Pertamina Accelerates SAF Ecosystem, Pushes for Low-Emission Aviation
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — PT Pertamina (Persero), through Pertamina Patra Niaga, is promoting the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), an environmentally friendly aviation fuel.
SAF was 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 it has 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.
Joko Pranoto, Director of Planning and Business Growth at Pertamina Patra Niaga, outlined the company’s various initiatives to develop SAF in Indonesia, ranging from developing production facilities and conducting trials with airlines to preparing the market in order to accelerate the use of the sustainable aviation fuel.
“Pertamina Patra Niaga has been a pioneer in Indonesia, having started SAF development five years ago. Although the commercial challenges remain significant, we chose to start early rather than waiting for the market or regulations to be fully ready before moving. We have conducted trials with Garuda Indonesia and Pelita Air, and this year we have already signed a SAF sales contract with an international airline to support flights from Soekarno-Hatta Airport and Bali,” Joko said in a press statement on Wednesday (22 July 2026).
Joko added that SAF development requires an integrated ecosystem, from the availability of feedstock and production facilities to financing, airlines as offtakers, and regulatory support. He said Pertamina Patra Niaga has prepared steps to anticipate the implementation of the SAF usage mandate targeted to take effect in 2027.
“Pertamina Patra Niaga continues to prepare the entire ecosystem. On the production side, the facility in Cilacap 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 as well as developing internal collection systems to better secure availability. We hope that when the 1 per cent SAF usage mandate is implemented next year, Pertamina will be ready to meet market demand,” Joko added.
As part of 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 promote the development of the SAF ecosystem in Indonesia. The cooperation covers SAF education, feedstock potential mapping, capacity strengthening, 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 recognise Pertamina’s capability in producing SAF, and our products are already widely used in Boeing aircraft and elsewhere. We hope this collaboration will further accelerate the SAF ecosystem in Indonesia,” Joko concluded.
With production readiness supported by the Green Refinery in Cilacap, feedstock development 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.