Agreement To Buy Basefuel Canceled Due To Etanol, Pertamina Gives Explanation

Acting (Pj) Pertamina Patra Niaga Corporate Secretary Roberth MV Dumatubun. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - Pertamina Patra Niaga opens its voice regarding the content of ethanol in the basefuel imported for the supply of fuel for private gas station operators.

Just so you know, one of the private operators, Vivo, canceled absorbing 40,000 barrels of basefuel because it contained ethanol.

Acting (Pj) Pertamina Patra Niaga Corporate Secretary Roberth MV Dumatubun emphasized that the ethanol content in fuel is a common practice among oil and gas companies and applies internationally.

"The use of fuel with an ethanol mixture of up to 10 percent has become the best practice in many countries such as America, Brazil, and even neighboring countries such as Thailand," said Roberth in a statement to the media, Thursday, October 2.

According to him, the use of ethanol in some countries is part of efforts to encourage more environmentally friendly energy while at the same time supporting reducing carbon emissions.

Despite the growing polemic in the community, Robert ensured that Pertamina Patra Niaga ensured that fuel services would continue to run normally without problems.

Previously, Pertamina Patra Niaga's Deputy President Director, Achmad Muchtasyar, revealed that if Vivo canceled buying base fuel from Pertamina, although previously he had agreed to buy 40,000 barrels from Pertamina.

"After agreeing 40,000 barrels, in the end it was not agreed again. So not all (taking base fuel)," continued Achmad.

The former Director General of Oil and Gas explained that the reason Vivo resigned from this agreement was because there was a content in Pertamina's basefuel that did not match Vivo's specifications, namely ethanol content.

"The issue conveyed by fellow gas stations is about content. The content contains ethanol," he said.

Padahal, kata dia, kandungan etanol dalam basefuel tersebut masih masuk dalam ambang batas yang ditetapkan oleh pemerintah.

Dia merinci, basefuel yang telah didatangkan Pertamina ini memiliki kandungan etanol sebesar 3,5 persen.

In fact, he said, the ethanol content in the basefuel is still within the threshold set by the government.

He detailed that the basefuel that Pertamina had imported had an ethanol content of 3.5 percent.