Pertamina expects RFCC to start full operation in June

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina expects its residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) facility at the Cilacap refinery complex in Central Java to start full operation in June of this year.

Pertamina Director for Processing Rahmad Hadadi said in a press statement Sunday that the RFCC would start operation in March of this year.

The company hopes that the developers, comprising of IDX-listed construction and engineering firm PT Adhi Karya Tbk and South Korea?s Goldstart Co Ltd, to be able to handover the operation of the facility to Pertamina in August.

?The RFCC will provide additional gasoline product of about 2 million kilo liters per year. This is part of Pertamina?s concrete efforts to help reduce reliance on import,? Rahmad said.

He explained that Indonesia needs to build 2-3 new fuel refineries as existing programs such as RFCC, Cilacap Blue Sky Project, and Refining Development Master Plan would not be sufficient to increase capacity to meet growing fuel demand at home over the next 10 years.

He said that Pertamina was read to become leader in fuel refinery projects planned by the government.

?Over the next 10 years, we project demand for premium gasoline to surpass 77 million kilo liters, while automotive diesel 54 million kilo liters,? he said.

?We need to build 2-3 new refineries. The government has asked Pertamina to be the lead in the grass root refinery projects,? he said, adding that local for such projects must be those which already have the necessary infrastructure facilities. He pointed out as an example Bontang.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak