Jakarta, Sept. 8 -- The implementation of the 50 percent palm oil-based biodiesel blend (B50) mandate will save Indonesia roughly Rp170 trillion (approximately US$9.66 billion) in foreign exchange by significantly reducing diesel imports, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

Speaking before Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Tuesday, the ministry's Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) Eniya Listiani Dewi said that the energy policy is substantially bolstering the nation's financial reserves while driving energy independence.

By cutting diesel imports in half-down from a previous high of 18 million kiloliters-the policy has rad...