REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) Yogyakarta recycles fruit bunches of palm oil as raw material alternatives for fossil fuel energy. 

"We can use Integrated Authothermal Technology (IAT) to turn palm oil dregs into gasoline and kerosene as liquid material for premium, kerosene and aviation fuel," UGM researcher, Arief Budiman said recently.

Around 30 to 40 percent of palm oil that will be produced as crude palm oil (CPO) comes from fruit bunches, midrib and palm trunks. Budiman explained that Riau produced six million tonnes CPO and 1.8 to 2.4 million of it was waste material. The waste material contains biomass, such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and we use them as fuel.

The lecturer of Chemical Engineering Department explained that he and his colleague had developed autothermal technology which did not need external heat source. The project needs some equipment including a pyrolysis reactor, cyclone to separate liquid and solid gas and condenser.