SUGEESTED CONSERVATION OF LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCES

TOWARDS
“SELF SUFFICIENT ENERGY” VILLAGE IN BLUMAH, KENDAL

Lianah Kuswanto 1*, Suwahono 2**

1 Doctorate Programme of Environmental Studies, Diponegoro University, Semarang,

Indonesia
2 IAIN (Islamic State Institute) Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia

* e-mail: antoriza2007@yahoo.com
** e-mail: lianahkuswanto@yahoo.co.id

Abstract

Although having more than 10 billion barrels of oil reserve and 170 trillion cubic
feet gas, Indonesia by now is a net oil importer, due to high demand of energy, the
increases are in line with the increases of economic development. The need of self
sustain non-fossil fuel energy alternative in the country is vital. This study will reveal one
of the self sustain (case study) village, of which its energy resources is not rely on fossil
fuel, therefore reduce its dependency on fossil fuel as well as reduced GHG potential
emission.
Blumah village is a village endowed with rich natural resources that could easily
be developed from renewable resources such as biomass, biogas, biodiesel and solar
energy. Blumah village is one of the villages in Indonesia which will be developed as
“self sufficient energy” village. The village generates 60% of renewable energy
(electricity and fuels), utilizing local resources potential.
The purpose of developing “self sustaining village” based on conservation
principles is not just for the sake of conserving energy but also for poverty alleviation as
well. All of those potential would have greater values if supported by the government and
community participation, in order to achieve “self sufficient energy” village.
Bearing in mind that Indonesia is still suffering from energy crisis, the actualization of
self sustaining energy village will set an example to be developed further.

Keywords: renewable energy, village, self sufficient energy

1 . INTRODUCTION
World oil crisis occurred because crude oil is a fossil fuel that does not renewable.
Man must think hard to find alternative of fossil fuel. Considering these conditions, the
government has issued Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No. 5 of
2006 on National Energy Policy to develop alternative energy sources as a substitute fuel.
Even though the policy stresses the usage of coal and gas as a fuel substitute, they also set
the resources as renewable biofuels as an alternative fuel. In addition the government has
also given serious attention to the development of biofuels by issuing Presidential
Instruction No. 1 of 2006 dated January 25, 2006 on the Provision and Use of Bio Fuels

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(Biofuels) as other fuels. Therefore, exploration and exploitation of alternative sources
now become a necessity. Currently, through the ministries of Energy and Mineral
Resources (ESDM), the government's socialized vigorously the usage of biofuels for
energy saving and conserving natural resources. Furthermore the government issued a
law on energy policy which is known as Indonesian Act No. 37/2007 on national energy
policy. The national energy policy is an energy management policy based on the principle
of equitable, sustainable and environmentally sound to create self sufficient energy and
national resilience.
In addition, the government continued to intensively develop the Village Self Sufficient
Energy (DME), the village that people have the ability to provide more than 60% of its
energy needs (electricity and fuel) of renewable energy generated through the utilization
of local resources potential (Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of Indonesia ).
Renewable energy (Renewable Resources) together with biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel,
and vegetable briquettes), geothermal energy, solar power, wind power, microhydro
energy, and biomass.
Renewable energy in the DME can be developed with one or more renewable energy
(combination) to meet the target of 60% of rural energy needs is concerned.
In Indonesia there are currently 100 Village Self Sufficient of non-biofuels plant in 81
regencies. 40 Self sufficient energy village using biofuels and all are under supervision of
the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of
Manpower and Transmigration, Ministry of State Owned Enterprises and the Ministry of
Marine Affairs.
The objective of developing DME is particularly for poverty reduction and opens up job
opportunity.

2.1 CONDITION OF THE STUDY AREA

The Blumah village is one of 14 villages in the sub district of Plantungan Kendal, Central
Java Province. Where have the boundaries of the following areas; the western side
adjacent to the existence of Batang regency Lampir river, east of the village Kediten,
north of Tlogo Payung, and to the south by Mount Prahu.
The village of Blumah is the remote village in Kendal district, but the area has a strategic
location on the Prahu mountain region. It is located between Kendal and Batang regency.
Blumah has 8 RT 3 RW and two hamlets (Blumah and Jiwan). Topographically Blumah
has the mountainous natural condition with some forest areas (Perhutani), plantation and
agriculture. Blumah Village has a temperature of ± 22 º C. Total population of 1295
inhabitants in the area of 312.250 hectares, where 150 acres managed by the local people,
but owned by Perhutani. The education of local people can be seen here: primary school
720 people, junior high school: 92 people, high school: 11 people, and University: 3
people.

