Pertamina's Balongan Refinery Utilises Flare Gas to Reduce Emissions

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Refinery Unit (RU) Balongan in Indramayu, West Java, is reusing gas that was previously burned through flares as fuel for its production processes, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving energy efficiency.

Executive General Manager of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga RU Balongan, Yulianto Triwibowo, said in a statement on Wednesday that the innovation was achieved by optimising the management of excess gas from the Naphtha Processing Unit (NPU) through the reactivation of a line to the fuel gas system.

“Gas that was previously wasted through the flare can now be reused as fuel for the production process, thereby reducing energy waste, improving operational efficiency, and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

The company recorded that the implementation of the innovation has succeeded in lowering natural gas consumption, resulting in cost efficiency of around Rp45 billion per year.

He said the innovation is capable of reducing emissions by up to 29,754 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) throughout 2025.

“Optimising flare gas management is a form of our commitment to delivering refinery operations that are increasingly reliable, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly,” he said.

Yulianto explained that flares are a mandatory safety system in the oil and gas industry, used to safely burn excess hydrocarbon gas to maintain operational reliability.

However, he said, the company continues to develop various innovations so that gas previously burned can be reused as a value-added energy source.