PT PLN (PERSERO) HEAD UNIT FOR THE BANGKA BELITUNG REGION IN COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI PLN

Institut Teknologi PLN as one of the Modern, Independent, Competitive, and Superior campus always supports the Government in implementing Waste to Energy (WTE) program in Indonesia. WTE that is done here is the utilization of waste into alternative fuels through the process of converting it into energy that can be used daily.

PT PLN (Persero) the Parent Unit for the Bangka Belitung Region through the Bangka Belitung Generation Executor Unit, in collaboration with Institut Teknologi PLN to implement Waste to Energy in Pulau Tinggi Tobali, Bangka Belitung. The ITPLN team together with the Bangka Belitung Generation Implementing Unit Team conducted studies and discussions related to supporting data in Pulau Tinggi regarding waste and its processing, regarding the feasibility analysis of the waste power plant to be implemented, technical and economic analysis calculations, and studies social, regulatory studies and the use of technology that will be used.

Vendy Antono, Lecturer from Institut Teknologi PLN stated that after conducting a study, technically this Waste Power Plant was feasible to implement, by taking 384 kg of waste pellets from the Jungjung Besaoh TPA in Toboali per day. The waste pellets that have been transported to Pulau Tinggi are then put into a gasifier which can convert 16 kg of waste pellets into 37 m3 of syngas in 1 hour. This gas output will then be converted into electrical energy using a diesel generator set (genset) with a capacity of 16 kW. Gasifier and generator specifications allow both to operate 24 hours a day.

Economically, it is known that the use of waste energy as a source of electrical energy is still cheaper than the existing diesel power plant. The price of B20 in Pulau Tinggi which is currently used for fuel for the existing PLTD is Rp 8,378.52/liter. If in 1 day using 58 liters, so the cost is Rp. 14,578,624, -/month for electricity which is only available at night (11 hours). From the calculation, it is known that by implementing a waste power plant, the required cost is Rp. 18,879,968.00 per month for electricity that is on for 24 hours. In addition, from the calculation of the Basic Cost of Supply (BPP) electricity, it is known that the BPP for electrical energy from waste is Rp. 817.27/kWh, still cheaper than the basic electricity tariff of Rp. 1,467.28, said Ginas Alvianingsih, a lecturer at the Faculty of Electricity and Renewable Energy ITPLN, who together with the team, implemented it in the field.

In addition to the above, according to R. Sapto Yuwono, Manager of the ITPLN Applied Academy (LT), who is the coordinator of this activity, said that there are several obstacles in the field, namely the challenge of getting waste pellets and public awareness of the need to process waste is needed. According to Sapto, there must be collaboration with the local government to create a joint program in waste management. Government agencies have a big role in urging the public to create a waste bank program, sort waste, and sell waste, with the collection (and handling) policy determined at the Regency level (South Bangka) to achieve the daily target of 384 kg of waste pellets, he concluded.

The regulatory factor becomes very important, by studying the regulations related to the use of natural gas as a power plant on a household scale. These regulations include Laws, Government Regulations, Presidential Regulations, Ministerial Regulations, Ministerial Decrees, and PLN Directors’ Decrees and it is stated that this waste power plant is feasible to implement.

After making sufficient preparations, the ITPLN team and PLN UPP Babel carried out a trial process on Saturday, July 18, 2020. “Thank God, finally the trial went well and smoothly, and a commissioning test will soon be carried out in the next few days”, said Abdul Mukhlis, GM PT PLN (Persero) the Parent Unit for the Bangka Belitung Region who witnessed the trial. Mukhlis hopes that this success can be implemented in the surrounding islands, which currently still use diesel fuel to supply electricity to the residents.