No Need to Worry About Bioethanol Fuel, Car Engines Safe Up to E30

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has confirmed that blending bioethanol into petrol is safe for vehicle engines, as the government prepares to mandate an E5 blend by the end of 2026. Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) Eniya Listiani Dewi stated that current vehicle engines are capable of handling blends of up to 30% bioethanol (E30), based on various literature studies on engine compatibility with plant-based fuel mixtures. “I am confident that today’s car products can handle up to 30%. It’s in the journals. So we just need to find the theoretical basis, but I’m sure 30% is not a problem. The question is what year we can achieve E10, E20, and E30,” she explained at the Ministry’s office in Jakarta, quoted on Friday (19/6/2026).

Before advancing to the E20 target set for 2028, the government is focusing on completing the implementation of the 5% ethanol blend (E5). Eniya stressed that the E5 mandate must commence before December this year to meet the timeline for increasing the blend to 10% (E10) by early 2027. For the E20 programme, the ministry is planning field tests in collaboration with the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) and is pushing for road tests to begin soon.

The public has already experienced petrol-ethanol blends through the limited commercial availability of Pertamax Green 95 in certain regions. Eniya noted that consumers using the E5 blend have reported more responsive engine acceleration compared to pure petrol. Data from the Directorate General of EBTKE indicates several new plants will produce fuel-grade ethanol with over 99% purity, including facilities in Lampung, Yogyakarta, Solo, and East Java with capacities ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 kilolitres. The E5 implementation in 2026 will cover six regions: East Java, Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Central Java, and Yogyakarta, with plans to expand to Bali in 2027 and increase the blend to E10 in 2028, eventually adding Lampung by 2029-2030.