2.2 TOWARDS “Self Sufficient Energy Village” in BLUMAH

Steps Towards Development of Blumah Self Sufficient Energy Village are :

a) analysis of potential energy sources for electricity that comes from PLTMH, bio
Gass, bio-ethanol and the like

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 b) geological conditions (morphology, litology, structural geology, stratigraphy)
c) the procedure for land use
d) the condition of the study area
e) design and technical development
f) socio-economic analysis, including analysis of domestic industry

2.3 VARIOUS ENERGY SOURCES IN BLUMAH

Blumah village has many natural resources such as renewable micro-hydro power,
biomass, and biofuels (cassava, corn, etc.). So it is fair to the village became a priority
area of Self Sufficient Energy Village (DME). Preliminary study of this village will be
the DME, to be proposed to the government, although this village is already getting the
electricity from PLN District Kendal, there is some potential energy that can be utilized
for such rural appropriate technology to pound rice, corn, coffee, chips cassava for
chopping or cooking and room heating, consider that Blumah has a cold temperature.
There is also some possibility that electrical energy can be utilized for the purpose of
ecotourism location in Blumah. The local natural resources of Blumah village can be seen
in table 1.
Table 1. Local Natural Resources of Blumah

No. Kinds of Benefits Capacity

Resources
1 Water fall Electric PLTMH 8 falls
2 Lifestock waste BIOGAS 200 cows
3 Organic waste BIOMASS 2 kw/day
4 Cassava BIOETANOL 900 tons/year
(source: village of Blumah, 2008)

From the above data shows that the village of Blumah is eligible for Self Sufficient
Energy Village of potential local resources with a capacity of more than one kind of
energy source that can be combined with one another for the sake of Blumah residents.

2.4 Renewable Energy Resources in Blumah

Environmental problems have a solution which actually comes from the
environment, such as greenhouse gases and energy crisis can be answered by biomass,
biogas, and micro hydro plant. Greenhouse gases caused by fossil fuels, its presence will
prevent heat leaving the earth that will raise the temperature of the earth, if this happens
there will be climate change which will affect the quality of life in our environment.
Caused by CO2 addition, the following gases has contributed to global warming, methane
(CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Actual biomass combustion produces CO2, but the
resulting carbon dioxide would be stabilized with reabsorbed by plants, so there is no
accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and being kept in balance.

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a. Biomass
Biomass is processing of organic raw materials to be converted into energy.
Biomass can then be burned directly or converted into solid material, liquid or gas to
produce heat and electricity. All the organic things are Biomass. And all the energy
produced from the burned or converted into fuel is called biomass energy. Biomass offers
a clean, renewable fuel that can be emitted from crude oil. Unlike crude oil combustion
releases carbon dioxide is used the process of photosynthesis millions of years ago,
increasing environmental, economic, and energy security. Biomass produce less carbon
dioxide released by biomass and it is more stable and minimize the greenhouse effect.
Biomass-making process is through the process of changing anaerobic solid or liquid
biomass to a gas without oxygen. The result is dominated methane and CO2.

b. Biogas

It is a process of bio-gas production from organic materials with the help of bacteria. The
process of degradation of organic materials without involving oxygen. Gases produced
most (more than 50%) of methane. Organic material accumulated in the digester (reactor)
will be broken down into two stages with the help of two types of bacteria. The first
organic material will be degraded to a weak acid with the aid of acid-forming bacteria.
These bacteria will describe the level of waste and acidification hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of
complex compounds decomposition or long chain compounds such as fats, proteins,
carbohydrates into simple compounds, while the formation of acid acidification of simple
compounds. So the second stage, the formation of methane gas (CH4) with the help of
methane-forming bacteria such as methancocus, metahnosarcina, and methano bacterium.

