Hay Production Urgency

In countries with four seasons, in winter, plants grow very slowly and even stop growing, so hay is used as a feed supplement, while in Indonesia in the dry season, grass is also limited forage, so to maintain livestock performance, additional feed such as hay should be used. By making hay, animal feed becomes durable so that it can be used as a source of feed when supply is reduced. Dry and compacted conditions make hay easy to store and use. In breeding-oriented farms, the quality of feed is usually not as good as in fattening-oriented farms. Breeding duration is longer than fattening is one of these considerations, because feed is the highest cost component in livestock business.

Due to various factors such as geography and labor conditions, a number of countries even have to import animal feed, especially the hay. The United States, for example, exports no less than 700,000 tons of hay annually to Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Leaves of leguminoceae such as indigofera, calliandra and gliricidia are potential sources of ruminant feed for the production of hay. Besides being planted specifically for the production of hay, these legumes can also be used as energy plantation or biomass plantation. The integration of energy plantation or biomass plantation with livestock businesses, especially the production of animal feed in the form of hay product, is a very interesting combination.

In addition to the export market, the domestic or local market is no less interesting. Areas with large areas of land can be used as centers for hay production, which is then distributed to a number of ruminant livestock centers. Hay is dry and compacted (densified) so that it is easy to distribute even over long distances. This is different from silage, which is wet, so it cannot be compacted like the hay. With the fulfillment of feed, the performance of ruminant livestock business can be maintained. In energy plantation or biomass plantation, wood can be processed into energy products such as wood chips, wood pellets, wood briquettes and sawdust charcoal briquettes, or non-energy products such as particle board. That means all parts of the tree can be utilized. 

Build a Large Capacity Wood Pellet Factory, 5k tons/month Up

A large capacity wood pellet factory has a greater risk than a small capacity wood pellet factory. At the factory the production target becomes an important benchmark in addition to the quality of the wood pellets, of course. The consequence is the use of reliable production machines so that the production target can be achieved. Whereas in small capacity wood pellet factories, usually with small production, with short working hours the quality of the production machines is not as good as for such large capacities, so the investment for purchasing machines is also cheaper. Ability to work continuously with long working hours, minimum downtime, as well as stable output and product quality. These high-performance production machines usually have high “flying hour” so they can be relied on. Although the price of the tool is more expensive, it is still an option because the goal is achieved, namely the quality and quantity of wood pellet products according to the plan.

In general, a manufacturer of production equipment or machinery and especially wood pellets does not make from A-Z or all of its equipment (complete line). In general, they are specialists in only one or several equipments, especially the pelletiser / pelleter because it is the heart of the wood pellet production. While other equipments is made by other companies. When the production equipment or machine manufacturer offers a complete line unit for the production of wood pellets, they mean that they have added a number of supporting equipments from several of their network vendors. So is it possible if you want to make your own wood pellet factory according to your own wishes or do customization so that the equipment from a number of vendors is assembled by yourself so that the wood pellet production line is complete? Of course you can, but it requires a number of special skills or is like making your own car with equipments or components from many vendors. For example, assembling a number of these machines and even though they are from well-known engine manufacturers, they may not provide optimal performance because do not know their characteristics including the compatibility.

Although basically to get the best level of performance with a high level of efficiency but looking for the best combination not an easy thing. The price factor is also another variable to get the best combination. Experienced machine providers or sellers can provide according to the buyer's wishes, especially with a limited budget but want excellent performance. The higher “the flying hour” or the experience of the machine provider, the better in providing the offer because they already know the characteristics of each of the equipment. Installation, commissioning, training to after sales service are the next considerations. In the large wood pellet industry, customization of equipment from various vendors making production equipment to the safety aspect is a common thing. Moreover, the selection of the equipment is also based on the experience of wood pellet factories that are already operating. Customization is indeed something unique that is much influenced by previous experiences.

Previous experience with a certain equipment manufacturers is an important experience to determine the performance or characteristics of an equipment. Of course, it is very difficult to know all the characteristics of the equipment available on the market because there are so many manufacturers of equipment providers, the location of the equipment providers and the ability to handle a wood pellet project. In addition to technical factors, human relations factors also play a role in this, especially the success stories of previous projects. Upgrading equipment is usually become an entry point for collaboration with other vendors, especially since the previous vendor did not have this capability, for example, to increase the efficiency and flexibility of raw material belt dryer used to replace rotary dryer due to better drying capabilities, or certain hammer mill that also have certain capabilities and so on. And especially if you already have long experience with them before.

