August,2009
The ethanol plant constructed
27 years ago
I visited the Biomass Energy Research and Development Center in June, 2009.
This was established in 1982 in Lampung, South Sumatra, by Japanese grants
aid. Since I heard the ethanol plant in the Center is still working, I
have been eager to visit there for a long time. The background of establishment
was that I had executed the feasibility study for the fuel ethanol production
from the cassava starch as an alternative energy instead of the fossil
fuel in about 30 years ago.
After the construction plan of the
Center was made, I conducted site survey several times in the Lampung district as
a member of JICA’ survey team. I was deeply involved selecting an appropriate
place for the construction. The road condition at that time in Lampung was bad compared
to now. It was a hard work to go around on the unpaved road to find the
construction site by a four-wheel drive car. I thought if the fuel ethanol
could be produced from cassava starch in the rural area, it might bring stable
incomes to farmers and be useful to supply an alternative fuel. The Center also
had the research programs for the social and economical aspects of ethanol
production from cassava starch.
Dr. Agus Eko, who obtained a doctoral
degree from Hiroshima
University
and the head of the Center, explained that the ethanol plant does not operate
everyday because the plant is experimental. Five staffs who obtained doctoral
degree in Japanese universities by yen loan scholarship are working at the
Center. I was surprised about the plant is still working, although it was
constructed a quarter-century ago. Moreover, I was impressed that several
researchers who took degree in Japan
addressed the research work actively.
Fuel ethanol attracts the global
interest as an eco-fuel to replace with petroleum. Therefore, I expect that the
Biomass Center as a pioneer of the fuel ethanol production in Indonesia. I hope this will promote the
technical development to produce the fuel ethanol from cellulose of the various
kinds of grasses, woods and other waste materials in near future.
