Indonesia to Develop Gasoline from Coal, Prabowo Says - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto plans to produce gasoline from coal in a bid to reduce Indonesia's reliance on imported fuel. He noted that domestic engineering professors have already succeeded in processing fuel from crude palm oil (CPO).

This breakthrough is expected to bolster the production of B50 diesel, a blend containing 50 percent palm oil. “Professors from our engineering faculties have successfully produced diesel from palm oil and managed to synthesize gasoline from it. Later, we will also produce gasoline from coal,” Prabowo said while attending the centennial celebration of the Darussalam Gontor Islamic Boarding School in East Java on Saturday, September 19, 2026, as quoted from the Gontor TV YouTube channel.

Prabowo added that this success will serve as a foundation for the government to expand fuel development using other domestic resources, including coal. In his view, developing fuel from domestic resources is essential amid ongoing global uncertainty.

Prabowo also pointed to the policy of halting diesel imports altogether. Effective July 1, 2026, Indonesia ceased importing diesel from overseas as domestic production met national demand. Therefore, he stressed that the nation must achieve self-sufficiency in food and energy rather than relying on foreign suppliers.