Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian government will conduct a road test of vehicles fueled by a 40 percent palm oil biodiesel mixture called B40 in early February.

In 2020 and 2021 the government reviewed laboratory tests for the use of B40, Director General of Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dadan Kusdiana, said here on Monday (Jan. 17).

The government already has the required specifications for the use of B40. The results of this road test will later be used as a reference before starting the implementation of the B40 program.

The B40 road test will take up to five months, starting from the beginning.

Dadan said that the government has prepared recommendations regarding the production of B40 so that this alternative fuel could improve both in terms of biodiesel and diesel fuel qualities.

Throughout 2021 the B30 mandatory policy imposed by the government was able to reduce imports and save foreign exchange, aiming at increasing the use of new and renewable energy and reducing the trade balance deficit.

Data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources show that the domestic use of biodiesel of 9.3 million kiloliters last year saved foreign exchange of 66.54 trillion rupiahs (about 4.6 billion U.S. dollars).

In the period 2015 to 2021, the total volume of biodiesel paid reached 29.14 million kiloliters with a value of 110 trillion rupiahs (about 7.6 billion U.S. dollars).

Meanwhile, the total volume of distribution of this environmentally friendly fuel reached 33.07 million kiloliters.

Reporting by Indonesia Window