East Java Awaits FAME Supply as Fuel Stocks Stand at 60,000 kL

Surabaya — East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak said the province held about 60,000 kilolitres (kL) of fuel stocks on 19 October 2026, equivalent to six days of demand. During an inspection of Pertamina's Surabaya terminal, he said vessels carrying diesel, Pertalite petrol and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), a blending component for subsidised biodiesel blend (Biosolar), were heading to the province. Emil projected that incoming supplies would lift stocks to 80,000 kL, or eight days of demand, on 20 October. That last figure was a forecast of incoming supply, not confirmation that all cargo had arrived.

FAME is part of the supply response

iNews reported that Emil inspected the Pertamina Integrated Terminal Surabaya on Perak Barat Road after motorists queued at several fuel stations in the Tapal Kuda area of eastern East Java. According to the report, deliveries to the province had fallen between late September and mid-October, leading to temporary shortages at some stations, including around Banyuwangi. The provincial administration said Pertamina was stepping up deliveries to restore normal distribution.

Bisnis.com separately reported the 19 October inspection and the figures of 60,000 kL of existing stocks and a projected increase to 80,000 kL. Its report said Emil counted fewer than ten fuel stations in a critical condition. That count describes conditions at the time of inspection; it should not be taken as proof that every station across the province was immediately operating normally.

Why FAME matters to the biodiesel supply chain

FAME is the plant-derived component blended with diesel to make biodiesel fuel. Its inclusion among the reported incoming cargoes therefore matters to readers tracking Biosolar supply, not only petrol inventory. Neither account, however, specifies the volume of FAME aboard the vessels, the amount discharged at each terminal, or how much Biosolar had reached stations after the visit. It would be inaccurate to treat the projected rise in total fuel stocks as a confirmed additional volume of biodiesel.

The 60,000 kL figure refers to overall provincial fuel stocks as cited by Emil. It is not the volume of FAME or Biosolar alone. Likewise, the six-day coverage figure refers to the fuel needs in his account, not a separate measure of biodiesel availability at each forecourt. The distinction between terminal inventory and products delivered to retail stations is particularly important when queues have already formed.

Distribution still needs to be checked

According to iNews, the provincial government urged residents to buy only the fuel they needed rather than panic-buy. That request accompanied Pertamina's stated plan to normalise distribution; it was not itself evidence that the queues had ended. As of the 19 October reports, the verifiable developments were the inventory figure Emil gave and the anticipated resupply. Confirmation of vessel arrivals and supplies reaching stations would require subsequent distribution reports.

For readers tracking diesel prices and information and the biodiesel mandate, the case illustrates three different measures: total fuel stocks, availability of FAME blending material and actual service at filling stations. They are connected in the supply chain but cannot be used interchangeably. Media Biodiesel is treating the 80,000 kL figure as a reported projection until realised deliveries are confirmed.