How Indonesia Plans to Turn Coal into Gasoline

Indonesia plans to transform coal into gasoline, as per President Prabowo Subianto's initiative. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that several companies have proposed joint ventures to develop the technology. The minister noted that the government will follow up on the President's directive and highlighted that low-calorie coal can now produce gas and oil.

Indonesia, he added, possesses vast reserves of low-calorie coal that are ideal for conversion into alternative fuels. The initiative aims to optimize domestic energy resources and reduce reliance on imported crude oil, which would conserve foreign exchange reserves. The minister affirmed that he will follow up on every presidential directive on resource optimization to enhance energy resilience through domestic energy sources.

Earlier, Prabowo had unveiled the government's plan to synthesize gasoline from coal, stating that efforts to derive fuel from domestic commodities, such as palm oil, are also underway. He also mentioned that professors from Indonesian universities have successfully formulated crude palm oil-based substitutes for diesel and gasoline, and they will now produce gasoline from coal.