Making ethanol from cassava is easy, Lampung BPPT researcher says<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso HN, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Besides being a sugar producer, Lampung province also produces
\ncassava.<\/p>\n
In 2004, there were 300,000 hectares of cassava fields in four
\nregencies. Even though Lampung's cassava fields are huge, most
\nLampung farmers remain poor, with one hectare only producing a
\nmaximum of 14 tons of cassava.<\/p>\n
Several months ago, the price of cassava stood at Rp 120
\n(0.012 U.S. cents) to Rp 150 per kilogram. Last year, it was only
\nRp 70 to Rp 90 per kilogram. Cassava now sells for Rp 315 per
\nkilogram, much to the relief of farmers.<\/p>\n
With ample farmland in Lampung, the Starch Research Center at
\nthe Lampung Agency for the Assessment and Application of
\nTechnology (BPPT) is developing bioenergy fuel with cassava.<\/p>\n
The research center started experiments on developing
\nbioenergy in 1980, when the Japanese government provided the
\ncenter with research equipment.<\/p>\n
Besides using cassava as an alternative material to make
\nbioenergy, the center has done research on other materials,
\nincluding corn and sugarcane.<\/p>\n
Before considering cassava, the center tried sugarcane, but
\ndropped the project as supply of sugarcane is limited. Sugar is
\nalso a more profitable commodity than cassava.<\/p>\n
"The economics of it could have be ignored for the sake of
\nresearch," said Arif Yudiarto, a researcher at Lampung BPPT.<\/p>\n
Arif said that cassava was the most feasible choice as it was
\nrelatively cheap and was 30 percent starch.<\/p>\n
In Lampung, farmers do not need a lot of capital to plant
\ncassava. Nor is the plant vulnerable to disease.<\/p>\n
"Some 1,000 kilograms of cassava can produce about 166 liters
\nof ethanol," said Arif. For research purposes, the center has
\nplanted 600 hectares of land with cassava.<\/p>\n
Making ethanol from cassava is easy, said Arif. The starch is
\nextracted from the cassava, which is then processed to produce
\nglucose. The glucose is put into fermentations tank and mixed
\nwith a microbe (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) for 48 hours and kept
\nat 33 Celsius to 35 Celsius. The glucose substance is then
\ndistilled in order to isolate the ethanol.<\/p>\n
Ethanol is the end result, which is mixed with Premium
\ngasoline to make gasohol.
\n The center has produced fuel grade ethanol, the level of which
\nis 96 percent. "We have been able to produce some 500 liters of
\nethanol a day, or 150,000 liters a year," said Arif, adding that
\nthe center was striving to produce ethanol with a 99 percent
\nlevel. The center hopes to be producing 200,000 liters of ethanol
\nper year by 2010.<\/p>\n
If our experiment is successful, gasohol could enter the
\nmarket in 2010, said Lampung BPPT chief Agus Tjahjono.<\/p>\n
"If gasohol gains popularity, farmers will also benefit from
\nit as demand for cassava will grow," said Agus.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/making-ethanol-from-cassava-is-easy-lampung-bppt-researcher-says-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}