JAKARTA – A team of Airlangga University’s (UNAIR) Public Health Faculty students have initiated the development of alternative biodiesel for fishermen through the program of students’ creativity (PKM) 2021. Due to their achievement, they managed to win financing for the production of the alternative biodiesel.
The team members are Wulan Syarani Asdam, Muhammad Bahtiar Afandi, Indah Ayu Afsari, Sarda Ika Devi, and A’yun Zul Silmi.
The team leader Wulan Syarani Asdam said that the innovation was driven by their intention to help solve the problem of high consumption of oil while its supply is limited that has caused the surging prices of oil. The high oil prices have affected fishermen who rely on diesel fuel to undertake their fishing activities.
“Considering the fact, we’re seeking an innovation to replace the fossil fuel with renewable energy sources. The renewable energy sources can be developed from many sources, including from the used cooking oil (UCO) that is produced from crude palm oil (CPO),” she was quoted by unair.ac.id as saying on Monday, 17 May 2021.
She noted that the used cooking oil is a household waste that can be easily collected. The UCO waste is potential to cause environmental pollution if it is not treated based on requirements.
“We want to produce the alternative biodiesel by empowering housewives in Pantai Ujung Muncar (East Java) so that they are able to utilize the household waste to produce the alternative biodiesel. Then the local fishermen can use the alternative biodiesel which is cheaper and environmentally friendly,” she said.
Indah Ayu Afsari, a member of the UNAIR team, said that they wanted to promote the use of the alternative biodiesel among the local fishermen in Pantai Ujung Muncar. Besides cheaper, the use of the UCO will reduce the potential pollution to the environment.
“Utilizing the UCO will bring many positive impats, which include producing alternative biodiesel, protecting the environment and empowering the local people, especially the housewives and fishermen,” she said. (*)
Source: sindonews.com
