Pertamina Make Sure It Will Use SAF On Pelita Air Flights

Pelita Air (intermediate)

JAKARTA - PT Pertamina (Persero) since several years ago has developed a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) based on vegetable oil as fuel.

This year, even SAF has increased its benefits, not only reducing carbon emissions in the air transportation sector but also answering household waste and industrial waste issues.

SVP Research & Technology Innovation, Oki Muraza, explained that Pertamina has developed refined oil (UCO) as the raw material for SAF.

Previously, the development of SAF carried out by Pertamina used palm oil in the form of crude palm oil (CPO) or refinated bleached deodorized palm kernel oil (RBDPKO).

Pertamina's move begins by collecting UCO from various sources, including households, restaurants, and the food processing industry. SAF processing technology using the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway allows the conversion of crude oil into fuel compatible with existing flight infrastructure.

Oki also emphasized that next year, SAF from UCO can be used commercially.

"The target is that in the first quarter of next year, SAF will be used in joy-flight on Pelita Air aircraft which is an airline owned by Pertamina Group," he said, quoted Monday, November 18.

Oki noted that the potential for UCO collection in Indonesia can reach 1.24 million kiloliters per year. However, challenges such as the lack of public awareness about the mechanism for collecting and distributing the location of scattered UCO sources are still a major obstacle.

To answer this challenge, Pertamina through PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has started pre-marketing programs in Bali by supplying SAF to several airlines.

"At the Bali Air Show, we helped our customers reduce emissions by 84 percent using this SAF," said CEO of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Riva Siahaan.

Riva emphasized the importance of collaboration to expand production capacity. In the long term, Pertamina targets UCO collection to increase from 0.3 million tonnes by 2023 to 1.5 million tonnes by 2030, to support SAF production and other low-carbon fuels. This strategy involves collaboration with the government and private sectors to expand UCO's collection capacity and storage infrastructure.

SAF's success not only depends on technology, but also on supporting regulations, government incentives, and cooperation between the public and private sectors. With Pertamina One Solution, we are optimistic that we can encourage a sustainable energy transition in the aviation sector," Riva concluded.