Indonesia to convert diesel surplus into jet fuel to boost energy independence and reduce imports.
JAKARTA – The government is preparing further measures to strengthen national energy independence by converting surplus diesel production into jet fuel.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the government, together with state-owned energy company PT Pertamina (Persero), was drawing up a roadmap for the development of domestic jet fuel production facilities.
He made the remarks following the launch of the mandatory B50 biodiesel programme in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday.
According to Bahlil, the implementation of the B50 programme is expected to generate a substantial surplus of diesel supplies that can be used as feedstock for jet fuel production.
“We estimate that our diesel surplus will reach between 3 million and 4 million kilolitres,” Lahadalia said at the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road rest area in Karawang, West Java.
“Our next step is to encourage jet fuel production,” Lahadalia said, adding that the feedstock components are almost identical to those used for diesel fuel, as quoted by Antara.
He explained that the diesel surplus would be driven by two main factors: the nationwide implementation of the mandatory B50 biodiesel programme starting this month and the increased production capacity of the Balikpapan refinery in East Kalimantan, which has now been optimised.
The refinery has added around 5.6 million kilolitres of production capacity, strengthening domestic fuel supplies.
With the rollout of the B50 programme, the government also claimed that Indonesia had completely halted diesel imports. Bahlil said the achievement marked an important milestone in the country’s efforts to achieve energy sovereignty by maximising the use of domestic resources.
In addition to jet fuel, the government plans to accelerate refinery expansion to produce various grades of high-octane petrol, including RON 92, RON 95 and RON 98, enabling national fuel demand to be met through domestic production.
“We want everything to be produced domestically,” Lahadalia added, responding to longstanding public concerns over the country’s energy vulnerability.
“This will eliminate external speculation suggesting there is fraud or manipulation in our fuel imports.” (DH/ZH)
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