Like Car Tires, Pelletizer Dies also Require High-Quality and Reliable Products

Global pellet production continues to increase, both for fuel pellets such as wood pellets and feed pellets such as poultry and ruminant feed pellets. Global wood pellet production in 2025 is estimated to reach 50-54 million tons. Global wood pellet production is projected to surge dramatically by 2050, reaching 170 million to 250 million tons per year, or around 3-5 times the current level. This surge is driven by the Net Zero Emissions scenario proposed by various global energy agencies. Meanwhile, global feed pellets production in 2025 is estimated to reach around 1.41 to 1.42 billion metric tons, or more than 25 times the production of wood pellets in the same year. Global feed pellets production in 2050 is projected to reach 1.8 billion to 2 billion tons. This increase is driven by human population growth, which is predicted to reach 9.7 billion people, which automatically increases the demand for animal protein. Both the production of fuel pellets such as wood pellets and feed pellets uses the main tools, namely pelletizers and ring dies, which are important components that require periodic replacement.

Just as car tires wear out after a certain distance, so too do pelletizer ring dies. After thousands of tons of pellets are produced, the ring die will wear out and must be replaced. Just as car tires affect the speed of wear, so too do pelletizer ring dies, where the condition of the raw materials affects the wear rate. To ensure optimal tire and ring die service life, they must be designed for their intended purpose. For example, a highway terrain (HT) tire, designed specifically for smooth asphalt, will be less than optimal for use on dirt or light gravel like rural roads, more over muddy terrain. Similarly, a ring die designed for feed pellet will be less than optimal when used with agricultural waste, more over woody biomass. For more details on the differences between pelletizers for feed and fuel/energy, please read here.

Car tire treads have distinctive characteristics depending on the terrain they are used in. For example, off-road tires with large, checkered treads are very durable in mud, but very noisy and unstable on asphalt. Similarly, the design of pelletizer dies. The characteristics of the raw material significantly influence the shape of the holes. Hardwood can differ from softwood, and even more so from agricultural waste, more over feed pellets. The shape of the holes in the pelletizer die significantly determines the density and quality of the final product. For example, a straight hole profile is the most standard shape. It is used for materials that are easy to compact and do not require extreme pressure. A relieved bore profile, on the other hand, has a larger outer diameter than the inner one (where the compression is applied). This reduces friction, preventing the machine from overheating and is commonly used for wood pellets. A tapered hole, on the other hand, tapers outward. It provides very high compression pressure, making it suitable for materials that are difficult to adhere or have coarse fibers.

Unlike tire manufacturers, which are typically separate or distinct from their car manufacturers—for example, Mercedes-Benz doesn't produce its own tires—almost all pelletizer manufacturers also produce their ring die pelletizers. While some companies specialize in die production, there are few. As global pellet production, both for fuel pellets like wood pellets and feed pellets, increases, the need for ring dies increases. Relying solely on ring dies from the original pelletizer manufacturer can be time-consuming, while pellet manufacturers need them as quickly as possible. 

This creates a niche market for pelletizer dies and spare parts. Pelletizer manufacturers, in addition to producing ring dies for their pelletizers, can also customize or produce them to order. For example, the German pelletizer manufacturer Muench, in addition to producing ring dies for its machines, also produces ring dies for CPM, Andritz, Salmatec, and other machines. The quality of the steel material used for the ring die and the workmanship determine the quality of the ring die.

If you need quality ring dies and spare parts, please contact: eko.sbs@gmail.com 

Blue Economy & Bioeconomy – Seaweed, Coconut and Nyamplung

With the second longest coastline in the world, located on the equator so it has a tropical climate and the largest coconut producer in the world, maintaining and continuing to develop coconuts is very important and strategic for Indonesia, especially since Indonesia has long been famous as the land of waving coconut trees. The productive life of coconut trees is also very long, namely 60 years, so they can be passed down across generations. The nyamplung tree, which is easy to grow and is often found in coastal areas, should also be developed, as well as the potential for seaweed. With the development of the times to carry out decarbonization in various sectors of life, especially the use of renewable energy, coconut, nyamplung and seaweed can be an effective solution.

