InfoSAWIT, KARAWANG – President Prabowo Subianto has officially launched Indonesia's mandatory B50 biodiesel programme, declaring the country the first in the world to implement a nationwide fuel blend containing 50% palm-based biodiesel.
Speaking during the launch ceremony in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday (July 9), Prabowo described the milestone as a strategic breakthrough in Indonesia's pursuit of energy independence and national resilience.
"This is not merely a technological achievement. It demonstrates that Indonesia is capable of utilizing its own natural resources for the benefit of its own people," the President said.
Prabowo emphasized that a nation's long-term strength depends on its ability to secure three fundamental resources: food, energy, and water. According to him, these pillars are essential for ensuring national sovereignty and sustainable economic development.
He highlighted Indonesia's recent progress toward food self-sufficiency, stating that targets initially expected to take four years had been achieved in just one year.
"We have proven that Indonesia can produce food for its own people. Achieving food self-sufficiency faster than expected shows what this nation is capable of," he said.
The President also reaffirmed that transparency and national interest must remain the foundation of government policy.
"A leader must never mislead the people. The interests of the nation must always come before everything else," he stressed.
Prabowo noted that the drive toward energy independence had been one of his priorities long before assuming the presidency. During his tenure as Minister of Defense, he encouraged research institutions, engineers, and technical experts to develop innovations supporting Indonesia's long-term energy security.
He also pointed to the country's abundant natural resource potential, including vast geothermal reserves, one of the world's largest coal reserves, substantial natural gas resources, and newly identified oil and gas discoveries in Andaman, Masela, Natuna, and Kalimantan.
Indonesia, he added, also possesses significant compressed natural gas (CNG) reserves, which the government plans to expand as an alternative fuel source nationwide. Coal gasification technology is likewise being developed to diversify domestic energy supplies.
According to Prabowo, maximizing these resources is essential for protecting Indonesia against global geopolitical uncertainties and future energy supply disruptions.
The President revealed that he had originally encouraged the government to pursue B100 biodiesel, but technical assessments concluded that implementing B50 would already eliminate Indonesia's dependence on imported diesel fuel.
"From the beginning I wanted to move toward B100. However, my ministers assured me that with B50 alone Indonesia would no longer need to import diesel," he said.
Prabowo believes the B50 programme will not only strengthen national energy security but also create a larger domestic market for palm oil, increase value-added across the downstream industry, and deliver long-term benefits for millions of Indonesian oil palm smallholders.
"B50 symbolizes Indonesia's confidence in standing on its own strengths and resources. It is a strategic step toward becoming a more independent, sovereign, and resilient nation," he concluded. (T2)
