ITB and Pertamina Develop Catalyst to Convert Palm Oil into Avtur

BANDUNG Institute of Technology (ITB) collaborated with PT Pertamina (Persero) are developing catalyst to convert palm oil into green avtur. The catalyst cracks palm oil to make it possible to be converted into the aviation fuels. “The catalyst will eliminate oxygen in palm kernel oil and extend carbon chains to C11, C12, up to C14 which is main formula of avtur,” Subagjo, a professor at ITB, said in his presentation in Hotel Double Tree, Jakarta, Thursday (27/12/2018), as quoted by CNBC Indonesia. He said that the catalyst is expected to be tested on September 2019 at Cilacap refinery. The mixture to be used is palm kernel oil blended with kerosene. Pertamina’s Director of Refinery Budi Santoso Syarif said that the process will be used co-processing system. “Palm oil will be digested into palm kernel oil and then blended with kerosene to produce green avtur.” Earlier, ITB announced it already has operated Catalyst Teaching Industry, a facility managed by Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalyst (TRK) under Department of Chemical Engineering at Faculty of Industrial Technology. The facility was formally opened by Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education, Mohamad Nasir, Thursday (11/10/2018). Supported by the Indonesian Oil Fund Estate Fund (BPDPKS) TRK has been conducting research on catalyst to produce fuels and chemical substances from palm oil. From now on, every research is expected to generate marketable products. ***