PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – The National Energy Council (Dewan Energi Nasional /DEN) of Indonesia asserts that palm oil-based fuel, known as palm oil gasoline or “Bensa,” holds potential as an alternative fuel. Bensa is envisioned as a substitute for pertalite and pertamax commonly used for transportation.
Djoko Siswanto, the General Secretary of DEN, highlighted that Bensa, with an RON of 120, exhibits excellent quality, and its raw materials are readily available in the country. Moreover, it proves to be more economical and affordable compared to pertamax turbo, priced at approximately Rp 15,000 per liter, while pertamax turbo costs around Rp 15,350 per liter. This positions Bensa as a promising contender to replace pertamax turbo in the near future.
The decision aligns with the commitment to expedite Indonesia’s green energy program. Djoko Siswanto believes that the initial focus of the green energy initiative should be on the middle to upper-class society, who predominantly use pertamax turbo in their vehicles. This strategic move is anticipated to accelerate Indonesia’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
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As Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from detikcom, Bensa was introduced by research team from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and PT Kemurgi Indonesia in Pekan Riset Sawit Indonesia (Perisai) in Medan. Bensa was considered to be safer and more efficient with RON 110 that is higher than conventional fuel.
Muhammad Ferian, research team member of ITB – Kemurgi Indonesia said that Bensa was having test drive for about 2.000 km from Bogor to Medan. It was mixed with Pertamax Turbo, created more efficient fuel and the distance reached 33 kilometers per liter. (T2)
