By: Abdul Hakim)*
Fuel oil (BBM) is a basic need of society. However, the government will slowly push the use of fuel to a more environmentally friendly and safer for the health of many people.
Congestion and air pollution are an everyday sight in the capital and many other big cities in Indonesia. The easy access to credit for motor vehicles and the large number of motorists make the roads crowded, and the bad effect is the dirty air that people have to breathe. Even though it is very dangerous, especially for children, plus it can worsen the quality of environmental hygiene.
Therefore, the government implements a strategy for environmentally friendly programs without having to reduce the volume of vehicles, namely by encouraging the use of eco-friendly fuel. These changes will be made slowly. It is hoped that the public will not be surprised because there has been an announcement far in advance and also education that environmentally friendly fuel has a much better effect than ordinary gasoline.
The change to environmentally friendly fuel oil was horrendous because people thought that pertalite and premium would be phased out. President Jokowi guarantees that by 2022 the two types of fuel will not disappear from circulation, so that people can rest easy. RON 90 (pertalite) and RON 88 (premium) fuel will continue to circulate and distribution will still be regulated by the government.
In Presidential Regulation number 117 of 2021 which was stipulated on December 31, 2021, it is stated that the articles that change the rules in PP number 191 of 2014. There are no more exceptions for the premium distribution assignment area so that the distribution will be wider. People do not need to worry because there will be no shortage of fuel throughout Indonesia.
Premium and pertalite will not be abolished in 2022, but the government will provide alternative fuel types that are more environmentally friendly. Mustafid Gunawan, Acting Director of Engineering and Environment for Oil and Gas Pertamina stated that the green gasoline research stage has entered the research stage, namely gasoline which is a mixture of palm oil and crude oil.
Green gasoline is claimed to be more environmentally friendly so it will not pollute the air. When the quality of fuel is better and eco-friendly, it will not pollute the environment, so it will not make people sick from breathing dirty air every day. There is no longer a bus or motor vehicle exhaust that emits black smoke, because the fuel used is environmentally friendly.
When fuel oil is more environmentally friendly, it will not deplete the ozone layer so that we love the earth more and at the same time avoid the greenhouse effect. The air temperature will be normal and won’t overheat many people. The atmosphere is very comfortable.
Pertamina is also conducting trials to make green diesel without 100% fossil fuel. The raw material is palm oil with specifications equivalent to diesel fuel, even with better quality, namely a higher cetane number and much lower sulfur.
With green diesel and green gasoline, it is hoped that the use of environmentally friendly fuel will be 100% in the community. They already understand that this type of fuel is good and does not require fossil fuels as raw materials. Fossil supplies are running low, so we have to look for alternative raw materials for making fuel, which are more eco-friendly.
The use of fuel that is more environmentally friendly is claimed to make the air not black and thick because of smoke from motor vehicle exhausts. In addition, eco friendly fuel does not use fossils as raw materials. The public has been well educated so that they switch to environmentally friendly fuel.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
