Pertamina advances energy transition in Indonesia through Green Refinery Cilacap project

Photo: Pertamina

PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, a subsidiary of Pertamina’s refinery and petrochemical subholding, announced July 10 that it continues to progress in completing the “Green Refinery Cilacap,” a national strategic project with a target biofuel production capacity of up to 6,000 barrels (252,000 gallons) per day.

This project is one of the flagship programs in the energy transition, aiming to achieve the Indonesian government’s target of 23 percent renewable energy mix by 2025.

Hermansyah Y Nasroen, the corporate secretary of KPI, explained that the Green Refinery Cilacap addresses the challenge of producing more environmentally friendly products, as this refinery can produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel.

Additionally, it will produce bionaphtha and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from refined, bleached and deodorized palm-kernel oil, processed alongside fossil jet fuel using coprocessing methods.

“With the ability to process plant-based energy sources, the Cilacap Refinery project can provide added value to the nation,” said Hermansyah. “This is further strengthened by KPI’s experience and expertise in the refinery business, in line with its role as Pertamina’s refinery and petrochemical holding company.”

The Cilacap Refinery is an example of an integrated refinery aligned with energy-transition efforts, according to Pertamina.

This project aims to increase production capacity from 3,000 barrels per day to 6,000 barrels of HVO, SAF and bionaphtha products derived from used cooking oil (UCO), the company stated.

The new unit of the Green Refinery Cilacap will also be equipped with infrastructure, including a palm-oil treater, fractionator and offsite facilities.

Fadjar Djoko Santoso, Pertamina’s vice president of corporate communications, added that the Green Refinery Cilacap plays a significant role in Indonesia’s energy transition, aligned with the environmentally friendly products it will produce.

“This green-refinery project will positively impact supporting the government’s energy-mix program and achieving emission reductions towards net-zero emission,” Fadjar said.

In September, Topsoe announced that its HydroFlex™ technology would be used to produce renewable diesel and SAF at the Green Refinery Cilacap project in Central Java, Indonesia.

PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional is a Pertamina subsidiary engaged in oil and petrochemical processing, adhering to ESG principles.

KPI is also registered with the United Nations Global Compact and is committed to the 10 universal principals of the UNGC in its operational strategy as part of implementing ESG aspects.

“KPI will continue running its business professionally to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class environmentally friendly, socially responsible and well-governed refinery and petrochemical company,” Pertamina stated.

Pertamina added that it is committed to supporting the “Net Zero Emission 2060” target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the UN’s sustainable-development goals (SDGs) achievement.