JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung inaugurated the first gas flow (gas in) of the Cirebon-Semarang (Cisem) transmission pipe phase 2, which provides greater business certainty for industries in Central Java and West Java.
"This gas pipanization project guarantees the availability of energy, which is more stable and provides certainty for industrial actors in calculating production costs, maintaining operational sustainability, and planning investments more accurately," he said, quoting Antara.
Yuliot emphasized that the project is an important part of the government's efforts to strengthen the national energy foundation and encourage added value for the national economy.
"After the trial process was carried out at each point, thank God it was relatively safe, there was no leakage, so we could carry out the gas in ceremony for this Cisem 2 section," he said, at the inauguration in Batang, Central Java, Wednesday (18/3).
Yuliot added that the Cisem 2 project is part of the government's strategic program through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to realize energy independence and resilience.
"In terms of potential for gas, Alhamdulillah we have also carried out various exploration activities and also production wells and most of the gas produced is gas. With the existing gas sources in the eastern part of Indonesia and also those from Andaman and Natuna, we integrate them into one system, becoming a national gas transmission system," he said.
According to Yuliot, this integration will facilitate the development of industrial, growth, and commercial areas.
"With better energy availability, the acceleration of the economy in the areas where the pipeline infrastructure passes will be easier to achieve," he continued.
The inauguration of the first gas flow of Cisem 2 is an important milestone because it marks the completion of the construction phase of the Cirebon-Semarang transmission pipeline project.
The phase begins with the initial welding (first welding) of the gas pipe by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia on September 30, 2024.
Director General of Oil and Gas of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Laode Sulaeman added that after the gas in Cisem 2 was declared free from leakage, the Cisem pipanization project along a total of 302 kilometers (km), which stretches from Semarang, Central Java, to East Kandang Haur, Cirebon, West Java, is ready to flow gas for consumers.
This allows the gas surplus area in East Java to channel gas to areas with high demand in West Java and Central Java.
"Currently, there is already a commitment from several consumers who have expressed their interest in utilizing the gas that flows through this Cisem pipeline such as the Balongan Refinery, Cikarang Listrindo Tbk, and several other industries," he said.
The Cisem pipanization project is the key to the integration of gas transmission pipelines between Sumatra and Java.
With the completion of the Cisem 2 pipeline in 2026 and the planned construction of the Dumai-Sei Mangkei (Dusem) pipeline in the next two years, gas transmission from Sumatra to Java will be fully integrated.
The interconnection of the Sumatra-Java transmission pipeline is expected to encourage an increase in domestic gas consumption and reduce exports.
Currently, according to him, the share of gas for domestic use is around 65 percent and with this integration the proportion can increase again.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
