JAKARTA – The oil palm empty fruit bunches (PEFB)—often viewed merely as plantation waste—hold immense potential as a raw material for future technologies. This potential was demonstrated by IONEX Team from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at the University of Sumatra Utara (USU), who secured 3rd Place nationally and the “Best Poster” award in the Bioenergy category at the 2026 Palm Oil Research Week (Pekan Riset Sawit — PERISAI).
The achievement is particularly impressive given the intense competition among the research participants of PERISAI 2026, which was organized by the Plantation Fund Management Board (BPDP) in Jakarta on 20–21 July 2026. Out of 1,433 research proposals submitted by universities across Indonesia, only 40 were selected for funding. The IONEX team successfully advanced to the top 10 national finalists before ultimately claiming 3rd Place.
Team IONEX was led by Desti Damai Hati Gea (a 2023 undergraduate Chemistry student), with team members Fairutzh Divhany Akbar, Khalya Rosida Amri, and Tio Roito Siregar. Their research was supervised by Dr. Ir. Zikri Noer, S.Si., M.Si., a lecturer in the Physics Department at FMIPA USU.
For the competition, the team presented a research titled “Synthesis of GQD Based on Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches as Lithium-ion Battery Anodes to Enhance Electrochemical Performance.” The study focused on converting oil palm EFB waste into Graphene Quantum Dots (GQD) for use as anode material in lithium-ion batteries.
This innovation not only offers opportunities to improve battery performance but also adds value to oil palm industrial waste that has been underutilized so far. The approach is considered capable of supporting renewable energy development while simultaneously driving the downstream processing of palm-based products through the application of materials technology.
For this innovation, IONEX Team also won the Best Poster Award in the Bioenergy category—an honor presented to the work that demonstrated the best presentation, as it features elements of novelty, and offers a tangible contribution to the development of sustainable energy based on local resources.
The IONEX team leader Desti Damai Hati Gea stated that the award was the culmination of a long process involving research, the preparation of the scientific paper, and the final presentation before the panel of judges.
“We are grateful for this achievement. We hope our research findings will benefit the development of energy technology in Indonesia and serve as motivation for other students to continue innovating through research,” she said.
Meanwhile, the team’s supervising lecturer, Dr. Ir. Zikri Noer, S.Si., M.Si., commended the students’ spirit and dedication in successfully competing against hundreds of participants from various universities across Indonesia.
He noted that this success demonstrates the significant potential of innovations based on national strategic commodities—such as palm oil—to yield technological solutions relevant to future needs. He hopes the achievement will spur further high-quality research from FMIPA USU that benefits society, industry, and national energy development.
The IONEX team’s success also reinforces FMIPA USU’s commitment to fostering a robust research culture, encouraging interdisciplinary innovation, and producing scientific work capable of addressing challenges in the fields of energy, the environment, and the downstream processing of Indonesian palm oil. (*)
Sawitindonesia.com. Sulap Limbah Sawit Jadi Material Baterai Lithium-ion, Mahasiswa USU Raih Juara Nasional di PERISAI 2026. https://sawitindonesia.com/sulap-limbah-sawit-jadi-material-baterai-lithium-ion-mahasiswa-usu-raih-juara-nasional-di-perisai-2026/. 23 Juli 2026
