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What Is Palm Oil Gasoline (Bensa)?

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Palm oil gasoline, or Bensa, is a liquid biofuel produced from the processing of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) or palm kernel oil through catalytic cracking. In this process, the large molecules in palm oil are broken down into smaller hydrocarbon molecules, producing a fuel fraction equivalent to gasoline.

Palm Oil Gasoline Production Process

The production of palm oil gasoline involves several main stages:

  1. High-temperature heating
    Palm oil is heated to high temperatures (400500C).
  2. Use of a special catalyst
    A catalyst known as the Merah Putih (Red and White) Catalyst is used to accelerate the chemical reaction.
  3. Molecular cracking
    The triglyceride molecules in palm oil are broken down into light hydrocarbons.
  4. Fraction separation
    The results are separated into products such as gasoline, diesel, and gas.

Advantages of Bensa

Bensa offers a number of strategic advantages:

  1. High Octane Rating

Bensa has a RON of 105112, higher than:

  1. Pertalite (RON 90)
  2. Pertamax (RON 9298)

This makes combustion more efficient and engine performance more optimal.

  1. Renewable Energy

It comes from renewable oil palm, unlike finite petroleum.

  1. More Environmentally Friendly

Lower exhaust emissions thanks to minimal sulfur content.

  1. Reducing Fuel Imports

Domestic production of Bensa has the potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

  1. Supporting Palm Oil Farmers

Adds value to the palm oil industry and improves farmer welfare.

Developers and Technology Status

The development of palm oil gasoline in Indonesia involves various institutions:

  1. Institut Teknologi Bandung
    Developing catalytic cracking technology based on national catalysts.
  2. Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
    Developing a palm oil gasoline variant called Benwit (Bio-gasoline Sawit).
  3. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
    Supporting research and development of alternative energy.

Currently, this technology has reached the stage of:

  1. Pilot project (demo unit)
  2. Moving toward commercial scale

ITS even claims that the use of Benwit can save up to 10% of conventional fuel consumption.

Challenges in Developing Bensa

Although promising, the development of palm oil gasoline still faces several challenges:

  1. Limited production scale
  2. High investment costs for refineries
  3. Consistency of feedstock quality (CPO)
  4. Fuel regulation and standardization

Future Potential

With the world’s largest palm oil reserves, Indonesia has a great opportunity to become:

  1. A global biofuel producer
  2. An energy-independent nation
  3. A leader in plant-based energy innovation

If successfully commercialized, Bensa could become a “game changer” in the national energy transition.

Palm oil gasoline (Bensa) is a strategic innovation combining the advantages of renewable energy, high efficiency, and energy independence. With an octane rating of up to RON 105112, Bensa has the potential to become a serious alternative to fossil fuels in the future.

However, its successful implementation depends heavily on policy support, investment, and industry readiness.

References

International Energy Agency, Gasoline and octane rating fundamentals,
https://www.iea.org/reports/gasoline
Institut Teknologi Bandung, research on the development of palm-based biofuels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwz2o7haseA
ScienceDirect, Catalytic Cracking Process in Petroleum Refining,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/catalytic-cracking
4 International Energy Agency, Biofuels and renewable energy,
https://www.iea.org/fuels-and-technologies/biofuels
5 ScienceDirect, Biofuel emissions and environmental impact,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/biofuel
6 Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, national energy policy and renewable energy development,
https://www.esdm.go.id/id/media-center/arsip-berita/kebijakan-energi-nasional
7 Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP), Biofuel Development and Utilization Program (BBN),
https://www.bpdp.or.id/program-pengembangan-dan-pemanfaatan-bahan-bakar-nabati
8 Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, development of palm oil gasoline (Benwit),
https://www.its.ac.id/news/2026/04/07/its-kembangkan-bensin-sawit-benwit/

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