Indonesia to begin testing higher palm-oil biodiesel in December

The move aims to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel by increasing the palm oil content in biodiesel from the current 40%. Tests will be conducted on various types of machinery and transport, including train engines, ships, mining equipment, and power generators, Eniya said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Bali. She added that the government will thoroughly assess all aspects of B50 implementation, such as technical performance, pricing, and the availability of palm oil-based fuel, and will make the results public. Authorities are evaluating whether to apply the B50 standard initially to public service obligation (PSO) sectors, such as public transport and logistics, given the current limitations in biodiesel production capacity. “We have discussed the possibility of increasing the blending rate to 50% for PSO sectors while keeping it lower for non-PSO sectors — this will be reviewed carefully,” Eniya said. “The main challenge lies in the upstream sector. ...