Government to soon develop B100 fuel to curb imports

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (MEMR) will push the implementation of B100 biodiesel fuel program after successfully conducting trial of the fuel on vehicles. The realization of the B-100 fuel program is expected to curb fossil fuel imports in the long-run.

During the second round of the presidential debates recently, President Jokowi made a surprising statement that Indonesia was moving toward the use of pure CPO, better known as B100, in order to curb the use and import of hydrocarbon fuels.

At present, the government is implementing the mandatory B20 biodiesel program, which requires around 6.2 million tons of biodiesel per annum.

The government has also said it plans to accelerate the use of diesel fuel with 30% biofuel content (B30) in the transportation sector sometime this year, instead of the initially planned 2020.

Implementing the B30 program in mid-2019 would further raise the domestic demand for CPO by some 300,000 tons.

The Head of Research and Development Agency of MEMR Dadan Kusdiana said during a Road Test Discussion on B100 in Sukabumi, West Java on Wednesday (08/05) that majority of the public is still doubt about the implementation of the B100 program, considering that the B20 is just being implemented and then moving to B30 set for 2020.

He said in the near future, the research agency will conduct road test of B30 with a target of 40,000 km. The road test will be carried out in cooperation with the Indonesian Vehicle Producers Association (Gaikindo), state-owned energy company Pertamina, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Indonesian Biodiesel Producers Association (APROBI).

Editing by Roffie Kurniawan