Coconut oil, like palm kernel oil (PKO), has a high lauric acid content, so it is very suitable for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Currently, Indonesia is planning to increase SAF production from palm oil, namely palm kernel oil, to 3% this year (2026). This policy was accelerated to support the aviation sector's decarbonization targets. Palm kernel oil production is around 5 million tons/year with the main uses currently being very diverse, including the food industry (margarine, chocolate, cakes), cosmetics (soap, shampoo, lipstick), oleochemicals (fatty acids, glycerol), to renewable energy (SAF) - still in the early stages, as well as non-food products such as lubricants. while the potential for coconut oil is 2.9 million tons with the main uses being cooking (cooking oil), processed food industry (biscuits, margarine, ice cream), cosmetics (soap, shampoo, moisturizer), health (consumed directly as Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO)) and pharmaceuticals (ointment base), skin/hair care and oleochemicals. Why coconut oil and palm kernel oil are very suitable for SAF production, read more details here.

In addition to the potential raw material for SAF from coconut, the international civil aviation organization (ICAO) has included non-standard coconut in the ICAO positive list - ICAO document - CORSIA Default Life Cycle Emissions Values for CORSIA Eligible Fuels, 6th Edition on October 28 20024. Non-standard coconut includes very small old coconuts, already sprouted, starting to rot or become moldy and those that are broken. Based on data from a number of research studies, the number of non-standard coconuts in Indonesia is estimated to reach 30% of Indonesia's coconut production.

Regarding coconuts, the government should limit or prohibit exports of round coconuts. This will not only hinder the domestic coconut processing industry but also more specifically the development of SAF. Apart from that, efforts to replant coconut plantations must also be carried out. The area of ​​coconut plantations that must be replanted currently reaches hundreds of thousands of hectares, such as in Riau alone with a coconut plantation area of ​​426,579 hectares (11.4% of the plantation area in the province, read more details here). 72 thousand hectares of coconuts need to be replanted, while the replanting speed is very low so coconut productivity continues to decline. Meanwhile, nyamplung trees and seaweed require socialization and real action so that they can meet production targets and expectations.

Meanwhile, nyamplung oil can be used for biodiesel / FAME production. From the government's plan to increase the biodiesel mixture from B-40 to B-50, this means requiring almost 60 million tons/year of vegetable oil, especially palm oil. Meanwhile, currently crude palm oil or CPO production is around 50 million tons/year and increasing 20% ​​or to 60 million tons/year is certainly not easy. Moreover, currently the expansion of palm oil plantations (extensification) is in the sharp public spotlight with widespread public attention. A number of natural disasters, especially the Sumatran floods, which have claimed the lives of thousands of people, with the extensification of palm oil plantations as the suspect, have made it increasingly difficult to increase palm oil production through expanding this land. And indeed land expansion (extensification) must always be in the corridor of sustainability, so that palm oil can be a blessing and not a disaster.

Nyamplung trees with productivity almost the same as palm oil trees are very interesting to develop for biodiesel production or more practically adding 10 million tons / year to reach the B-50 proportion. Along Indonesia's very long coastline, there are locations for coconut and nyamplung plantations. Apart from that, seaweed from its waste is also a potential raw material for renewable energy, both ethanol, biodiesel and SAF.

Meanwhile, from the seaweed sector, apart from the production of agar, carrageenan and alginate which are widely used for food products, biofuel can be produced from seaweed waste. Seaweed industry waste can reach 65-75% of the fresh raw materials processed. This very large amount is often wasted without further use which can increase added value. Because solid seaweed waste contains a high percentage of cellulose and only a small amount of lignin, this waste has the potential to be processed into bioethanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

The process route, namely ATJ or alcohol to jet fuel, can be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Meanwhile, seaweed waste is usually disposed of in landfills, which can cause unpleasant odor problems. Specifications for industrial waste from the E. cottonii species are 3.66% water content; ash 36.84%; protein 1.78%; carbohydrates 11.36%; 0% cellulose; hemicellulose 12.86%; lignin 0%. Meanwhile, industrial waste specifications from the species Gracilaria sp. and Gelidium sp.: cellulose 26.92%; hemicellulose 16.11%; lignin 15.38%; ash 16.72%; water content 12.94%; NaCl 3.77%. 

