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RD20 Blog: A Journey in Decarbonisation and the Just Energy Transition
3 weeks ago
By Abayomi Adeniyi
The RD20 Summer School in South Tangerang, Indonesia, held between the 7-13 July 2024, proved to be an immersive and enriching experience for all involved. Centred around the theme “Diversity of Knowledge on Decarbonisation in Just Energy Transition Mechanism,” the event brought together bright minds and experts to delve into the complexities of a sustainable future. The RD20 Summer School successfully fostered a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing and innovation. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, the event served as a catalyst for advancing decarbonisation efforts and promoting a just energy transition in Indonesia and beyond.
As a 2nd Year PhD student in the School of Engineering, University of Warwick, United Kingdom that was among the four representatives of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) at the event, my team was awarded the Overall Best Project Collaboration Group in the RD20 Summer School 2024 for Clean Energy Technology. Below I will outline our presentations.
Abayomi’s poster presentation
Our planet faces a dual threat: mounting waste and shrinking access to clean water. Pharmaceutical contamination poses a growing risk to our precious water resources. But what if we could tackle both problems with a single, innovative solution? Exciting new research is doing just that, transforming discarded sawdust into a powerful tool for removing these harmful contaminants from our water.
The magic starts with a process called pyrolysis. Imagine placing sawdust in a high-temperature oven with very little oxygen. Instead of burning, the sawdust undergoes a transformation, becoming biochar – a stable, porous material with a remarkable ability to capture impurities. This process alone offers a trifecta of environmental benefits: reducing waste, locking away carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change, and providing a sustainable alternative to traditional waste disposal.
The innovation doesn’t stop there. Researchers have supercharged biochar’s purification power by adding a special ingredient: beta-cyclodextrin. Picture these molecules as tiny cages, specifically designed to trap and remove pharmaceutical contaminants from water. This “lock and key” approach ensures that even low concentrations of these contaminants are efficiently removed, resulting in cleaner, safer water.
Experiments using a combination of sawdust-activated carbon and beta-cyclodextrin-modified activated carbon have demonstrated a remarkable 95% removal rate of target contaminants within just 90 minutes!
This research offers a beacon of hope for a more sustainable, energy efficient future. By embracing the circular economy – transforming waste into a valuable resource – we can address two critical environmental challenges simultaneously. This innovative use of sawdust not only promises cleaner water but also paves the way for a healthier planet for generations to come.
The Green Hydrogen Power Plant in Nusantara
Jakarta’s Green Hydrogen Nusantara Power Plant signifies Indonesia’s commitment to a sustainable future. This innovative plant generates green hydrogen, powering zero-emission vehicles and generators. The initiative represents a complete energy transformation, creating a sustainable ecosystem and demonstrating the feasibility of a greener future.
Our group presented their findings and recommendations on addressing the critical challenges and opportunities in circular bioresource management and waste management practices in Indonesia.
Our research revealed that Indonesia faced significant challenges in circular bioresource management, including:
Despite these challenges, we identified significant opportunities for improvement:
To capitalise on these opportunities, we put forth the following recommendations:
Our presentation highlighted the urgent need for a revamped approach to bioresource and waste management in Indonesia. We argued that by implementing their recommendations, the country could pave the way for a more sustainable future, mitigating environmental damage and unlocking economic opportunities.