PTPN IV PalmCo Partners with ITS to Develop Palm Oil-Based Petrol
Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IV PalmCo has established a partnership with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya to develop renewable energy based on palm oil, namely palm oil petrol or biogasoline.
The President Director of PTPN IV PalmCo, Jatmiko K. Santosa, stated that the collaboration is part of the company’s transformation to strengthen its downstream business in line with government policies.
“The synergy with ITS is a concrete step for PalmCo in integrating technology research into industrial scale,” said Jatmiko in his statement in Jakarta on Monday.
He noted that the company’s focus is not only on increasing productivity but also on building a sustainable palm oil business ecosystem, including through the development of clean energy.
According to him, the scope of the cooperation covers renewable energy research to the utilisation of technology to create a zero-waste ecosystem in the plantation environment.
“With the support of ITS research, we are optimistic about accelerating the implementation of clean energy, including the development of biogasoline that the market has been eagerly awaiting,” he said.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding was conducted by Jatmiko together with ITS Rector Bambang Pramujati in Surabaya on Sunday (19/4), witnessed by Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.
According to Minister Amran, the development of palm oil petrol needs to be quickly advanced to the industrialisation stage to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen national energy resilience.
“We start with small-scale industry first; if this succeeds, we immediately scale it up. This is a real step towards national energy resilience,” Amran emphasised.
He added that collaboration between industry and universities is key to optimising palm oil commodities as an alternative energy source.
Meanwhile, ITS Rector Bambang Pramujati emphasised the importance of downstreaming research results to provide tangible benefits to industry and society.
“We encourage campus research results to have a real impact. The partnership with PTPN IV PalmCo is an important bridge so that innovations like palm oil petrol can be applied on a massive scale,” Bambang said.
From a technical perspective, ITS Research Team Leader Hosta Ardhyananta explained that the innovation being developed focuses on the efficiency of converting palm oil into fuel that can be used in current vehicle engines.
The PalmCo and ITS partnership is planned to last for five years, with the formation of a working team to oversee the implementation of the technology in the field.
In its implementation, the ITS team together with the Ministry of Agriculture will provide guidance to ensure that the innovation is ready and feasible for mass production.
This synergy is expected to strengthen the development of palm oil-based renewable energy and support efforts to downstream the national plantation industry.
The government hopes that through this downstreaming, dependence on fossil fuels can be gradually reduced.