Pertamina Strengthens Indonesia’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Ecosystem
Cilacap, January 16, 2025 – Pertamina is increasingly solidifying its efforts to strengthen the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ecosystem, or environmentally friendly aviation fuel, through upstream-to-downstream business synergy.
“Pertamina’s commitment aligns with the President of the Republic of Indonesia's Asta Cita vision to support energy self-sufficiency through the Sustainable Aviation Fuel roadmap,” said the Director of Strategy, Portfolio, and Business Development of Pertamina, Salyadi Saputra, during the Signing and Kick-Off Event for Pertamina’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development Ecosystem, in Cilacap on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
SAF is potentially one of the most effective solutions for reducing emissions in the aviation industry, given the increasing air transportation and cargo in the coming period. Therefore, at the beginning of 2025, Pertamina, along with its sub-holdings and subsidiaries, namely PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, and Pelita Air Service, collaborated to strengthen the SAF ecosystem at the Cilacap Green Refinery.
Understanding Pertamina’s Business Synergy
Pertamina has upstream-to-downstream business lines capable of comprehensively supporting the SAF supply chain. This synergy includes research and innovation, SAF production, SAF marketing, SAF utilization, and creating a multiplier effect through community empowerment.
Since 2010, from a research and innovation perspective, Pertamina has developed catalysts capable of processing Used Cooking Oil (UCO) into SAF following the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards. In 2024, these catalysts were technically proven through pilot-scale trials in the Technology Innovation Laboratory.
From the SAF production perspective, Pertamina, through Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI), has been developing SAF since 2020, including at the Cilacap Green Refinery. In 2023, SAF produced at the Cilacap Refinery was utilized in a joy flight on a Garuda commercial flight from Jakarta to Solo. In 2024, the Cilacap Refinery producing SAF obtained the international certification “ISCC CORSIA” (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification - Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) at the Southeast Asia regional level.
Taufik Aditiyawarman, President Director of KPI, emphasized that as a pioneer in producing high-quality SAF, the SAF produced by KPI will create a multiplier effect, including supporting sustainable catalysts, strengthening domestic catalyst production, and becoming the first SAF produced in Indonesia to achieve international certification.
From the SAF marketing perspective, Pertamina through Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN), continues to enhance its capabilities in the SAF trading business. As a trader, PPN has obtained international sustainability certifications, including ISCC CORSIA and EU certifications. At its peak, during the Bali International Air Show in September 2024, PPN conducted trial SAF sales to airline customers at the event.
In the aviation user sector, Pertamina, through Pelita Air Service (PAS), is also committed to using SAF as part of its decarbonization action, contributing to overall emission reductions in the aviation industry. Several programs supported by PAS include zero-emission flights using carbon credits, operational efficiency, and other carbon offset programs.
Pertamina’s business synergy to strengthen the SAF ecosystem is also done through community empowerment. Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, KPI manages the “Beo Asri Waste Bank” program, empowering 2,978 households in Cilacap as collectors of used cooking oil. The collected used cooking oil is further processed with filtration to reduce impurities before being processed into SAF. Collection is also done in the residential areas of Cilacap Refinery employees.
Moreover, starting in mid-December 2024, PPN also initiated a commitment to sustainable energy by launching the “Green Movement UCO” program, managing used cooking oil collection boxes at seven locations across Pertamina Bina Medika - Indonesia Healthcare Corporation hospital networks, including Pelni Hospital, as well as petrol stations in the Greater Jakarta and Bandung areas, allowing the community to exchange household used cooking oil.
Through all these efforts, Pertamina is optimistic about contributing to the Net Zero Emission vision in the aviation industry. In the future, Pertamina will proactively synergize with stakeholders to uphold the Asta Cita vision of energy self-sufficiency with an orientation toward environmentally friendly energy.
Vice President of Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso, added, “Pertamina Group innovates in creating high-quality and environmentally friendly energy products. It is to achieve energy self-sufficiency following the Asta Cita target while supporting the government’s Net Zero Emission target. Pertamina Sustainable Aviation Fuel has become a flagship product in the aviation industry. With international recognition through ISCC certification for this green SAF product, Pertamina ensures Indonesia’s energy resilience and sovereignty while contributing to sustainability in the homeland,” Fadjar concluded.
Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina’s business lines and operations.**