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Pertamina to launch bioethanol gasoline this month, CEO says
The new gasoline product will comprise a 5 percent mixture of bioethanol derived from sugarcane processing waste and the rest to come from Pertamax, a gasoline with a 92 octane number.
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Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati (left), accompanied by director of finance Emma Sri Martini, speaks at a media briefing event on June 6. (Pertamina/-)
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tate-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina will launch its maiden bioethanol product this month with a 5 percent mixture in its Pertamax product, a gasoline with research octane number (RON) of 92.
Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati said the bioethanol was developed from the waste of sugarcane processing to sugar. It assured the move will not disrupt food supplies needed by the general public.
“[In the future,] we can also make it from cassava and corn. We will do more research," Nicke told reporters in a media briefing on Tuesday.
Indonesia has become a net importer of oil and fuel for decades after the country suffered a decline in its domestic production a long time ago.
More than a third of the country’s fuel consumption is met with imports, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM)’s Handbook of Energy and Economic Statistics of Indonesia in 2022.
Relying imports have caused a strain in the government budget, as fuel subsidies swelled following a weakening rupiah against the United States dollar and high international oil prices.
According to Nicke, the move is part of Pertamina's energy transition effort, which is not only focused on reducing carbon emissions.
