Addition Of Etanol In Fuel Can Increase Oktan Value

Illustration: Photo: Doc. ANTARA

JAKARTA - Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Eniya Listiani Dewi, revealed that the addition of ethanol in fuel oil (BBM) can increase the value of octane or Research Octane Number (RON).

"Yes, it's getting better, the RON is getting better," said Eniya when met in Jakarta, Monday, October 6.

He explained that actually ethanol itself has an octane value of 108 so that if mixed with gasoline, it can automatically increase the octane value.

Furthermore, Eniya said, as long as Indonesia has used fuel with an ethanol mixture, namely Pertamax Green 95 which has an ethanol content of 5 percent (E5).

"Currently Pertamina has started selling E5. So 5 percent of the ethanol mixture in gasoline is already in Pertamax Green 95," explained Eniya.

Pertamax Green 95 itself has been sold at 104 gas stations owned by Pertamina. In fact, the government encourages the addition of ethanol mixtures in fuel.

"Well, the trial market continues, now it's getting higher and higher. Then I hope that later if there are directions for mandatory, we will increase it. Maybe the current transfer, the transfer from consumption to non-PSO will increase," explained Eniya.

Untuk mendukung penggunaan etanol dalam BBM, Eniya mengaku kendaraan dinas di kementerian telah menggunakan Pertamax Green 95.

"Ini kita semua di Kementerian ESDM sudah pakai Green 95. Jadi kalau mobil kendaraannya bensin dicampur dengan etanol, jadi beli Pertamax Green 95, dan ini bisa kita meng-create penurunan-penurunan emisi," tandas Eniya.

To support the use of ethanol in fuel, Eniya admitted that official vehicles in the ministry had used Pertamax Green 95.

"We all use Green 95 at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. So if the vehicle is gasoline mixed with ethanol, we buy Pertamax Green 95, and we can create emission reductions," said Eniya.