War Hastens an Indonesian Biofuels Push That Has Global Stakes

Four trucks and a passenger bus have just completed a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) road trip around Java. The epic journey — a distance equivalent to a circumnavigation of the globe — will help to determine whether Indonesia can deliver one of the world’s most ambitious biofuel-blending mandates in the next few months.

With energy bills rising due to the Iran war, the Southeast Asian nation is fast-tracking the rollout of a diesel blend comprised 50% of biofuels from its vast palm plantations. The aggressive timetable will push the industry’s limits and serve as a test case for other crop-rich economies – from Malaysia to Brazil – that are seeking to cut reliance on fossil fuels.