Pertamina to Start Construction of New Alternative Fuel Processing Facility in September
Wednesday, 24 June, 2009 | 16:02 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Pertamina has announced the construction of a fuel processing facility in Cirebon West Java to start in November.

The joint project with PT Arrtu Mega Energie near Pertamina facility in Eretan is to build a processing facility to turn ethanol into dimethyl ether, an additional gas substance to increase the volume of liquified petroleum gas (LPG).

Hanung Budya from Pertamina’s marketing unit said: “When mixed with 20 percent of dimethyl ether, the price of LPG could be cut by 20 percent."

The President Director of Arrtu Mega Energie, Christoforus Richard, said the facility could produce up to 1.7 million ton of ether per year, but will temporarily rely on ethanol supply from other companies, including Petronas.

Pertamina said that trial use of the mixed gas started in North Jakarta in June in 300 household consumers and at 150 companies.

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