Optimizing Bioethanol Production: 2 ITB Chemical Engineering Students Win 2nd Place at IChEC 2025 Problem Solving Competition
By Luisa Carmel - Mahasiswa Teknik Kimia, 2021
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id — Two students from Chemical Engineering of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Mia Nuramalia Aim and Ariq Ramadhan Teruna, won second place at the Problem Solving Competition, Indonesia Chemical Engineering Challenge (IChEC) 2025. This prestigious competition was held by the ITB Chemical Engineering Students Association (HIMATEK-ITB) on February 8–9, 2025.
In collaboration with Pertamina New & Renewable Energy, IChEC 2025 Problem Solving required participants to propose a solution upheld by relevant arguments and data to solve the given problem.
Forming a team aptly named "Pinnacle," the two of them proposed a bioethanol production process using palm oil empty fruit bunch (POEFB) feedstock and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) technology in Dumai, Riau. They highlighted the advantages of their solution: the abundance of POEFB in Indonesia and the efficiency of SSF, which integrates saccharification and fermentation into a single reactor. Hence, this solution simplifies the raw-material supply chain while also reducing capital and operational costs.
Mia revealed that their participation in the competition proved to be a challenge for herself and Ariq. As chemical engineering students specializing in General Chemical Technology (TKU), Pinnacle had to learn about complex bioprocesses from scratch under the guidance of Ardiyan Harimawan, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D.
"Bioprocesses are actually that complicated. Frankly, I haven't fully grasped all of it yet, but after this competition at least I know what the word inoculum means," stated Mia. Furthermore, the team learned how to simulate the proposed plant using Aspen Plus, evaluate its economics, and then compare the results with real conditions to ensure their relevance.
From this competition, Mia learned one important lesson: never give up, especially before even trying. Pinnacle initially felt pessimistic upon finding out that its full-paper score ranked the lowest among the finalists. However, the team's perseverance and presentation at the final stage secured it the silver medal.
"I have once read the following quote on the internet: 'The success in one's life is determined by (1) how you speak, (2) what you write, and (3) how brilliant your ideas are—in that order (Patrick Winston).' Basically, it's not just about the content but also how you present it to the judges so they believe in what you believe. Because if you don't believe in yourself, who will?" concluded Ariq.
Reporter: Luisa Carmel (Chemical Engineering '21)
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering '21)
