Bioethanol E5, E10 and E20 Explained: From Pertamax Green 95 to Indonesia's 2027 Mandate Target

Bioethanol is ethanol (alcohol) made from crops such as sugarcane, cassava, corn or sorghum and blended into gasoline. The codes E5, E10 and E20 show the share of ethanol in the blend: E5 means 5% ethanol and 95% gasoline. In Indonesia, ethanol-blended gasoline on sale is still limited to Pertamax Green 95 (E5), while the government prepares an E5 obligation for non-subsidised gasoline and targets E10 from 2027.

How to read E5, E10 and E20

The logic is the same as the B40 or B50 biodiesel codes for diesel: the number after the letter shows the biofuel share. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia, as quoted by Antara in July 2026, said the ethanol programme will be phased in, mirroring the biodiesel programme's rise from B10 to B20, B30 and now B50.

Ethanol used as fuel must be very pure. At a November 2025 discussion held by Universitas Indonesia's energy security research centre (PUSKEP UI), bioenergy researcher Zarkoni Azis explained that anhydrous ethanol has purity above 99.5%, while hydrous ethanol contains about 4–5% water. For imported ethanol, Bahlil said in March 2026 that a purity of 99.9% would be required, according to Investor Trust.

Pertamax Green 95: the first E5 at fuel stations

Pertamina launched Pertamax Green 95 on 24 July 2023 in Jakarta and Surabaya. According to Katadata, it blends Pertamax (RON 92) with 5% bioethanol to reach the equivalent of RON 95 gasoline. The ethanol comes from sugarcane molasses supplied by PT Energi Agro Nusantara, a subsidiary of state plantation company PTPN X. At launch it cost IDR 13,500 per litre and was sold at 15 fuel stations.

The network has since grown. Listrik Indonesia reported that by June 2025 Pertamax Green 95 was available at 119 fuel stations in Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Central Java and East Java. Volumes remain small: data cited by Katadata show 16,234 kilolitres of Pertamax Green 95 sold in 2025, containing 812 kilolitres of bioethanol.

Is it safe for vehicles?

Kukuh Kumara, Secretary General of the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), told the PUSKEP UI discussion, as reported by Republika, that E10 is safe for almost all motor vehicles produced since 2000, citing extensive tests by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) across Asia-Pacific, including Indonesia. He also stressed that doubts among owners of older cars and motorcycles need to be addressed. Experts at the forum agreed E10 is safe provided fuel specifications are consistent and applied evenly across all fuel station networks.

Eniya Listiani Dewi, Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE), said she believes today's cars can handle blends of up to 30% ethanol, as quoted by CNN Indonesia in June 2026, although the government will run measured trials before setting each blend level. ESDM has also asked Gaikindo to begin E20 road tests. Vehicle owners, especially of older motorcycles and cars, should still check their owner's manual.

A roadmap still in motion

The ethanol mandate timetable has changed several times, and official statements have not always matched:

When stated	Target cited	Source
October 2025	Bahlil: E10 to E20 mandate from 2027	KatadataOTO
March 2026	Indonesia–US reciprocal trade agreement (ART) document, as reported by Investor Trust: E5 by 2028, E10 by 2030, efforts toward E20	Investor Trust
4 June 2026	E5 mandatory for non-subsidised gasoline from H2 2026, starting in Java; E10 in 2028	Katadata
17 June 2026	E5 before December 2026, E10 in early 2027, E20 in January 2028; E5 awaiting a volume allocation decree	CNN Indonesia
July 2026	Bahlil: E10 in 2027, E20 phased in over 2028–2029 once the domestic ethanol industry is ready	Antara, Metro TV

The common thread: the government does not want to replace gasoline imports with ethanol imports. "We do not want to implement E20 only to end up importing ethanol," Bahlil said after a cabinet meeting, as quoted by Metro TV citing Antara. The next one to two years will therefore focus on building the ethanol industry and feedstock supply from sugarcane, cassava and corn, including integrated sugarcane estates with mills that can switch between sugar and ethanol, following the Brazilian model.

Other biofuel terms are explained in the Media Biodiesel glossary.