Pertamina initiates 21-day partial shutdown at Plaju refinery, halting PP production
While the producer had previously weighed deferring maintenance to capture firmer domestic margins, the prospect of further delay exacerbating wear and weakening equipment integrity ultimately closed that window.
PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has initiated a scheduled 21-day maintenance shutdown at its Refinery Unit III (RU III) Plaju complex in South Sumatra, temporarily removing domestic propylene and PP supply from the market through early May.
The turnaround, internally termed “Partial Pit Stop 2026”, began on 12 April and is slated to run until 3 May. The outage takes offline the site’s 45,000 tons/year residue fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit, sharply curtailing upstream propylene output and forcing a full shutdown of the integrated 47,000 tons/year PP line, which is primarily geared toward film-grade production.
The move effectively withdraws a key domestic supply stream at a time when regional trade flows is exceedingly tight. Thus, the decision to proceed also highlights a clear operational pivot.
While the producer had previously weighed deferring maintenance to capture firmer domestic margins, the prospect of further delay exacerbating wear and weakening equipment integrity ultimately closed that window. The shutdown therefore reflects a shift away from short-term margin optimisation toward asset preservation, with reliability and operational safety taking priority.
Written by: Aiman Haikal