jfid – Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto proposed seaweed as a substitute for fuel and fertilizer.
According to him, seaweed has an extraordinary potential as a source of energy and raw material for industry that is environmentally friendly and cheap.
What does the Dutch expert say about this proposal?
Prabowo revealed his proposal in the event “Dialog Capres Bersama KADIN: Towards Golden Indonesia 2045”, which was held by one of the television stations, Friday (12/1/2024). At that time, he was asked about the development of commodities.
“Export (which is developed) yes, my answer earlier, everything. Seaweed can be used as a substitute for fertilizer, seaweed can be made into fuel. Seaweed is amazing, the industry is also not expensive,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo’s proposal is not without basis. An institution in the US that funds projects to help create a bioenergy industry based on macroalgae or seaweed said.
one day, the Pacific Ocean could be home to kilometers of seaweed farms managed by submarine drones and waiting to be turned into fuel².
This is the vision of Marine BioEnergy, a startup company supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E).
The US government agency funds the company, along with several related projects, because it sees the open sea as a resource that is largely untapped for renewable bioenergy.
About 5 percent of the total US energy use currently comes from biomass such as corn and wood, which are renewable and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis as they grow.
Many experts estimate that this percentage will continue to increase, especially because of the flexibility of bioenergy.
For example, the company can supply fuel for aviation and other forms of transportation that are difficult to electrify.
To achieve large-scale decarbonization of the US economy, many analyses show that bioenergy requires 20 to 25 percent of the country’s energy sources, said Marc von Keitz, program director at ARPA-E.
The current bioenergy options in the US are dominated by corn-based ethanol. But its production uses a lot of land, fertilizer, and clean water, causing other pollution problems and limiting scarce resources.
“How do we meet the bioenergy goals without sacrificing the needs of the population and increasing food production?” von Keitz said. This is where seaweed can play a role.
Seaweed does not require these resources and can take advantage of the huge potential of the open sea. “The ocean is a space that we rarely use for farming,” von Keitz said.
After harvesting, seaweed, also known as macroalgae, can potentially be converted into various forms of energy, such as biogas and ethanol, through various chemical processes.
A similar opinion was also expressed by the Scientific Director of Engineering and Technology, Groningen Institute of the Netherlands, Prof Dr Ir Hero Jan Heeres (HJ) Heeres.
He once discussed the potential of seaweed as biomass in a bioengineering science sharing session event at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in November 2023.
Heeres explained an interesting perspective on the potential of biomass, especially red seaweed (Eucheuma Cottonii), as a reliable resource for producing bio-based chemicals.
According to him, red seaweed has a high carbohydrate content, about 60-70 percent, which can be converted into simple sugars through hydrolysis.
These simple sugars can then be fermented into ethanol or lactic acid, which can be used as fuel or raw material for biodegradable plastics.
Heeres also said that Indonesia has great potential to develop the seaweed industry, because it has a long coastline and a suitable climate.
He suggested that the government and business actors can work together to improve the quality and quantity of seaweed production, as well as develop efficient and environmentally friendly conversion technology.
However, Prabowo’s proposal and the expert’s opinion are not without challenges and impacts. One of the main challenges is how to develop a seaweed cultivation system that can adapt to the conditions of the open sea.
such as currents, waves, and weather. In addition, the ecological impact of large-scale seaweed planting on the marine ecosystem, such as biota, nutrients, and carbon, needs to be considered.
Therefore, further research and development are needed to explore the potential of seaweed as a source of bioenergy and industrial raw material, as well as to minimize the risks and negative impacts.
Prabowo and the Dutch expert agree that seaweed has a promising prospect, but can it be the best solution for Indonesia?
