Karawang, West Java. President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday said Indonesia has become the first country in the world to implement a mandatory 50% biodiesel blend, describing the B50 program as a major step toward energy self-sufficiency and lower fuel imports.

Prabowo made the remarks while officially launching the B50 program at the KM 57 rest area on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in Karawang, West Java.

“With the launch of this program, Indonesia officially becomes the first country in the world to implement mandatory B50 biodiesel. This is not merely a technological achievement -- it is proof that Indonesia can harness its own natural resources for the benefit of its own people,” he said.

The president said energy independence had long been one of his administration's strategic priorities, adding that even before taking office, he had instructed his advisers to pursue both food and energy self-sufficiency.

“We must not depend on imported fuel or food,” Prabowo said.

The B50 program raises the mandatory share of palm oil-based biodiesel in diesel fuel to 50%, with the government aiming to reduce fossil fuel imports, increase value-added processing in the domestic palm oil industry, and strengthen national energy security.

Indonesia's biodiesel mandate has expanded steadily over the past two decades, beginning with a 5% blend in 2006 before gradually rising to 40% prior to the introduction of B50. The latest mandate followed months of testing involving passenger vehicles, trains, and power plants.

The government expects the higher biodiesel blend to generate a surplus of up to 4 million kiloliters of diesel this year, potentially eliminating the need for diesel imports.