The National Oil Company of Indonesia, PT Pertamina (Persero) reached a new milestone in domestic aviation history by producing a biobased aviation turbine fuel (avtur) dubbed "Bioavtur J2.4". The first trial of Bioavtur J2.4 was used on a CN235 FTB aircraft and was produced by the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (Pertamina International Refinery) Cilacap unit.

The development of Bioavtur J2.4 is in line with Indonesia’s National Energy Policy target to achieve a renewable energy mix of 23 percent by 2025. Ifki Sukarya, Corporate Secretary of Pertamina’s Refining and Petrochemical subsidiary, emphasized that following a comprehensive development stage, Bioavtur J2.4 has proven to show performance equivalent to fossil fuel avtur.
Since 2014, Pertamina has pioneered research and development of Bioavtur through the Dumai and Cilacap Refinery Units. Bioavtur performance has been optimal, where the difference in performance is only 0.2 – 0.6 percent from fossil fuel avtur performance. Bioavtur J2.4 contains 2.4 percent biofuel made from refined palm oil. It is the maximum achievement with the existing catalyst technology, explained Ifki Sukarya.
Thorough R&D
Pertamina’s contribution in developing Bioavtur J2.4 includes two important stages. The initial stage of development is managed by PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional Dumai unit through the Distillate Hydrotreating Unit (DHDT).
The first stage is marked by the ‘Hydrodecarboxylation’ process, where the initial target was the production of renewable diesel and Bioavtur on a laboratory scale.
The second stage is marked by the ‘Hydrodeoxygenation’ process and culminated in 2020 when the Dumai Refinery unit successfully produced D-100 renewable diesel which is 100 percent derived from raw crop materials, namely Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO).
RBDPO is palm oil that has gone through a refining process to remove Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) and purification to remove color and odor. This initial stage is an essential step in developing green products, including renewable diesel and bioavtur.
Pertamina has succeeded in producing a more efficient bio-hydrocarbon diesel, Ifki Sukarya said.
Ifki emphasized that the Kilang Pertamina Internasional Cilacap unit has the technical capacity to develop and supply Bioavtur on a national scale. It is integrated into the business portfolio of the Cilacap refinery unit, which is the largest aviation turbine fuel producer in Indonesia – about 1.85 million barrels in 2020.
At the Cilacap Refinery Unit, the development of Bioavtur is carried out in the Treated Distillate Hydro Treating (TDHT). The Merah Putih catalyst for Bioavtur is produced at Clariant Kujang Catalyst’s facility in Cikampek with direct supervision from Pertamina’s Research Technology and Innovation (RTI) team.
Through the Cilacap Refinery Unit, Bioavtur is produced through palm oil as raw material or Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized Palm Kernel Oil (RBDPKO) with fossil fuel avtur. The production capacity of Bioavtur at the Cilacap Refinery Unit reaches 8 thousand barrels per day and will continue to be increased by looking at market needs, starting in 2023, said Ifki Sukarya.
Stakeholder cooperation
Pertamina’s J2.4 Bioavtur development involved the critical roles of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, and Institut Teknologi Bandung.
The development of Pertamina’s Bioavtur J2.4 is in line with the clean energy roadmap of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as stipulated in the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 12 of 2015 regarding the mandatory blending of biofuels in transportation, including aviation, by up to 5 percent by 2025.
With funding support from BPDPKS (Palm Oil Fund Management Agency), testing facilities, and engine assistance from Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF) given to the ITB Bioavtur Test Team, five Bioavtur performance tests in the engine test cell were successfully performed in two test periods.
Supported by continued coordination by the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, other stakeholders joined the team – PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), which offered a flight test using the CN 235 FTB aircraft.
The Indonesian Military Airworthiness Authority (IMAA) is in charge of flight test permits. Also, the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation (DKPPU)- Ministry of Transportation that holds the authority for Bioavtur on commercial aircraft, also provides their support.
Aiming for world-class status by 2027
The development of Bioavtur J2.4 supports Pertamina’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) roadmap. Ifki added that to achieve the ESG mission, all units under the management of PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional have pioneered the integrated Green Refinery in its business to develop green energy and products within Pertamina’s refineries include green diesel, green avtur, and green gasoline.
The development of clean energy is part of Kilang Pertamina Internasional’s strategic initiatives to achieve the vision of world-class refining and petrochemicals in 2027, concluded Ifki Sukarya.