Indonesia biofuel producers expect June end to B50 test as government eyes earlier completion
Indonesia's biofuel producers association APROBI said it expected a roadtest for 50% palm-based biodiesel blending, or B50, to be concluded no earlier than the energy ministry's previous target of June or July.
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The association's reiteration of the timeline comes despite the energy ministry issuing a statement a day earlier about an acceleration of the B50 tests.
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Deputy Energy Minister Yuliot Tanjung had said the B50 road test was being expedited in case Indonesia struggles with crude oil supply due to conflict in the Middle East. The aim was to reach 50,000 km of testing by the end of March, he said.
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APROBI, which is involved in the testing, said the 50,000 km target was expected to be achieved in May, followed by checks on the car’s machinery, which typically take a month.
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“Whether or not this can be immediately implemented, based on our previous experience, it cannot because the energy ministry needs to change some regulations, including on biodiesel allocations,” APROBI secretary general Ernest Gunawan told a press conference.
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APROBI said it would support the government’s B50 plan but urged it to conduct thorough calculations before implementing higher blending to avoid a food-versus-energy issue, and continuity of the blending mandate in the coming years.
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Indonesia has biodiesel installed capacity of 22 million kiloliters, which could produce about 17.6 million kiloliters biodiesel per year. This capacity would be sufficient for a B50 mandate in the second half, but insufficient for a full-year implementation.
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