur, so when mixed it becomes about half. It is roughly approaching Euro-4,” she stated. Regarding engine components, the ministry reported no significant issues such as blockages that would require rapid filter replacement. Furthermore, fuel consumption in the tested vehicles remained within the standard range set by each manufacturer. The Ministry of ESDM projects that implementing B50 could save up to Rp 157.28 trillion in foreign exchange. The policy is also expected to create national employment opportunities, targeting the absorption of more than 2.2 million workers. From an environmental perspective, the use of B50 is targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46.72 million tonnes of CO2 in 2026. As of mid-April 2026, national biodiesel distribution had reached 3.90 million kilolitres, approximately 24.9 percent of the total initial allocation of 15.65 million kilolitres for the year.