UNS Students Turn Waste Into Renewable Fuel

JAKARTA - Students of the Chemical Engineering Study Program (PSTK) of the Faculty of Engineering (FT) Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Surakarta succeeded in converting waste into new and renewable fuels to support the clean energy transition.

Lecturer for the Merdeka Learning Team at the Merdeka Campus (MBKM) UNS ID 971 Joko Waluyo in Surakarta, Central Java, Saturday, December 28, said the waste used for new and renewable energy was from the Indigofera Tinctoria L plant.

"This waste is the raw material for making biobrikets for new and renewable energy sources in collaboration with CV Indigo Biru Baru," he said, as reported by Antara.

He said the produced biobrikets had been tested based on the SNI 01-6235-2000 standard.

"The test results show that the biobriket made from the Indigofera Tinctoria L. meets the SNI standard with a high price and quality that is suitable for use," he said.

According to him, these efforts were made to minimize the use of fuels sourced from excessive fossil energy.

"The use of fuel from excessive fossil energy causes reduced energy reserves and also causes increased greenhouse gas emissions on earth. Therefore, alternative energy is needed that can be updated and environmentally friendly," he said.

Related to this, his party has conducted socialization at MA Muhammadiyah Tijarotul Qur'aniyah (MTQ) Puron Village. He hopes that the socialization can provide more understanding to the public regarding the benefits of renewable new energy and the use of biobrikets.

This program not only encourages students to develop academic abilities, but also makes a real contribution in creating community-based renewable energy solutions, utilizing local potentials, and overcoming waste challenges.

"This initiative is expected to be a strategic step that can be expanded to other regions, realizing sustainable energy independence for Indonesia's future," he said.