Strengthening the Country's Energy Security, the National Energy Council Directly Reviews the Progress of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP

Monday, 22 September 2025

PT Kilang Pertamina Balikpapan (KPB) received a working visit from the National Energy Council (DEN) to directly review the Balikpapan & Lawe-Lawe Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) National Strategic Project (PSN). This activity was an important moment to discuss various steps in supporting a strong and sustainable national energy policy. The meeting took place at the Balikpapan RDMP Project Site and Lawe-Lawe Crude Terminal, followed by discussions in the Solar Room, PT KPB Site Office Modification Building on Wednesday (9/17).

Agus Pramono, a member of the Technology Stakeholder Group (APK), expressed his appreciation for the progress of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP, which is nearing the operational stage. “We at DEN are very proud of the current progress of the RDMP. With the RDMP, we hope that our energy security index will improve or even get better,” he said.

During the visit, he explained the procedures for determining and overcoming energy crises and concrete solutions in facing the increasingly complex global energy dynamics. In addition, the forum also discussed efforts to increase oil refinery capacity and the supply of national fuel oil (BBM) and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which are currently the main focus of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP projects.

Meanwhile, DEN from the Academic APK, Musri, emphasized the importance of the sustainability of this refinery project as one of the ways to reduce energy import dependency. “I really appreciate this and we must continue to push for ways to reduce imports and increase our energy security, so that we can progress and move towards a golden Indonesia in 2045,” he explained.

The DEN delegation directly inspected the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) facility, 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 add to the refinery's products, namely gasoline, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), light cycle oil (LCO), decant oil (DCO), and petrochemical products in the form of propylene.

In addition, the delegation also visited several important facilities that are already in operation, including the power generation area and the new Main Control Room (MCR), which will be the main control center for refinery operations after the RDMP project, as well as two crude oil storage tanks with a capacity of 1,000,000 barrels each at the Lawe-Lawe Crude Terminal.

Vice President (VP) of Legal & Relations at PT KPB, Asep Sulaeman, said that the synergy with DEN has strengthened the enthusiasm of all workers in completing the RDMP project. "The visit and support from DEN has further motivated us to complete the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMPs according to the target. This RDMP is not only a Pertamina project, but a national project to achieve energy independence and security," he said.

Increasing the national energy security index is one of the main objectives of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP development. This index shows how strong Indonesia is in meeting its energy needs independently, affordably, and sustainably.

With the operation of the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMP, domestic fuel production capacity will increase, product quality will improve, and dependence on fuel imports can be reduced. This will have a positive impact on energy availability for the community, price stability, and foreign exchange savings for the country.

Furthermore, DEN's support becomes increasingly important as the Balikpapan and Lawe-Lawe RDMPs enter a crucial phase, namely equipment testing (commissioning) and the initial operation of the refinery (start-up). “At this stage, synergy between all parties is needed to ensure a safe, reliable transition that complies with occupational safety standards,” concluded Asep.