After their productive life is over or ends, the coconut trees and nyamplung trees are cut down. Coconut tree trunks and nyamplung trees are very suitable for building wood used for housing. This will add economic value and is a necessity that will continue to be needed. In fact, efforts to improve the quality of wood can also be done by engineering the wood material, such as with CLT (cross laminated timber) and so on.

And like palm oil, both coconut and nyamplung also produce shells. Just as palm kernel shells can be used for fuel, so coconut shells and nyamplung shells as well. Even palm kernel shells or known as PKS (palm kernel shell) are the main competitors of wood pellets in the global biomass fuel market. However, because the quality of coconut shells is better or more suitable for the production of charcoal briquettes and activated carbon, coconut shells are generally carbonized or made into charcoal. Charcoal is an intermediate product or raw material for charcoal briquettes and activated carbon. Read more details about the production of activated carbon from coconut shells here. Meanwhile, because nyamplung shells are not widely produced, their use is still limited, but if the quantities are large, such as the production of palm kernel shells, then it could be like palm kernel shells, or perhaps also like the use of coconut shells.

Apart from that, both the production and extraction of coconut oil and nyamplung oil will produce cake. Coconut cake and palm oil cake can be used as animal feed, but nyamplung cake requires additional processing so that it is non-toxic and safe for animal feed. The development of a blue economy on the Indonesian sea coast should be an important concern as an environmentally friendly economic solution that suits the conditions and potential of Indonesian society and is in line with the global community's concerns about decarbonization as mitigation for climate change and global warming. Apart from also supporting food and feed security. 

Export of Sheep and Animal Feed Pellets to Algeria

Algeria plans to import up to 1 million sheep to meet the needs of Eid al-Adha. This is because domestic demand is large while domestic supply is insufficient. This is because in recent years there has been a drought, which has resulted in a shortage of animal feed and an increase in feed costs. And because animal feed is a major component in the livestock sector, the shortage of feed and the increase in feed costs will have a major impact on the sheep products that produce meat. The price of sheep and lamb meat has become very high. By choosing to import in large quantities, the government aims to overcome the shortage of supply in the market and suppress the sharp increase in livestock prices.

Indonesia has the opportunity to become an exporter of these sheep. As long as feed is available, sheep farming will not experience significant obstacles. These sheep feeds can be attempted in many places in Indonesia, even with a tropical climate, producing sheep feed should not be difficult. Moreover, currently a number of energy plantations have been created with these energy plantation plants also producing animal feed from their leaves such as calliandra and gliricidia. The area of ​​these energy plantations which reaches tens of thousands of hectares will also produce a lot of sheep feed. It is also possible to export feed pellets in the form of these leaf pellets, and while the wood from these energy plantations is used for the production of wood pellets. 

Source : Hidayatullah

Optimizing Calliandra Energy Plantations for Energy, Food and Feed, Is It Possible?

Calliandra energy plantations as the name implies are indeed prioritized or for the main purpose of producing energy from biomass, either wood pellets or just wood chips. This is because wood is the main product of the energy plantation, while leaves and flower nectar are by-products or are considered waste from the wood pellet or wood chip business. However, if the use of leaves for animal feed and flower nectar for honey production has an economic value that approaches or even exceeds the wood pellet product, then it will be a different story. Calliandra leaves, like indigofera leaves and glicidia / gamal leaves, have a high protein content, while this protein element is the most expensive source of nutrition of all the elements in animal feed products, while calliandra honey is one of the best quality honeys compared to other honey products such as acacia honey, kapok honey, rubber honey and so on.

Synchronization between honey and wood production is very important in the energy plantation to maximize profit. In honey production, the first time the calliandra flowers and the next flower cycle are very important. Don't let it be that just because of ignorance of the flower cycle, many benefits that should have been obtained are lost. In addition, for sustainable and optimal honey production, not only calliandra nectar is needed, but also a number of certain plants as support, both for additional bee feed and for making beehives. When all that is available is calliandra nectar, honey production will be maximized but will not be sustainable because the bee colony will shrink and then disappear. This is the importance of plantation engineering with a number of species or types of certain plants if honey production is also an important product in the calliandra plantation-based business.

