PT Perkebunan Nusantara V (PTPN V), a subsidiary of Holding PTPN III, has embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration with the Japanese technology company Aiken Kakoki. Together, they are set to construct a cutting-edge biogas power plant known as PTBg co-firing in the Riau Province of Indonesia.

This innovative partnership has been facilitated by a team of researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), who have chosen PTPN V as the ideal location for pioneering the latest advancements in PTBg development.

Jatmiko Santosa, The CEO of PTPN V, expressed his enthusiasm, stating that the construction of the PTBg cofiring plant is already underway in the Sei Garo palm oil mill area, situated in Kampar, Riau. This initiative represents a significant step towards harnessing renewable energy through the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME).

"We have already signed a joint agreement with Aiken from Japan, and, God willing, construction will commence later this year," remarked Jatmiko, October 3, 2023.

The PTBg plant will boast a minimum POME processing capacity of 150 cubic meters per day and will coincide with a two-year research initiative conducted by Aiken.

"This presents us with a unique opportunity to actively participate in the development of renewable energy using the Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB) technology. We have received information that the application of this technology is a world-first," Jatmiko added.

EGSB is a cutting-edge technology employed for POME treatment, utilizing anaerobic granular bacteria within EGS reactors. Beyond harnessing methane gas released from waste as an energy source, this process also generates dehydrated sludge as a byproduct of POME treatment.

"The byproduct is claimed to possess a calorific value of up to 5,110 calories, surpassing the average calorific value of coal, which typically ranges between 3,600 to 4,200 calories," highlighted Ifri Handi Lubis, Head of the Sustainability and Information Technology Planning Section at PTPN V.

Ifri expressed optimism that this collaboration between Indonesia and Japan will proceed seamlessly, further advancing the spirit of renewable energy utilization within the Holding Perkebunan Nusantara group in the days to come.