Gresik launches pilot project

The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Mon, 02/02/2009 11:58 AM

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro officially opened a pilot project for the utilization of B5 Biodiesel as external combustion engine fuel at Gresik Plant, East Java, an official said Saturday.

PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali (PJB) public relations manager Trimiurti Eko said the use of biodiesels produced by the gas-powered electric generator plant (PLTG) Gresik was aimed at reducing polution.

The B5 Biodiesel fuel has a cleaner gas emission and, therefore, is more environmentally friendly, he said.

“We have been testing the use of the biodiesel between December 2008 and January 2009,” Trimiurti added.

“The results show that B5 Biodiesel has met the standards required.

“It will now be used by the State Power Company [PLN] and its subsidiaries.”

The composition of the biodiesel, which is the first ever to be used at the PLTG, is 95 percent diesel and 5 percent fatty-acid methyl esters (FAME). FAME is a variant product of crude palm oil (CPO).

The use of biodiesel can also save around 20,000 kiloliters of diesel per year.

The country is also the world’s biggest producer of CPO.

Furthermore, the use of biodiesels can also reduce state subsidies for fuel from Rp 83 trillion (US$7.3 billion) in 2008 to Rp 45 trillion in 2009 because it can be produced domestically.
The project is also a form of diversification aimed at energy security.

The PLTG in Gresik is one of PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali’s unit with the capacity to provide 2.250 megawatts of electricity.

The plant contributes 12 percent of power to the Java-Bali electrical system.
Seventy percent of its consumers are in East Java.

The use of biodiesel is in line with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s 2008 regulation on the provision, utilization and administration of organic fuel as an alternative source of energy.

Prior to this pilot project, biodiesels had been utilized by a number of electric generator plants with diesel-type internal combustions, such as in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

However, PLTG Gresik is the first gas-powered plant to use biodiesels as external combustion engine fuel.

On Saturday, the minister also officially opened the Lube Oil Blending Plant (LOBP) project for state-owned oil company Pertamina’s Lube Oil Production Unit at Gresik.

Pertamina’s East Java fifth marketing unit public relations manager Evinta Rofraida said the company finished the LOBP project in November last year.

The plant can produce 130,000 kilo liters of lube oil per year.

Production is expected to fill around 40 percent of Pertamina’s lube oil production.
The plant also uses “in-line blending” and “automatic batch blending” technology.
It is the first time such technology has been used in Southeast Asia.

The LOBP at Gresik also plans to expand its market share to the Asia Pacific region, on top of providing for the needs of lube oil of the eastern part of Indonesia.

“We are currently expanding our market to Pakistan and Dubai,” Rofraida said.

“Our next target is Australia.” (sal)