Calliandra leaves in abundance will automatically be obtained when the calliandra trees are cut down or harvested. The calliandra leaves need to be separated from the wood and twigs to be used for animal feed. Animal feed products from calliandra leaves can be in the form of fresh leaves or processed leaves in the form of pellets, or hay. This makes it possible to have a leaf pellet factory in addition to the wood pellet factory. With an estimated leaf volume of 1/4 of the wood but the price of leaf pellets is around 3 times the price of wood pellets. So the profit from utilizing leaves into pellets (leaf pellets) is very large, estimated at 1/2 to 3/4 of the wood pellet turnover. This is certainly a serious consideration and cannot be ignored.

A comprehensive understanding of calliandra plantations for energy, food and feed is indeed very important to maximize profits from calliandra plantation-based businesses. This will encourage the calliandra energy plantation to grow further. In addition, the legality aspect and land selection for the location of the calliandra plantation. This is because, especially for wood pellet products in general, it is for export orientation and especially for Japan and Europe, environmental or sustainability certification is very important and even required so that the legality aspect (which is clear and clean) and land selectivity according to its designation including the history of the land are also very important. So optimizing calliandra energy plantations for energy, food and feed is possible if the terms and conditions are met.

Unlike Honeybees, Why Does the Development of Energy Plantations Get Little Attention from the Goat/Sheep and Cattle Livestock Industry?

Along with the global decarbonization trend, energy plantations are increasingly developing in Indonesia. The creation of these energy plantations has the main purpose of producing biomass fuels such as wood chips and wood pellets. Wood chip production because it is easier and the production equipment is easier and cheaper is usually done before wood pellet production and for more details can be read here. In addition to the use of wood as the main product of energy plantations, by-products that can be produced from energy plantations are animal feed from the use of leaves and honey from honey bee farms. And with the utilization of all parts of the tree (whole tree utilization), the energy plantation-based business is not only more profitable, but can also remain sustainable.

The honey production that can be produced from the development of energy plantations will also be very large, namely tons or even hundreds to thousands of tons in proportion to the area of ​​the energy plantation. Moreover, the plants cultivated are red calliandra whose nectar will produce one of the best quality honey. Regarding the development of the energy plantation, even API (Indonesian Beekeeping Association) responded optimistically to the development of the energy plantation, because in the next 5 years it is targeted that honey production will increase by 300% so that the import of tens of thousands of tons of honey from China can be reduced and even be sufficient, more details read here. In addition to honey, several derivative products will also be produced from honey bee farming, namely royal jelly, bee pollen, bee wax and bee venom which also have many benefits. The motto "Gertakanlah" namely the Bee Feed Planting Movement is very much in line with the development of this energy plantation.

But this condition is different from the world of animal husbandry, especially ruminant livestock, namely goats/sheep and cattle. In fact, Indonesia's meat needs are also very large, most of which are still met by imports. Unlike beekeeping which is responsive to the development of the global decarbonization trend, namely more specifically with the energy plantation, the world or livestock industry players have not responded to this, even though the production of feed from this energy plantation will also be very large. Even the main element of animal feed from red calliandra leaves is protein and protein is the most expensive element of animal feed nutrition. In addition, with this livestock, it is also possible for integration to occur as in the diagram above. Integration will provide optimal benefits and production becomes efficient, thus providing even greater benefits.

Energy Plantations: Why Calliandra (Calliandra Calothyrsus) or Gliricidia (Gliricidia Sepium)?

Since 1937, calliandra has been planted in Perhutani and wider areas along with reforestation programs and supporting firewood and animal feed. And also since 1974, Perhutani has distributed calliandra seedlings to forest farmers and used them as boundary plants between forest areas and rural areas or agricultural land. Calliandra cultivation at that time was mainly aimed at providing firewood and animal feed for people living in the forest, and reducing dependence on kerosene for cooking. Calliandra is used as a terrace plant (erosion control) with high slopes to strengthen the main plantation, for example with teak plantations, and also for soil protection purposes, because it can increase soil fertility through the ability of its roots to absorb nitrogen in the form of root nodules.

While the type of gliricidia plant is widely used as an edge plant or hedge plant to prevent large livestock from entering the forest. The wood is used as firewood and the leaves are used as animal feed. The wood can be harvested quickly, and pruning is also done with a fast process. So it can be said that, it is not recommended to plant new species that have unknown characteristics until there is adequate research activity on the species.

