Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, September 21, 2026 at 10:58 AM

Indonesia prepares E50 bioethanol roadmap to end gasoline imports

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Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated that Indonesia can eliminate finished gasoline imports once the country successfully rolls out an E50 bioethanol blend mandate.

Speaking on the sidelines of a ministry event in Jakarta on Monday, Bahlil revealed that President Prabowo Subianto instructed the National Energy Council to immediately draw up a roadmap toward E50—a fuel blend containing 50 percent ethanol.

"If we can achieve the E50 standard—God willing—we will meet our target of no longer importing finished gasoline products," Bahlil said.

The plan to introduce E50 follows the country's successful deployment of the B50 biodiesel mandate—a blend of 50 percent palm-based fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and 50 percent diesel fuel.

With annual national gasoline consumption reaching 39 to 40 million kiloliters, the government aims to leverage domestic resources to protect national energy security from global geopolitical volatility.

To support the transition, the government has identified domestic sugarcane, cassava, and corn as primary raw materials for ethanol production—taking inspiration from Brazil's adoption of E100.

Bahlil outlined a phased rollout plan for the bioethanol roadmap, starting with E10 in 2027 and advancing to E20 in 2028 before scaling up to E50.

However, he emphasized that the program must rely strictly on domestic agricultural supply rather than foreign bioethanol imports.

"We do not want to implement E10, E20, or E50 if the ethanol is imported from abroad; that would amount to the same thing," Bahlil said, reiterating the government's commitment to self-reliance.

Alongside biofuel expansion, President Prabowo's broader energy security agenda calls for accelerated exploration of domestic oil basins and blocks, as well as the optimization of aging wells to boost national crude production.

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