Pertamina's Used Cooking Oil Push Wins Energy Analyst Praise in Indonesia

Indonesian energy analyst Feiral Rizky Batubara has praised PT Pertamina's development of used cooking oil (UCO) into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The programme aims to transform a previously discarded waste stream into a valuable feedstock for the energy transition.

Batubara, an advisory board member of the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI), said that Pertamina's UCO development demonstrates consistency in running the energy transition agenda. He argued that it couples low-carbon fuel with new industrial ecosystems at home.

The programme relies on adequate collection systems, appropriate economic incentives, quality standards, traceability, and governance to guarantee supply sustainability. Batubara identified these as the binding constraints for the programme's success.

Pertamina has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to collect UCO generated by Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) nutrition service facilities. This UCO will be processed into SAF, hydrotreated vegetable oil, and biogasoline.