17 Processing of CPO and Refineries is integrated Materials and Products

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - PT Pertamina (Persero) plans to integrate palm oil processing systems into environmentally friendly fuel products in the refinery revitalization program. From the tests that have been carried out, a mixture of palm oil or CPO can produce 92 octane gasoline or pertamax equivalent. CPO can also be processed to produce LPG.

The more environmentally friendly test for processing CPO into gasoline and LPG has been applied to the Plaju refinery in South Sumatra in early December. Later, in addition to the Plaju refinery, CPO development into high-octane gasoline products can also be carried out in the Cilacap, Central Java and Balongan refineries, West Java. Its potential reaches 62,000 barrels per day and 83,000 barrels per day, respectively.

CPO processing is carried out in a 20,000 barrels per day residue fluid catalytic cracking unit (RFCCU). The types of CPO used are those that have been processed and cleaned of sap and their odor or known as refined bleached deodorized palm oil (RBDPO).

RBDPO is then mixed with fossil fuel sources in refineries and processed with chemical processes to produce environmentally friendly gasoline fuel.

According to Pertamina's Processing Director Budi Santoso Syarif, the CPO processing test into high-octane fuel products has been completed. This program might be integrated with the development of refineries and the construction of a new Pertamina refinery. Refinery development is carried out in Balikpapan refineries (East Kalimantan), Cilacap (Central Java), Balongan (West Java), and Dumai (Riau). The new refineries to be built are in Bontang (East Kalimantan) and Tuban (East Java).

"This project has not been integrated with the refinery development program and the planned construction of a new refinery. However, it can be negotiated so that it can be related to refinery development programs and the construction of new refineries, "Budi said, Thursday (12/27/2018), in Jakarta.

Professor of the Bandung Institute of Technology Subagjo, who was involved in the research on the development of CPO into environmentally friendly fuel oil (BBM) products, said, CPO has a high hydrocarbon content that has the potential to be developed into BBM. This research actually began in 1982. The research was stopped because there was no industry that would be invited to partner in its development.

"Pure CPO can be developed into gasoline and LPG. However, the testing is still laboratory scale, "said Subagjo.

Budi added, the CPO processing project to produce high-octane gasoline could reduce fuel imports by Pertamina. It counts, in a year, the foreign exchange saved can reach 160 million US dollars. Every day, Pertamina still imports BBM products of around 400,000 barrels.