Pertamina Launched New Pertalite Fuel in Indonesia
The new grade of gasoline, called pertalite, has been launched in Indonesia by state-owned energy company Pertamina. On Friday (24/07), this new (unsubsidized) fuel was sold for the first time in the cities Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya for the price of IDR 8,400 (USD $0.62) per liter. Its debut in 101 gas stations across these three cities is a test (lasting for a few weeks) in order to know consumers’ reaction. Pertalite (90-octane level) is the new produced fuel by Pertamina and will gradually replace the low-octane gasoline known as premium.
Pertamina President Director Dwi Soetjipto said Pertalite fuel has been developed to fulfill Indonesian consumer demand for an affordable energy source with better combustion. Premium, which was heavily subsidized until January 2015, is a low-octane fuel (88-octane level) that can damage the engine of cars and motorcycles and results in higher emissions. Most cars sold that have been sold in recent years in Indonesia are designed for higher-grade gasoline. The new pertalite is regarded the best option for motorcycles and midsize, multi-purpose vehicles. Pertamina also produces and distributes pertamax (92-octane level) but many Indonesian consumers dislike the high price of this fuel.
Pertamina targets to migrate 30 percent of existing premium users to pertalite through distributing 500 kiloliters of pertalite across Indonesian gas stations each day.
