Jakarta. Kilang Pertamina Internasional, the subsidiary of the state-owned energy firm Pertamina, is seeking to cut carbon emissions by producing the Bioavtur - Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Bioavtur is a jet fuel made from a palm oil blend. According to Pertamina, the use of Bioavtur-SAF is also set to help Indonesia have 23 percent of renewables in its energy mix by 2025.

“Bioavtur-SAF can help the aviation industry cut carbon emissions. Our company responds to this challenge by a series of capability development activities, know-how, research and commercial production trial in the existing production facilities,” Taufik Adityawarman, the president director at Kilang Pertamina Internasional, said in a statement on Thursday.

According to Taufik, green refinery is Pertamina’s initiative to produce more environmentally friendly fuel by using renewable feedstock. Kilang Pertamina Internasional produces this SAF at its Cilacap refinery. The produced Bioavtur-SAF undergoes the co-processing ester and fatty acid (HEFA) that meets international standards of the Avtur ASTM D 1655, the latest issued Defstan 91-91, and the 2022 oil and gas directorate-general decree.

It also meets global frameworks, including Corsia (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) by the International Civil Aviation Organization. As well as the European Union’s RefuelEU/Fit55 oleh Uni Eropa, EU/UK Emission Trading, and Tax Credit IRA USA.

The Bioavtur-SAF has also passed the ground round test as well as the SAF flight test on the CMF56-7B jet machine. According to Taufik, Kilang Pertamina Internasional is the only company that has succeeded in the commercial production of Bioavtur and completed the flight test in the Southeast Asian region. The J2.4 bioavtur has also undergone a production test at the RU IV green refinery in 2020-2021 for the military-registered CN 235 aircraft, followed by a production trial for flag carrier Garuda’s commercial flights.

The Bioavtur-SAF’s price is relatively higher than its fossil counterpart as it emits less emissions. Hence, Pertamina calls for multi-stakeholder cooperation as well as supportive government policies to commercialize the product. 

“The Bioavtur-SAF’s development aligns with Kilang Pertamina’s commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. This is also in line with our efforts to maintain national energy security and support Indonesia’s goal to reach net zero emission by 2060,” Fadjar Djoko Santoso, the VP for corporate communication at Pertamina, said.

According to Pertamina, the Green Refinery RU IV in Cilacap has also earned the International Sustainability Carbon Certification (ISCC) certification. The refinery’s products include the green diesel which is entirely produced from renewable raw materials with sulfur content better than the Euro 5 emission standard with a production capacity of 2,500 BPD (barrels per day), Pertamina says. The refinery’s Bioavtur-SAF has a 2.4 percent renewable content. The Green Refinery RU IV Cilacap is capable of producing this eco-friendly jet fuel at a capacity of 9 BPD through a co-processing method. The Bioavtur-SAF has the potential to cut the aviation industry’s carbon emissions by 22,000 tons of CO2e per year.