Indonesia’s Road Test Using B30 Palm Oil Blend Reveals Safe for Cars

Indonesia said it conducted the world’s longest road test using diesel blended with 30% palm oil biodiesel.  Results showed that the biofuel is safe for cars.  The test used a fleet of cars including Toyota Motor Corp.’s Fortuner, Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s Pajero Sport and Nissan Motor Co.’s Terra on a road test on Java island.  

After driving for 42,000 kilometers (26,000 mile) over two months, the vehicles were fine with no major engine problems, according to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.  The test also showed that the SUVs fueled by 30% palm biofuel and 70% gasoil were more efficient and have lower emissions compared with when using 20% palm biodiesel, Dadan Kusdiana, the ministry’s head of research and development said.  The ministry aims to have the cars reach 50,000 kilometers within the next two weeks. 

President Joko Widodo aims to gradually increase the country’s use of palm-based biofuels to help reduce reliance on imported petroleum and the impact of subsidy costs, while also absorbing the nation’s excess supply of palm oil.  Currently the mandatory blending requirement is 20% palm biofuel, B20, which started in 2016.  The plan is to adopt B30 next year and B100 as early as 2021, according to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.  The B30 mandate will raise the country’s biodiesel consumption to 9 million kiloliters next year from an estimated 6.2 million kiloliters this year on B20.