Balikpapan, 19 September 2024 – The innovation team from the Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the 1st Runner-Up position in the prestigious PF Sains competition under the Ideation category, organized by Pertamina Foundation. ITK’s proposal, titled "Innovation in the Development of a Prototype Battery from Palm Oil Empty Fruit Bunch (TKKS) Waste," outperformed hundreds of other proposals and emerged as one of the top entries, earning the 1st Runner-Up spot.

The PF Sains competition is an annual program hosted by Pertamina Foundation to encourage innovation in renewable energy and technology. Dr. Eng. Yunita Triana, M.Si., the team leader, was motivated to participate in this event due to the drive to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions from the abundant palm oil industry waste in East Kalimantan. This initiative also represents a tangible contribution from the ITK Electrochemistry Research Group, led by Dr. Eng. Yunita Triana, M.Si., which focuses on developing sensors and batteries. The selection process for this position was highly stringent and competitive. ITK’s journey began with the proposal drafting stage, which successfully advanced from thousands of participants to the final round. The selection process involved three stages: proposal substance evaluation, the first stage of interviews including presentations, and the final presentation stage.

The proposal submitted by Dr. Eng. Yunita Triana and her team not only concentrates on technology development but also on its implementation in the community. The innovation aims to utilize TKKS waste as the primary raw material for creating more efficient and environmentally friendly batteries. On the other hand, the assembly of TKKS batteries is simple and straightforward but currently produces a voltage of 0.9 V, with ongoing research aimed at achieving a commercial battery target of 1.5 V. This project uses raw materials from North Balikpapan, specifically in the KM 35 area, where large quantities of TKKS waste are generated from palm oil plantations. Additionally, the anticipated outcomes of this research include workshops on battery production for the community, copyrights, and simple battery prototypes.

This success is a result of the hard work and collaboration of a multidisciplinary team at ITK. Team members, including Riza Hadi Saputra, S.T., M.T. (Electrical Engineering lecturer), and students from the Material and Metallurgical Engineering Program—Winardi Dian Wahyu Pratama, Irfan Riadin, and Yurischa Deify Utami—played crucial roles in the research proposal preparation and battery prototype development. The full support from the Institut Teknologi Kalimantan was also a key factor in achieving this milestone. With this achievement, the ITK team hopes that their innovation will continue to develop and make a significant contribution to renewable energy efforts in Indonesia. They also plan to extend this research to be implemented broadly in areas with similar biomass potential.