Jakarta – The Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) facility at Pertamina’s Balikpapan Refinery is scheduled to begin operations in the first week of November 2025, after completing the commissioning phase that lasted from August to October.
In an official statement on Wednesday, August 13, Pertamina announced that RFCC is an important part of the Balikpapan Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) project, which aims to convert oil residues into high-value products while increasing refinery profitability.
Vice President of Legal & Relations at Pertamina Balikpapan Refinery, Asep Sulaeman, said that the progress of the Balikpapan RDMP construction has reached 96 per cent. “Once operational, the RFCC will increase gasoline production by 5,000 barrels per day, LPG by 150,000 tons per year, and propylene by 100,000 tons per year. In fact, for the first time, the Balikpapan Refinery will produce LPG and propylene,” he said.
This RFCC facility comprises five main sections, namely the RFCC unit, RFCC-LPG, RFCC-NHT (naphtha hydrotreating), Propylene Recovery Unit (PRU), and Alkylation Unit. With a processing capacity of approximately 90,000 barrels of mixed residue per day, this process produces LPG, naphtha, propylene, and gasoline, which are further processed to increase their market value while meeting modern fuel standards.
Asep added that after RFCC priority I is operational, priority II, which is planned to begin operating in 2026, will produce Euro V standard fuel.
As a National Strategic Project, RDMP Balikpapan will increase processing capacity from 260,000 to 360,000 barrels per day, raise the yield of valuable products from 75.3 per cent to 91.8 per cent, and strengthen integration with petrochemical projects such as New Polypropylene Balongan. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Pertamina
