TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said the government plans to import 3 Kg Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) canisters as part of efforts to provide an alternative to subsidized 3 Kg LPG for households.
Director General of Oil and Gas Laode Sulaeman said Indonesia currently lacks the technology to manufacture the canisters domestically.
“This is high technology. Currently, the technology is only available overseas. We cannot produce it yet,” Laode said, as quoted by Antara on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Laode said Indonesia has so far relied mainly on imports from China for such equipment.
“There are many countries, but so far we import from China,” he said.
He explained that the imports would only be carried out during the initial phase of the program, which is aimed at household users. The government plans to develop local production capacity once CNG adoption reaches a larger scale.
“Yes, imports will be for the initial stage,” Laode said.
The government is currently preparing the implementation stages for the CNG program, which is expected to serve as an alternative household cooking fuel to reduce Indonesia’s dependence on LPG imports.
Laode said the government aims to begin introducing CNG as a substitute for 3 Kg LPG this year as part of broader energy diversification efforts.
Earlier, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said compressed natural gas technology is not new in Indonesia, noting that it has already been used in hotels, restaurants, and the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
However, he said current usage remains limited to larger canisters weighing more than 10 to 20 kilograms.
Bahlil said that if ongoing trials prove successful, the government may gradually expand the conversion from LPG to CNG for household use.
According to him, CNG offers a strategic advantage because its raw materials are fully available domestically, supported by Indonesia’s abundant natural gas reserves.
The government has also recently discovered new gas reserves in East Kalimantan that could potentially be allocated for domestic energy needs.
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