During the presentation, he talks about his research in developing a professional biogas purification system in order to obtain a high concentration level of biomethane that can be transformed as a gas fuel. This research is part of a collaborative study done by ITB, alongside The Indonesian Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), PT Perkebunan Nusantara 5 (PTPN5), and PT Aimtopindo Nuansa Kimia.

He then explained about the latest technology that is currently in use by the operating system, which is physical absorption. This process involves compressing biogas from an atmospheric into a high pressure gas, passing the gas through a water scrubber in order to remove the CO2 component, leaving the absorbed water vapor in the biogas to be detached in the next stripping process that results in a biomethane gas that is almost fully free of CO2 impurities.

The test method for this research has also been successfully conducted in a pilot plant facility that was able to supply 60 m³/hour of biogas. “The results showed that the biomethane we developed in the research has complied with the regulatory framework and policy of SNI 9164 of the year 2023 that requires biomethane to have a CO2 component level lower than 5%. Furthermore, this biomethane has shown efficiency when tested as a truck fuel,” he said.

The use of methane-rich biogas in natural gas grids is hindered by the CO2, H2S, and other trace gasses. Thus, constantly upgrading biogas purification technology has gained great interest from many companies, including those specified in palm oil in order to obtain a higher grade of biomethane. He believes that this can be a window of opportunity for many students interested in the bioenergy field, as it shows a lot of potential.

Bioenergy Goes to Campus Chapter 15 Seminar plays an important role in sharing awareness of the newest research programs under the field of new, renewable energy, and energy conservation, while also establishing connections between the government, university, and industry in turning towards renewable energy sources, bringing prosperity to Indonesia along the way.

Reporter: Hafsah Restu Nurul Annafi (Urban and Regional Planning, 2019)

Translator: Kezia Hosana S.

Editor:Anggi Nurdiani (Manajemen, 2021)