ITS develops alternative fuel from wastes, tides

The Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, Indonesia, will focus on alternative and renewable energy sources in an effort to alleviate the energy crisis in Indonesia. ITS said it will focus on developing alternative fuels from the marine sector. Besides looking at developing biofuels from jatropha and rubber seeds, ITS will also process banana and plastic waste into ethanol. In the marine sector, ITS will develop energy from sea tides capable of generating 61 gigawatts, significantly more than the planned PLN state power company’s coal-fed power plant that will only produce 41 gigawatts at most by 2020. ITS’ Research and Community Service Institution head I Nyoman Sutantra said to encourage the development of alternative energy, his office would reward students, researchers and lecturers focusing on finding alternative fuels with high economic value. ITS student Achmad Ferdiansyah, who developed banana waste as a source of energy, said his innovation could not yet be applied to meet the power needs of East Java, due to its high production cost compared to coal’s. ITS alternative energy expert Sri Nurhatika, who also discovered banana skins could be used to produce bioethanol, said her team was currently raising awareness about the device in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan. (April 22, 2009)