Leading the Transition from Halogen Refrigerants to Natural Refrigerants in Indonesia (Pertamina Plaju Refinery as a Pioneer)

Abstract Climate change has become a worldwide concern, prompting Indonesia to take ambitious actions to reduce emissions and control rising temperatures. The rapid growth of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) industry in Indonesia has led to higher greenhouse gas emissions. To tackle these environmental challenges, Pertamina Plaju Refinery is manufacturing natural refrigerants, specifically Musicool (Propane) and Breezone (Propylene), providing sustainable replacements for R-22 and R-32. Pertamina Plaju Refinery has made several process modifications and optimizations to support the production of Musicool and Breezone in the Alkylation and Purification Units. These modifications involve optimizing operating conditions and implementing necessary infrastructure changes. In general, Pertamina’s natural refrigerants consume 20-30% less energy than halogen refrigerants while offering similar cooling capacity to R-22 and R-32. Propane and Propylene-based refrigerants have the lowest impact on global warming and are eco-friendly due to their easy degradation process. Musicool and Breezone, having an ODP of 0.0, with maximum GWP of 3.3, indicating minimal contribution to ozone depletion. Pertamina’s efforts to engage and reach potential customers on these natural refrigerants, involve collaborative efforts among various organizations, including with all District Office Plaju, South Sumatra.