INTRODUCING AFFORDABLE AND ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY, P3HH HELD INTEGRATED CHARCOAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AT SIMALUNGUN Indonesia | 24/10/2019

Forest Product Research and Development Center (P3HH) held the event of integrated charcoal technology transfer at Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra. Located at Library of AekNauli Forest and Environment Research & Development Agency, the event presented two keynote speakers from P3HH, Dra. Gusmailina, M.Si and Dra. Sri Komarayati, also attending the event are Head of Simalungun Agriculture Office, KKPH Wil.II Simalungun, local security forces, Farmers Group, administrator of DKM Al Munawaroh Mosque, researchers and technicians from Aeknauli R&D center, Edwar Technology Lab, Tangerang, Biomaterial LIPI Cibinong, and local community at Aeknauli.

Integrated charcoal Sci-tech package consists of 3 technology which are, charcoal production, liquid smoke/wood vinegar production, and bioactive compost (arkoba) production technology. Device to be used in this technology is integrated charcoal furnace, an innovation from P3HH researcher.

In his remarks, Director of P3HH, Dr. Dwi Sudharto stated that to make an integrated charcoal furnace does not require expensive costs. "using drum container and bamboo it will cost 500 thousand (rupiahs)," Dwi said.

Apart from used-drum container and bamboo, integrated charcoal furnace can also be made of stainless steel. Furnace made of stainless steel are more durable when compared to one made of drum container and bamboo, but it will cost higher.

Dwi further explained that the products of integrated charcoal sci-tech packages can be applied in various fields of life. Charcoal can be used to produce cheap bioenergy. Charcoal can be further processed into activated charcoal. Liquid smoke, is a byproduct of charcoal making process, in which the residual combustion fumes are reused through the pyrolysis process into a liquid using a condenser, so that the product produces concentrated liquids that still contain various elements that are useful, namely as plant fertilizers (organic fertilizers), plant pest repellents (biopesticides), organic food preservatives, livestock odor repellents, rubber latex agglomeration process, and other uses.  

In medic, liquid smoke can be used for the treatment of toothaches, stomachaches and injuries. "Wounds in cancer and diabetes cases will dry quickly when smeared with liquid smoke," Dwi explained.

The last product of integrated charcoal technology is bioactive compost charcoal(arkoba). Arkoba is a mixture of charcoal and compost produced from composting process with the help of lignocellulolytic microbes that remain alive and survive in compost. These microbes have the ability of biological agents as biofungicides to protect plants from rot diseases hence they are bioactive. Arkoba functions as an organic fertilizer (biofertilizer).

 The Regent of Simalungun Regency, represented by the Head of the Simalungun Regency Agriculture Office, Ruslan Sitepu appreciated and thanked all P3HH staff for the integrated charcoal science and technology transfer program for the community in Simalungun Regency. "I hope the community can apply the technology on their farmlands," he stated.On the occasion also the Director of P3HH handed over 1 unit of integrated charcoal furnace to DKM Al-Munawaroh Aeknauli. At the end of the event, the community was invited to do on-the-spot practices of making charcoal, liquid smoke and bioactive compost charcoal.