What is J100 (Green Jet Fuel)?
J100 is the term for pure plant-based jet fuel aircraft fuel that is 100% derived from palm oil, with no fossil jet fuel blended in at all. Unlike J2.4 bio-jet fuel, which was flight-tested earlier (a blend of 2.4% plant-based material with 97.6% fossil jet fuel), J100 is the full version containing no fossil components whatsoever.
Raw Material: Not CPO, But RBDPKO
Unlike D100 and G100, which use RBDPO (from the fruit flesh/mesocarp) as their feedstock, J100 instead uses RBDPKO (Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Kernel Oil) refined palm kernel oil extracted from the kernel of the oil palm fruit, not from its flesh. This difference in feedstock is consistent with the characteristics of palm oil bio-jet fuel products, which have from the outset used palm kernel oil derivatives rather than regular CPO.
Part of the National Biofuel Nomenclature
J100 is one of three palm oil-based “pure biohydrocarbon” fuels developed by the government together with Pertamina, completing D100 (green diesel) and G100 (green gasoline) all three are based on Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and its derivatives, and all make use of the Red-White Catalyst (Katalis Merah Putih) technology developed through the collaboration between the Pertamina Research and Technology Centre and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Development Status
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has stated that the government is working with Pertamina to develop green fuel at refineries located in palm oil production centers both through co-processing schemes at existing refineries and through future plans to build new (stand-alone) refineries dedicated specifically to green fuel production. J100 development is being carried out alongside D100 and G100 within this larger framework. To date, the only achievement that has been realized and commercially flight-tested is J2.4 bio-jet fuel (a 2.4% blend) while J100 as pure plant-based jet fuel remains a medium-to-long-term development target, in line with similar progress on G100.
Why Is This Important for Energy Security and the Aviation Sector?
The development of palm oil-based jet fuel is part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen national energy security while supporting the decarbonization of the global aviation sector. Green diesel (D100) has itself been proven superior to fossil diesel and FAME-based biodiesel among other things through a relatively higher cetane number, lower sulfur content, better oxidation stability, and clearer color. Similar advantages are expected to be achieved through the future development of J100, positioning Indonesia as one of the global pioneers of sustainable palm oil-based aviation fuel.
Relevance to the Indonesian Palm Oil Industry
J100 completes Indonesia’s grand vision of making palm oil a comprehensive national energy base from diesel (D100) and gasoline (G100) to jet fuel (J100). If fully realized, J100 has the potential to strengthen Indonesia’s position as a global pioneer of sustainable palm oil-based aviation fuel, while also opening a new domestic market for palm kernel oil (PKO) derivative products.
References
Agrikan, “7 Plant-Based Fuels Made from Palm Oil”, https://agrikan.id/7-bahan-bakar-nabati-berbahan-kelapa-sawit/
Agrikan, “7 Plant-Based Fuels Made from Palm Oil”, https://agrikan.id/7-bahan-bakar-nabati-berbahan-kelapa-sawit/
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) of the Republic of Indonesia, “Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Encourages Green Fuel Development”, https://migas.esdm.go.id/post/read/kementerian-esdm-dorong-pengembangan-green-fuel