Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP Enter Final Stage, Journalists Witness Progress of Pertamina's Largest Energy Project

Friday, 10 October 2025

Ahead of the 2025 Pertamina Journalism Awards (AJP) with the theme “Energizing Indonesia,” PT Kilang Pertamina Balikpapan (KPB) held a Media Visit attended by 22 journalists from various media outlets in the city of Balikpapan. This event served as a gathering and a means for media personnel to see firsthand the progress of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) project, one of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) and the largest project in Pertamina's history.

Held on Friday (10/10), the event took place at the New Site Office (NSO) building of PT KPB and began with a presentation on the company profile, business processes, and the latest developments of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP projects. After the presentation session, journalists had the opportunity to directly observe the refinery area to witness the progress of the construction of the national oil processing facility, which is a milestone in Indonesia's energy transformation.

Vice President (VP) Legal & Relations of PT KPB, Asep Sulaeman, explained that this activity is part of PT KPB's commitment to maintaining transparency and strengthening relations with the media. According to him, the media has a strategic role in conveying objective information and building public optimism regarding the nation's efforts to achieve energy independence.

“The media has an important role in providing accurate information to the public. Through this visit, we want to show firsthand how the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP projects are being carried out to high standards, in terms of safety, technology, and sustainability. We hope that journalists can convey a positive message about the energy transformation being carried out by PT KPB,” said Asep.

Asep added that the project is currently entering the final stage of commissioning and start-up of the refinery. “As of the first week of October 2025, the progress of the Balikpapan RDMP project has reached 96.61%,” he said.

During the field visit, participants inspected a number of facilities that are already in operation, including boilers, gas turbine generators (GTGs), and saturated liquefied petroleum gas treatment units. These units serve to clean LPG produced by the refinery from impurities, particularly sulfur, which is odorous and corrosive, thereby producing LPG that is safer, odorless, and meets public consumption standards.

In addition, participants also visited the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit, which is the main priority of the project. This unit is capable of converting residues into high-value products with a capacity of 90 thousand barrels per day. The completion of this RFCC unit will increase refinery products, namely gasoline, LPG, and plastic raw materials (propylene).

Meanwhile, Balikpapan City journalist representative Yanuar Riswandanu expressed his appreciation for the opportunity provided by PT KPB. “This activity is very beneficial for us. Through this visit, we can see firsthand how the Balikpapan RDMP project is progressing with high standards that will greatly contribute to national energy development,” said Riswan.

With the operation of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP projects, domestic fuel production capacity will increase, product quality will improve, and dependence on imports will be reduced. This will have a positive impact on the community through increased energy availability as an important part of the steps towards national energy independence and security.