The composition of biogas is itself gas methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and
some small amount of content that include hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3) and
hydrogen (H2), nitrogen contents are very small. So in tabular form are as follows.
The amount of energy, calorific value of 1 cubic meter biogas approximately a
6000-watt-hour is equivalent to half a liter of Diesel oil. Therefore, the biogas is suitable
as an alternative fuel is environmentally friendly substitute for kerosene, LPG, butane,
coal, and other materials derived from fossils.
Biogas benefits:
1) Suitable for rural areas.
2) Can be implemented through integrated farming systems.
3) A simple and appropriate technology to village condition.
4) Economic benefit.
5) Use farm waste, thus reducing pollution.
6) Mud (sludge) of biogas processing residue can be used as organic fertilizer that is
ready to use.
Biogas weaknesses:
1) Gas is not utilized will add GHG in the atmosphere
2) Installation of biogas is relatively expensive for the size of rural communities
(need 7 to 15 million/unit)
3) Only used for culinary purposes in RT and small industries
4) Need technology that can convert biogas into electricity

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c. Micro Hydro

Micro Hydro is a technology that can generate micro-scale power with the
potential of water falls. Location in the river or the application of irrigation channels that
have fall of 3 to 5 m, as the driving force or a pivot player turbine. The benefit of Micro
Hydro itself is an alternative energy, it worked by pumping water to a higher location, to
be distributed by gravity to where it is needed. Micro Hydro used to generate electricity
which is used to meet the electricity needs of the population who have not served by PLN
electricity network. For examples in many other districts in Indonesia such as in
Banyumas, Lampung, Papua, Sumedang and Garut.
The benefits of Micro Hydro;
1) Safe, because the pump does not run by electricity.
2) The operation and maintenance costs are low and water is a renewable energy
source.
3) High efficiency.
4) The application is easy and environmentally friendly.

Micro Hydro is a civilian building / construction of water to support the building needed
to control the flow of water in order to obtain high-Effective (H) and Debit (Q) needed to
run the turbines. The building includes tapping the building, the door water, filter waste,
the bearer channel, power house, or release downstream channel, and sink basin results.
If water turbine drive comes from the river, we need additional levee construction, intake,
and overspill building. An example is Curug Semawur, located on the second level to the
height of 46 m swift 29.4 m / sec. Can be developed to be a Power Micro Hydro
(PLTMH) and can be calculated using the electrical energy following formula.

d. Bioethanol.
Bioethanol is an alternative fuel that is now beginning to be used in the developed and
advanced countries. Bioethanol itself is derived from fermentation of food. Many
materials can be used as biogas. Food containing high carbohydrate, like a lot of sweet
potatoes are in Indonesia, will produce bioethanol.
Cassava processed into bioethanol, used as a substitute of fuel, according to Dr Ir H
Soerawidjaja Tatang, Chemical Engineering Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), one
source of cassava starch. Complex carbohydrates starch compounds. Before differentiate
starch converted into glucose, the simplest carbohydrates. To extract the starch, need the
help of fungi Aspergillus sp. Fungi that produce enzymes that alfamilase and play
glikoamilase break down starch into simple sugars glucose or ordinary sugar.

2.5 SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) Analysis

a. Strength: many variant local resources, people support.

b. Weakness: limited modal, minimum science technology
c. Opportunity: one off village in Kendal district can use to self sufficient energy, can be
use for home industry (rice mille, cutting cassava, room heater, electrical source at
ecotourism, cooking, sewing, etc.)

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d. Threat: commercial threat naturally resources village, people don’t like to conservation
local resources. Partnership performance and development resources Resource
conservation can be seen in the scheme below image.

The Institutional of Development Model of “Self Sufficient Energy Village in Blumah

Mining Dept (ESDM). Youngster Org, NGO

Economic Dept.
Community
Women Org
Public Works
Environmental Dept
Cooperation, Village
Local Revenue Dept Economic Org.
Police Dept
Transportation Dept
Local Goverment
District

DME
Local&National
Private Sector

Government Private S

3. CONCLUSION

Conclusions can be drawn from this paper as follows:

1. Local Natural Resources that can produce energy in the village Blumah: of electrical
energy generated from: Micro hydro power, Biogas, Bioethanol and Biomass.
2. The steps toward “Self Sufficient Energy Village” in Blumah
3. Partnership involving all stakeholders or stakeholder sit together to manage potential
sources of Natural Resources conservation principle of sustainable development

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