DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Environment & Climate

Indonesian Railways Adopts B50 Biodiesel to Cut Carbon Footprint

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Indonesian Railways (KAI) has transitioned to using B50 biodiesel in its diesel locomotives and generator cars starting July 1, 2026.
  • This move from B40 to B50 is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions and improve operational energy efficiency.
  • KAI has served approximately 29.86 million passengers on its long-distance and local services between January and July 2026.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is advancing its commitment to sustainable transportation by implementing the use of B50 biodiesel across its diesel-powered locomotive and generator car fleet. This strategic shift, effective from July 1, 2026, signifies a crucial step in the company's energy transformation efforts.

All diesel-powered locomotives and generator cars managed by KAI have been using a B40 biodiesel blend since January 2026.

— Anne PurbaVice President Corporate Communication at KAI, detailing the previous fuel standard before the B50 implementation.

Previously using a B40 blend since January 2026, KAI's adoption of B50 represents a 10% increase in biodiesel content. This enhancement is projected to yield substantial environmental benefits, with an estimated reduction of approximately 9,000 tons of CO₂e emissions compared to the B40 scenario during the period of July 1 to August 24, 2026. This calculation is based on an estimated fuel consumption of around 40 million liters during this 55-day period.

Starting July 1, 2026, KAI will implement the use of B50 in all diesel-powered locomotives and generator cars for KAI's long-distance and local train operations.

— Anne PurbaVice President Corporate Communication at KAI, announcing the official start date for the B50 biodiesel usage.

Anne Purba, Vice President of Corporate Communication at KAI, emphasized that this initiative aligns with the future of transportation, which demands increasingly efficient and measurable energy management. "Through the implementation of B50, KAI continues to optimize energy use with a higher biodiesel content to support more sustainable train operations," she stated.

Through the implementation of B50, KAI continues to optimize energy use with a higher biodiesel content to support more sustainable train operations.

— Anne PurbaVice President Corporate Communication at KAI, explaining the strategic importance of the B50 adoption for sustainability.

KAI's operational data from January 1 to August 24, 2026, shows a total consumption of approximately 172.2 million liters of fuel for its diesel-powered services. The company highlights that the emissions reduction benefit from the B50 implementation is estimated at about 0.3 kg CO₂e per passenger for long-distance and local train services, based on the period analyzed. KAI acknowledges that emissions calculations vary across different transport modes, with electric-based services and others requiring distinct methodologies.

With the use of the CO₂e emission reduction approach from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' biodiesel program, the implementation of B50 during this period is projected to provide an additional emission reduction of approximately ±9 thousand tons CO₂e compared to the B40 usage scenario.

— Anne PurbaVice President Corporate Communication at KAI, quantifying the environmental benefits of switching to B50 biodiesel.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog