Successfully Creates Bioavtur J2.4, Pertamina Supports National Clean Energy Strategic Program
Jakarta, September 8, 2021 – Pertamina scored a new milestone in the national aviation industry by producing aviation turbine fuel (avtur) dubbed Bioavtur J2.4, a clean energy innovation based on biofuels for air transportation. The first trial of Bioavtur J2.4 on the CN235 FTB aircraft was marked as the superiority of the biofuel produced by the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (Pertamina International Refinery) Cilacap unit.
In line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Number 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, Pertamina’s J2-4 Bioavtur contributes to the effort to reduce carbon emissions. Besides SDGs, the development of Bioavtur is also in line with Indonesia’s target through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in achieving a renewable energy mix of 23% by 2025 following the National Energy Policy.
Corporate Secretary of Pertamina’s Refining & Petrochemical Subholding, Ifki Sukarya, emphasized that Bioavtur J2.4 has proven to show performance equivalent to fossil fuel avtur through a comprehensive development stage. “Since 2014, Pertamina has pioneered research and development of Bioavtur through the Dumai and Cilacap Refinery Units. Bioavtur performance has been optimal, where the difference in performance is only 0.2 – 0.6% from fossil fuel avtur performance. Bioavtur J2.4 contains 2.4% biofuel made from refined palm oil. It is the maximum achievement with the existing catalyst technology,” explained Ifki.
Pertamina’s contribution in developing Bioavtur J2.4, which has been since 2014, includes two important stages. The initial stage of development is managed by PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional Dumai unit through the Distillate Hydrotreating Unit (DHDT). The first stage is marked by the ‘Hydrodecarboxylation’ process, where our initial target is the production of biohydrocarbon diesel and bioavtur on a laboratory scale.
Meanwhile, the second stage is marked by the ‘Hydrodeoxygenation’ process. “Pertamina has succeeded in producing a more efficient bio-hydrocarbon diesel,” explained Ifki. The climax is in 2020 when the Dumai Refinery unit successfully produced D-100 biohydrocarbon Diesel which is 100% derived from raw crop materials, namely Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO).
RBDPO is palm oil that has gone through a refining process to remove Free Fatty Acids and purification to remove color and odor. This initial stage is an essential step in developing green products, including green diesel and bioavtur.
Ifki emphasized that the Kilang Pertamina Internasional Cilacap unit has the technical capacity to develop a national Bioavtur. It is inseparable from the business portfolio of the Cilacap refinery unit, which is the largest Aviation Turbine fuel producer in Indonesia with the highest production rate of 1,852 thousand barrels throughout 2020. At the Cilacap Refinery Unit, the development of Bioavtur is carried out in the Treated Distillate Hydro Treating (TDHT). The Merah Putih catalyst for Bioavtur is produced at Clariant Kujang Catalyst’s facility in Cikampek with direct supervision from Pertamina’s RTI (Research Technology and Innovation) team.
“Through the Cilacap Refinery Unit, Bioavtur is produced through palm oil as raw material or Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized Palm Kernel Oil (RBDPKO) with fossil fuel avtur. The production capacity of Bioavtur at the Cilacap Refinery Unit reaches 8 thousand barrels per day and will continue to be increased by looking at market needs, starting in 2023,” said Ifki.
The synergy of Pertamina’s J-24 Bioavtur development involves the critical roles of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia, the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, and Institut Teknologi Bandung. The development of Pertamina’s Bioavtur J-24 is in line with the clean energy roadmap of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as stipulated in the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 12 of 2015 regarding the mixing of biofuels up to 5% by 2025, including for air transportation.
With funding support from BPDPKS (Palm Oil Fund Management Agency), testing facilities, and engine assistance from Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF) given to the ITB Bioavtur Test Team, five Bioavtur performance tests in the engine test cell succeeded in two test periods. Supported by continued coordination by the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, other stakeholders joined the team, namely PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), which offered a flight test using the CN 235 FTB aircraft. The Indonesian Military Airworthiness Authority (IMAA) is in charge of flight test permits. Also, the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation (DKPPU)- Ministry of Transportation that holds the authority for bioavtur on commercial aircraft, also provides their support.
The development of Bioavtur J2.4 managed by Kilang Pertamina Internasional through Dumai and Cilacap units supports the Environment, Social, and Government (ESG) roadmap, which is the company’s business pillar. Ifki added that to achieve the ESG mission, all units under the management of PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional have pioneered the integrated Green Refinery in their business to develop green energy and products within Pertamina’s refineries include Green Diesel, Green Avtur, and Green Gasoline. “Development of clean energy is part of Kilang Pertamina Internasional’s strategic initiatives to achieve the vision of world-class refining & petrochemical in 2027,” concluded Ifki Sukarya.