JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has written a letter to private public fuel filling station (SPBU) operators to buy solar from PT Pertamina (Persero). This is in line with the government's move to close the solar import tap starting this year,
"Later on B2B. But we in December last year have sent letters to all Business Entities to carry out the negotiation process with Pertamina," said Director General of Oil and Gas (Migas) Laode Sulaeman to the media, quoted Thursday, January 15.
Laode explained, thus starting in March 2026, Pertamina will prepare solar supplies from the Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) at the Balikpapan Refinery which was inaugurated by President Prabowo on January 12.
"This means that in March, Pertamina will have prepared stocks, prepared ports, do not let the state-owned enterprises not be ready," added Laode.
According to him, preparations need to be made since January considering that in March, companies cannot extend to increase solar quotas.
"So now we have to do this immediately while it is still January because in March we can't extend the additional quota for solar. From the production of RDMP, all of it will be absorbed to replace domestic consumption," he continued.
Previously, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, said that the increase in Balikpapan refinery capacity opened up opportunities for Indonesia to stop importing solar because national needs could be met from domestic production.
"God willing, once the Balikpapan Refinery RDMP is inaugurated, its operation will begin this year, solar imports will be stopped. This is done in order to encourage energy sovereignty by no longer relying on meeting the domestic fuel needs through imports," said Bahlil when he was met at the inauguration of the Balikpapan RDMP, East Kalimantan, Monday, January 12.
Bahlil explained the balance between the national solar needs and supply. Indonesia's solar needs are recorded at 39.8 million kiloliters per year. Of this amount, the B40 program contributes to the supply of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) of 15.9 million kiloliters (kl) per year, leaving pure solar needs (B0) of 23.9 million kl per year. With current national production reaching 26.5 million kl per year, the government targets the cessation of solar imports starting mid-2026 for CN 48 and CN 51 products, starting mid-2026.
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