B50 Set for Launch on 1 July After Successful Trial

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has confirmed that it will launch B50 fuels on 1 July 2026, following successful trials. It is a diesel fuel blend consisting of 50 percent petroleum diesel and 50 percent palm oil-based biodiesel,

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia spoke before reporters in Jakarta on Thursday, 18 June 2026, about the trials. He said trials were conducted on a variety of vehicles, including those used in agriculture and mining.

"It has already been tested on various types of vehicles. These include heavy equipment, ships, trains, and several other vehicles, especially mining equipment, excavators, and agricultural machinery. All of them have undergone testing," Bahlil said.

Bahlil presented the trials report in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) with relevant ministers. According to a social media post by Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the meeting discussed various "strategic steps" to strengthen the national palm oil industry ecosystem, including readiness to launch the B50 program.

According to tests by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, B50 demonstrated good quality, with a lower water content than B40, a similar fuel blend containing 60 percent petroleum diesel. Thus, Bahlil said that the results really made them "happy".

"Therefore, God willing, we are very optimistic that the implementation and launch of B50 will take place on 1 July 2026," he said.

"As a result, we will reduce, or even completely stop, imports of diesel fuel, especially C48 (cetane-48 fuel)," he continued.

As of 2025, Indonesia imported 135 million barrels of crude oil. The ministry views the implementation of B50 as a measure to strengthen the country's energy security, a move carried out amid the oil crisis triggered by the U.S.-Iran war.