BOGOR – Research team of Surfactant and Bioenergy Research Center, Agriculture Institute of Bogor (SBRC-AIB) has been making innovation by developing palm oil midrib to be biomass source of energy in biopellet.

The innovations were done by Prof. ErlizaHambali, Dr. DwiSetyaningsih, WindiLilianamandDipoBariguna. Biopellet is in the list of Indonesian 102 Most Prospective Innovation in 2010 which Ministry of Research and Technology, Indonesian Republic and Business Innovation Centrer (BIC) have released.

“The research has been promoted by BBRC AIB. We researched it to know kinds of biomass material which is good to make biopellet in Indonesia. We started with the materials in lmpung for there are lots of materials. There was also a study about the seaseon having much waste, such as, straw, corn, peanut skins, jatropha, coffee skin, and palm oil midrib. From the materials, we mixed them to make biopellet. Biopellet is the alternative of gas and karosene. The people living in the remote areas or away from the city will defenitely be difficult to get gas and karosene. It was the beginning thought to implement the biopellet technology for the people.

“It is very potential to develop palm oil midrib as the biomass source of energy. High voltage mechine compression is used to process the pellet which will be for the household source of energy and the electricity,” Dwi Setyaningsih, as written in Suara Agraria, Wednesday (14/1).

The biopellet could make 3.650 kilo calory / 1 kg of palm oil midrib or it equals to 3.647 kilo calory per kg of shell and it is better than wood (3.500 kilo calory / kg). This is much better than empty bunches (1.512 kilo calory / kg).

“Biopellet has high calory within 600 gram biopellet could be used for one hour. It takes five minutes only to boil 1 liter of water,” he said. (T3)