Perancangan Pabrik Biohidrogen Dari Palm Oil Mill Effluent (Pome) Menggunakan Metode Fermentasi Gelap Dengan Kapasitas 1200 Ton/Tahun

Abstract

The demand for hydrogen as a clean energy source continues to increase along with the development of energy transition and decarbonization efforts in various countries. Indonesia has significant potential for biohydrogen production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), a liquid waste generated by the palm oil industry that is abundantly available, particularly in East Kalimantan. A preliminary design of a biohydrogen plant with a capacity of 1,200 tons per year is proposed using POME as the main feedstock. The production process consists of pretreatment stages, including filtration, hydrolysis using 10% NaOH solution, dilution, neutralization, and nutrient addition, followed by fermentation using Clostridium butyricum. The biohydrogen and carbon dioxide are then separated through absorption using MDEA, while biohydrogen is further purified using pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Acetic acid as a by-product is purified through evaporation and multistage distillation. The plant is planned to be located in Bontang, East Kalimantan, due to its proximity to the feedstock source, as well as the availability of utilities and transportation infrastructure. The economic analysis indicates that the plant is economically feasible, with an after-tax Rate of Return (ROR) of 30.78%, an after-tax Pay Out Time (POT) of 2.55 years, and a BreakEven Point (BEP) of 34.88%. The establishment of this plant is expected to increase the added value of Palm Oil Mill Effluent, produce environmentally friendly renewable energy, and support the development of the green hydrogen industry in Indonesia.