JAKARTA – The government could not yet ensure whether to upgrade its biodiesel mandatory program from the current B40 to B50 in 2026 as its trial use is not yet finalized until now. Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that the final decision depends on the result of B50 trial use, which is still being undertaken.
According to Bahlil, despite the B40 program is seen progressing well, the government could not yet make sure whether it will be directly upgraded to B50 or to B45 first before B50.
“We’re conducting a trial. Whether we directly upgrade to B50 or to B45 first, it will depend on the trial result. If it is proven in good performance, then we’ll formally announce our decision,” the minister said at the Jakarta state palace on Friday (12/9/2025).
It was reported that the B50 trial process is now entering the third stage. But Minister Bahlil was reluctant to elaborate when the road test will be finalized. He only stated that the government did not want to hurry without technical certainty derived from the test.
Previously, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) Director General Eniya Listiani Dewi said that the target of starting the B50 program in early 2026 was still unchanged. She projected that the trial will take six to eight months to test the engine durability to the use of mixture of diesel fuel and biodiesel from the palm oil.
“Minister and Deputy Minister still stick to the initial plan in early 2026. But the exact month will be decided according to the result of the trial,” Eniya said in the middle of last month (August).
But despite the fact, the directorate general of renewable energy and energy conservation (Ditjen EBTKE) has continued the preparations of all of the necessities for the implementation of the mandatory B50 in early 2026.
Rejection from mining industry
Meanwhile, the B50 plan has drawn criticism from the mining sector. The Indonesia Mining Association (IMA) said that the burden caused by the B40 application alone is already heavy for the industry.
IMA Executive Director Hendra Sinadia stated that the government should conduct periodic evaluation on the implementation of B40 policy. “According to prevailing laws, the evaluation should have been conducted in every three months, involving all stakeholders along the supply chain to get inputs on its implementation so far,” he said. (*)
