BRIN Assists Community Groups in Processing Waste into Alternative Fuel

The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is continuing its efforts to ensure that alternative fuel produced from processed plastic waste can be legally commercialised. BRIN is providing assistance to Community Self-Help Groups (KSM) involved in processing waste into alternative fuel in Yogyakarta.

BRIN, in collaboration with Pertamina, is supporting these community groups in Yogyakarta. Currently, BRIN, alongside the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), is conducting studies to determine whether alternative fuel derived from waste can be sold legally.

The Head of the Energy and Manufacturing Research Organisation at BRIN, Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar, stated that BRIN has tested several fuel results from processed plastic waste to improve their quality in accordance with standard parameters.

“This is what we are currently discussing: the schemes for whether Pertamina will collect the crude oil or if we will process it so that the quality meets Indonesian fuel standards. This waste varies, and with the same processing method, the output quality will naturally differ. We are currently engaged in discussions with the Ministry of ESDM and Pertamina regarding the absorption of products derived from plastic-to-oil conversion,” said Prof. Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar.

For the community groups that have already been selling these alternative fuel products, Cuk Supriyadi emphasised that the sales are not yet conducted on a commercial basis, but rather based on agreements between producers and consumers with the quality provided ‘as is’.