Faspol 5.0 Technology Turns Plastic Waste into Fuel PETASOL

PETASOL has been tested by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) through the Center for Research on Sustainable Production Systems and Life Cycle Assessment with LEMIGAS/ Photo: IST

JAKARTA - The increasing problem of plastic waste has encouraged the birth of various innovations to support the government's efforts to realize sustainable waste management. One of the innovations was developed by the founder of the Banjarnegara Waste Bank (BSB), Budi Trisno Aji, through a pyrolysis technology that is able to turn plastic waste into an alternative fuel called PETASOL.

Since 2016, Budi has developed the Faspol 5.0 (Fast Pyrolysis 5.0) technology which is designed to process difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into liquid fuel with characteristics equivalent to B0 diesel oil. This innovation not only contributes to reducing the generation of plastic waste, but also increases the economic value of waste through the application of the circular economy concept.

"Until now, plastic waste has often been seen as an environmental problem. In fact, with the right technology, this waste can be turned into a source of energy that has value of benefits and economic value. This is what we develop through PETASOL," said Budi Trisno Aji.

According to Budi, the quality of PETASOL has been tested by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) through the Center for Sustainable Production Systems Research and Life Cycle Assessment with LEMIGAS. The test results show that PETASOL meets the specifications as diesel engine fuel, including for agricultural tools and machinery.

Currently, the fuel produced from plastic waste has been used to support the operations of the agricultural sector in Banjarnegara Regency as a form of real implementation of pyrolysis technology in the field.

In addition to producing alternative fuels, the Faspol 5.0 technology is also designed to be easily replicated in various regions. One engine unit is capable of producing up to 200 liters of PETASOL per day, while the technology has been adopted by more than 52 partners spread across various regions of Indonesia, including outside Java Island.

Budi assessed that the success shows that pyrolysis technology has great potential to become one of the solutions in reducing plastic waste while supporting energy resilience at the regional level.

"We hope that more local governments, businesses, academics, and the public will collaborate to develop this technology. With strong synergy, waste management is no longer only focused on waste reduction, but is also able to generate alternative energy that is beneficial to the community," he said.

He added that cross-sector collaboration is the key to accelerating the implementation of innovative waste processing technology in Indonesia. According to him, strengthening this cooperation will support the government's program in reducing the generation of plastic waste, increasing the added value of waste, as well as accelerating the realization of a more effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly national waste management system.