Balikpapan RDMP Construction Progress Reaches 91.6 Percent

Balikpapan RDMP Refinery (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif ensured that one of the national strategic projects, namely the Balikpapan Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP), is targeted to be completed by September 2025 at the latest.

To date, the progress of the Balikpapan RDMP has reached 91.6 percent.

"2022 when I came here. In the past, there were only a lot of civil works. But now everything has been built. So just finishing. The progress is now 91 percent more," said Arifin, quoted on Monday, October 12.

Arifin explained that to complete the RDMP project, there were a number of challenges, such as the Covid-19 pandemic some time ago, as well as geopolitical turmoil between Russia-Ukraine which affected the supply chain of the logistics system.

"Then between the owner project and the contractor. Hopefully it can be completed completely. We ask Pertamina's management to be able to take steps. How can it be completed on time and on quality," he explained.

The Balikpapan RDMP project has an investment value of 7.4 billion US dollars. Of this total, 4.3 billion dollars came from equity, while 3.1 billion dollars was obtained through loans supported by the Export Credit Agency (ECA).

This project will increase national energy security, as it will increase refinery processing capacity by 100 thousand barrels per day. So that processing capacity becomes 360 thousand barrels per day.

Furthermore, Minister Arifin ensured that September 2025 was the final deadline for the completion of the Balikpapan RDMP project, because if the settlement was delayed, it would cause losses.

"We don't want this project to be late, so that the output we have targeted will be pushed back. If it is additional income, we can do efficiency. If it's too late, we will lose," added Arifin.

On the same occasion, the President Director of PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI), Taufik Aditiyawarman said that the completion of the Balikpapan RDMP project is still on track to be completed in September next year, because progress has now reached 91.6 percent, and the target by the end of the year has increased to 96 percent.

"There is still 8.4 percent left until the operational acceptance in September 2025. That is contractually, we still have until September 2025 to finish up to 100 percent," he concluded.