TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-After Pertalite, PT Pertamina will launch a new type of fuel for diesel engine dubbed Solarlite. Pertamina Marketing and Trade Director Ahmad Bambang said Solarlite is launched to suppress subsidized diesel consumption for motor vehicles. “We are calculating the amount of the reduction,” he told Tempo last Thursday.
Ahmad claimed Solarlite has a better specification than subsidized diesel fuel yet the price will be cheaper than Pertamina Dex which had been marketed since 2005. Solarlite’s cetane number reaches 51, or is far higher than subsidized diesel with cetane number of 46-48, but is slightly lower than Pertamina Dex with cetane number of 53.
Solarlite might be retailed at Rp7,000 per-liter, cheaper than Pertamina Dex that reach Rp9,600 per-liter.
In March, Pertamina will conduct a testing of Solarlite for public transportations and private vehicles with diesel engines. “Particularly for middle to upper-class sport utility vehicle (SUV),” said Ahmad.
He is certain that the release of Solarlite will not hamper the mixture of diesel and 20 percent biodiesel (B20), which became the government’s target this year. Pertamina will propose two types of Solarlite: one with biodisel and one without biodiesel mixture. “It's up to the government which ever one they want to use.”
ROBBY IRFANY | PRAGA UTAMA