Pertamina Accelerates SAF Ecosystem, Pushes for Low-Emission Aviation

PT Pertamina (Persero), through Pertamina Patra Niaga, is promoting the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or environmentally friendly aviation fuel. SAF became one of the main topics at the 3rd Annual Indonesia Aero Summit (IAS) 2026 in Jakarta. As a pioneer in SAF development in Indonesia, Pertamina Patra Niaga shared the efforts undertaken to build a national SAF ecosystem. The annual forum, organised by the Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA), brought together regulators, airlines, industry players, technology providers, and energy companies to discuss the future of Indonesia’s aviation industry. Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Director of Planning and Business Growth, Joko Pranoto, outlined the company’s various initiatives in developing SAF in Indonesia, ranging from developing production facilities and conducting trials with airlines to preparing the market to accelerate the utilisation of sustainable aviation fuel. “Pertamina Patra Niaga became a pioneer in Indonesia by initiating SAF development five years ago. Although the commercial challenges remain significant, we chose to start early, not waiting for the market or regulations to be fully ready before we began moving. We have conducted trials with Garuda Indonesia and Pelita Air, and this year we have even entered into a SAF sales contract with an international airline to support flights from Soekarno-Hatta and Bali airports,” Joko stated in a press release on Wednesday (22/7/2026). Joko added that SAF development requires an integrated ecosystem, encompassing feedstock availability, production facilities, financing, airlines as offtakers, and regulatory support. He said Pertamina Patra Niaga has prepared steps to welcome the planned implementation of the SAF usage mandate, which is targeted to take effect in 2027. “Pertamina Patra Niaga continues to prepare the entire ecosystem. On the production side, the Cilacap facility is ready, and this year we are also conducting co-processing trials in Dumai and Balongan. At the same time, we are building feedstock supply through partnerships and developing internal collection systems to ensure availability. The hope is that when the 1% SAF mandate is implemented next year, Pertamina will be ready to meet market demand,” Joko added. During the Indonesia Aero Summit 2026, PT Pertamina (Persero) together with PT Pertamina Patra Niaga also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PT Boeing Indonesia as a form of collaboration to encourage the development of the SAF ecosystem in Indonesia. This cooperation includes developing SAF education, mapping feedstock potential, capacity building, market studies, and policy advocacy to support SAF implementation. “We hope the signing of this MoU will accelerate SAF implementation in Indonesia. The world has begun to see Pertamina’s capability in producing SAF, and our products are already widely used in Boeing aircraft and others. This collaboration is expected to further accelerate the SAF ecosystem in Indonesia,” Joko concluded. Supported by production readiness at the Cilacap Green Refinery, development of feedstock sources, and cross-sector collaboration, Pertamina Patra Niaga is optimistic that SAF implementation in Indonesia will continue to grow. This step drives the formation of a national SAF ecosystem while accelerating the transition towards a lower-emission aviation industry.