National Energy Council Discuss Developing E50 Biofuel to Boost Domestic Supply

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Led by President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s National Energy Council met at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 17 September 2026, to discuss national energy availability amid the latest global geopolitical developments. The council is Indonesia’s energy policy-setting body comprising the president, vice president, relevant ministers, and 15 other members.

Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said President Prabowo had ordered the government to formulate measures to develop E50, a biofuel containing a blend of 50 percent ethanol and 50 percent gasoline, to help ensure domestic fuel availability. The move follows the development of B50, a similar biofuel blend containing 50 percent palm oil-based biodiesel, which has helped reduce diesel imports.

"The President has ordered us to formulate the necessary measures to develop E50 immediately," Bahlil told the reporters, as cited by the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat.

"We know our annual diesel consumption is approximately 39 million kiloliters, while gasoline consumption is also around 39 to 40 million kiloliters. This is part of our efforts to ensure fuel availability in the domestic market," he continued.

In addition, Minister Bahlil said the government was promoting large-scale exploration of oil basins and production blocks while optimizing existing wells. He said President Prabowo had called for maximizing production from mature oil wells through technology and ensuring that approximately 45,000 community-operated oil wells were managed professionally.

"The President also ordered that monitoring of the 45,000 community wells be carried out professionally, and that no violations or sales of the wells be allowed," Bahlil said.

Before the meeting, the government had announced plans to develop E20, a fuel blend containing 20 percent sugarcane-based ethanol, within two years as an initial step toward E50. According to the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, sugarcane is considered the most feasible feedstock for ethanol production.