“This was conveyed to the President—starting in early 2026, Indonesia will no longer need to import diesel fuel,” Lahadalia said after a meeting at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Monday.
The shift will be made possible by the operation of the Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) project in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, which is scheduled to be inaugurated on November 10.
Lahadalia emphasized that the refinery will significantly boost domestic diesel production, enabling the country to meet its own fuel needs without relying on imports.
In parallel, the government is advancing its biofuel strategy through the B50 biodiesel program, which blends diesel with 50 percent vegetable oil.
Lahadalia stated that the combined output from the RDMP and the B50 initiative is expected to create a surplus of diesel fuel, opening the door for future exports.
“Our target is to complete the RDMP and implement B50. Together, these will result in an oversupply of diesel,” he said optimistically.
The B50 program is slated to begin in the second half of 2026. President Prabowo has instructed the acceleration of the transition from B40 to B50, even as mandatory trials for B50 are still underway.
“B50 is currently undergoing trials. God willing, we’ll implement it in the second half of 2026. Once that happens, we won’t need to import fuel—especially diesel,” Lahadalia said during a press conference on October 24.
He noted that Indonesia currently imports around 4.9 to 5 million tons of diesel annually.
With the RDMP and biofuel programs in place, those imports can be phased out, as domestic production—supported by bioethanol—will be sufficient to meet demand.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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