To Be Discontinued in 2024: What's the Trend in Pertalite Production Over the Last Decade?

Motor fuel with a research octane number (RON) of 90, or Pertalite, will be discontinued. This plan has been developed by Pertamina and will be implemented in 2024.

With the discontinuation of Pertalite, Pertamina will only sell three types of fuel next year.

According to *Katadata*, these three types are: Pertamax Green 92, a replacement for Pertalite, a mixture of RON 90 (Pertalite) with 7% bioethanol (E7); Pertamax Green 95, a mixture of Pertamax with an octane rating of 92 and 8% bioethanol; and Pertamax Turbo, which already exists with an RON of 98.

“There are two green gasolines, green energy, and low carbon which are Pertamina's new products,” said Pertamina President Director Nicke Widyawati in a hearing with Commission VII of the DPR in Jakarta on Wednesday (30/8/2023).

Subsidized fuel targets will be shifted to 92-octane gasoline. Nicke stated that this plan is part of the 'Langit Biru Phase Two' program.

This program is claimed to be in line with the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 20 of 2017 concerning Emission Standards for New Motor Vehicle Exhaust Gases of Categories M, N, and O. This regulation mandates that vehicles produced since October 2018 no longer use gasoline with an octane rating below 91.

“So it's very fitting. From an environmental aspect and the bioethanol mandate, we can fulfill it. In addition, it can reduce gasoline imports,” said Nicke.

Meanwhile, what is the production trend of Pertalite over the last decade?

Based on the *Energy & Economic Statistics of Indonesia 2022* published by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the production of 88 and 90 octane gasoline, or Pertalite, has fluctuated over the last decade.

Production volume in 2012 reached 67 million barrels. The production figure did not change significantly until the following year.

Then in 2015, the volume reached 71.73 million barrels. Production decreased to 68.87 million in 2016.

The lowest Pertalite refinery production volume was in 2020, at 41.83 million barrels. After that, the trend often increased, even reaching 78.22 million barrels in 2022. This volume was the highest in the last decade.

(Also read: Consumption of Pertalite-Class Fuel Soared in 2022, a New Record High)