The Urgency of Ex-Coal Mine Reclamation With Biochar

The large number of ex-coal mines that are not reclaimed causes various environmental problems and even life safety. There have been many casualties from the former coal mine pit. The simple logic should be that after the coal deposit is taken or extracted during the mining activity, the land is returned and repaired so that the quality is better than before the mining activity or at least the same, but not worse so that various environmental problems arise. The era of decarbonization is accelerating because of the driving force of climate change and global warming. Fossil fuels, especially coal, are starting to be abandoned, of course, including the coal mining activity itself. Meanwhile, the area of former coal mines which reaches millions of hectares is a lot of environmental problems today.

When the quality of the soil is improved so that it has high fertility then this becomes a very extraordinary potential so that a number of important activities can be carried out, such as agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. With such conditions, the effort to self-sufficiency or food sovereignty is not impossible. Technically, it can be analyzed which of the agricultural, livestock and forestry sectors can reach the goal faster, namely food independence or sovereignty. But before going far and doing business on the ex-mining land, to be more specific what products will be made, the basic question is how to improve the condition of the damaged soil and the scale is also massive?

The application of biochar to the soil is a surefire solution in an effort to repair damaged soils. Depending on how severe the damage is, the characteristics of the soil type and the final quality level being targeted will determine the application or dosage of the biochar. In addition to improving the soil, the biochar application also absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby reducing the concentration of CO2 from the atmosphere or is a carbon negative scenario. Biochar buried in the soil becomes a carbon sink, similar to creating a conservation forest to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. How much biochar is buried so that it can be calculated that the CO2 absorbed into the carbon sink can be sold on the carbon market and get carbon credit. Biochar itself is able to last in the soil for hundreds of years and is not decomposed for a long time. Even when the land has been repaired with biochar and then a conservation forest is made on it, the carbon credit obtained are double, namely from the application of biochar itself and from the conservation forest. But once again, of course, economic factors are another important consideration, so as above, after soil fertility is improved with biochar, there are a number of options for using the land. Of course which one provides the best economic benefits will be the choice.

Millions of hectares of land can be recovered so that its benefits will be maximized. Say, for example, that one million hectares of land can be recovered and then used for activities that support food security or self-sufficiency such as agriculture and animal husbandry, then how much output can be calculated. Even better if there can be a surplus of food production so that it can export. Or even in the longer term, the land is reforested into conservation forest, so how much CO2 can be absorbed by the forest plus the application of biochar. Of course very much. Then why have to build a food estate but have to clear forest land, while there are other better ways? Namely not only restoring but improving the condition of the land even better before the coal mining activity was carried out.

Calophyllum Tree and Coconut Tree

Calophyllum trees and coconut trees have something in common, namely that they can grow well in coastal areas, all parts of the tree can be used and bear fruit throughout the year. With the length of the coastline of Indonesia reaching 99,093 km, it is very potential to develop these two plants. The calophyllum tree has non-edible oil but its productivity is almost the same as palm oil or crude palm oil (CPO), so it is very potential for biodiesel production. Whereas palm oil trees are the largest producer of vegetable oil. Why not biodiesel production from Jatropha ? For more detailed answers, read here. Meanwhile, coconut trees which are well known as multi-benefit plants are certainly very strategic and have the potential to be developed, especially now that the coconut tree population continues to decline due to the lack of replanting of old coconut plantations. Unlike the calophyllum tree, all the results are not food products, many processed coconut products are in the form of food products. The need for processed coconut food products continues to increase along with the increasing population. Issues of food and energy can also be overcome at the same time with these two plants.

The productivity of calophyllum is around 30 years, while coconut is longer, reaching around 80 years. Calophyllum tree wood has a high economic value as well as coconut trees. When the productive period of the two plants continues to produce fruit and when productivity decreases or stops, the wood becomes the ultimate product of high economic value. When compared to palm oil trees when their productive age runs out, the wood or trunk in general is still a problem, not even a few are just left in the plantation because it is not economical to process further, more details can be read here. Meanwhile, other forestry woods usually take decades before they can be harvested and there are no other products besides the wood. Of course, this is quite economically difficult and sometimes even not feasible.

Photo is taken from here

Calophyllum trees and coconut trees are also easy and inexpensive to care for, unlike palm oil trees which require a lot of water and fertilizer. Both also support agroforestry on the coast, as well as being a wind breaker. This encourages faster economic growth in coastal areas, and even becomes a tourist destination. Furthermore, for agroforestry systems, one of them can be distinguished based on its function, namely into a production function and a protection function. Production functions such as food production, feed, fuel such as biodiesel, fiber, wood and others. Meanwhile, protection functions such as prevention from damage to environmental resources as well as maintenance of production system such as hedges, water retention, fire prevention, soil and water conservation. 

The choice of plant species is very important in making agroforestry patterns, because mistakes that occur will have a long and detrimental impact. Species that are suitable not only in terms of growth, economic value and adaptability to a particular environment, but also their ability to form an ideal growth structure when growing together with other species on the same land. The choice of this type is very dependent on the wishes of the land owner, the conditions of the place to grow, the economic value and the ease of cultivation.