Indonesia into the Era of Green Fuels Industry

CONGRATULATIONS are probably due more to PT Pertamina (Persero) that has succeeded tested co-processing to convert palm oil into green gasoline. This is a great achievement that deserves praise as it makes Indonesia the first country to undertake green gasoline co-processing on a commercial scale.

Earlier, Pertamina announced that its Residue Fluidized Cracking Catalityc Unit (RFCCU) Refinery Unit (RU) III Plaju in South Sumatera had succeeded in testing CPO co-processing to green gasoline, green LPG, and green propylene in a small percentage.

The co-processing was conducted with Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO) injection up to 7.5% on feed. Co-processing is a method to produce green fuels by processing biofuels with fossil-based fuels simultaneously to convert them into green hydrocarbon (green gasoline, green diesel, or bioavtur).

Green fuels development by Pertamina and supported by the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDPKS) is one of their efforts to produce palm oil-based biofuels. Currently, Indonesia has been developing B20, a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 70 percent by volume petroleum diesel.

The government is expecting to conduct road test for B30 in 2019 and the bio-content will be increased until it reachs green diesel. Pertamina’s success in the co-processing is believed to bring Indonesia to new era of biofuels industry. It has also reaffirmed Indonesian palm oil existence as a source of eco-friendly fuels in a bid to replace fossil-based fuels.

“That is a remarkable achievement that set Indonesia to become the first country to undertake green gasoline co-processing on a commercial scale,” Prof Subajo, an expert on fuels catalyst at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), said at launching ceremony of Implementation of CPO Co-processing to Green Gasoline and Green LPG at RFCCU RU III Plaju, (21/12/2018).

Government officials also extended their congratulations for the success. “The success will bring Indonesia to a new era of biofuels industry that is expected to commercially produce biohydrocarbons or green fuels in the near future,” said Andriah Feby Misna, Bioenergy Director at Directorate General of New Energy, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Green fuels are good choices to meet the domestic demand for liquid fuels in a bid to substitute crude oil or fossil-based fuels. Apart from that, green fuels will also help broaden the use of B20 that has been commercially used in the country. It will also contribute economic benefits, including to ease the pressure from current account deficit on crude oil imports.

Pertamina’s Director of Refinery Budi Santoso Syarif said implementation of CPO co-processing has contributed benefits to the company and the country. This innovation has been tested and has showed remarkable result in product quality, eco-friendly content, and also reducing crude oil imports.

“It has high level of local content requirement given the fact that CPO is local product, and all transaction for the product use rupiah so that the country mas reduce its budget deficit,” Budi added.

Green fuels are biohydrocarbons which have same characteristicts as fossil-based hydrocarbons that can be blended at all percentage level so that it works in standard engines without adjustment. *** (Source: ebtke.esdm.go.id)