For example, acacia species are relatively fast-growing species but it is not widely known whether they can be used and managed with a sustainable coppice system. And also these types are not like calliandra and gliricidia plants, although easy to cultivate and harvest, but have not proven to be suitable for the application of short rotation coppice systems, and are also rarely planted on a larger scale.

Although calliandra and gliricidia are not native tree species in Indonesia, they have long been introduced, and can be found almost throughout the island of Java. Calliandra and Gliricidia are very popular in agricultural areas in most parts of Java. In addition, there have not been many reports describing the presence of pests and / or diseases associated with either species. Wood produced from calliandra and gliricidia plants has relatively good physical and chemical characteristics to be used as firewood or as raw material for wood pellets. Its calorific value is high and its ash content is low.

Indonesia as a tropical country even with the largest land area in Southeast Asia will have great potential to develop the energy plantation. Energy plantations are essentially energy sources or likened to batteries, which store solar energy in plants, the energy plantation, for more details can be read here. Although the development of various types of renewable energy continues to be accelerated, to store energy in large capacities will require a very large battery. The battery research is also estimated to take a long time and high costs, so that in the context of decarbonization, biomass energy can be used for cofiring and even fulfiring until the time the large battery can be applied.

EFB Pellets as Biomass Fuel Transition from PKS to Wood Pellet Energy Plantations?

The high demand for palm kernel shells or PKS makes their availability or supply increasingly limited. The properties of palm kernel shells or PKS which have many similarities to wood pellets make them the main competitor for biomass fuel in the global market. The high demand for palm kernel shells is not only because the price is usually cheaper than wood pellets, but also the large availability can be achieved because of the large number of palm oil mills, also especially the many new biomass power plant developments that can use 100% palm kernel shells, namely biomass power plants with fluidized bed combustion (CFBC or BFBC) technology, read more details here. 

Under these conditions, efforts to obtain new biomass fuel become important. The palm oil industry itself produces a lot of biomass waste so it has potential as raw material for new biomass fuel. One of the biomass wastes that has not yet been utilized and is large in volume and has the potential to pollute the environment is palm oil empty bunches or EFB (empty fruit bunch). Every ton of crude palm oil or CPO production will produce approximately 1 ton of EFB waste. This means that with an average palm oil mill capacity of 45 tonnes of FFB/hour, around 10 tonnes/hour of crude palm oil (CPO) will be produced and 10 tonnes/hour of EFB waste. So, for example, if a palm oil mill operates 20 hours/day, approximately 200 tons of EFB waste will be produced/day. And with the number of palm oil mills in Indonesia estimated at 1,000 units, the amount of EFB waste will also huge.

PKS and EFB are both biomass waste from palm oil mills. Both can be easily obtained from palm oil mills in abundant quantities. PKS can even be used directly as biomass fuel, whereas EFB requires pre-treatment first. The EFB that comes out of the palm oil mill is very wet and the shape and size still need to be adjusted to make the follow-up process easier. EFB pellet production is a solution for EFB waste. But apart from that, so that this EFB pellet product can be used more widely or like wood pellets in general, there is an additional process to reduce the amount of mineral content in the ash.

Meanwhile, wood pellets from energy plantations could become the next source of biomass fuel, although currently someone has already started doing so. Because the raw material for EFB pellets is palm oil mill waste and is abundant, it requires a smaller investment, so EFB pellets can be used as transitional biomass fuel before biomass fuel in the form of wood pellets from energy plantations. Investing in land and its preparation as well as creating an energy plantation costs a lot of money. But the advantage of wood pellets from this energy plantation is that the availability of raw materials, even in very large volumes, can be more guaranteed. Apart from that, there are also other benefits from using the leaves as animal feed, especially ruminants and the flowers for honey bee farming.

Pioneering the Export of Hay from Energy Plantation Leaf Waste

The high demand for feed, especially protein elements in Europe, on the other hand, is an opportunity in itself. Leaf waste from energy plantations in abundant quantities can be used as an export commodity to fill this opportunity. These leaves can be processed into hay and then compacted (biomass densification) into large boxes (cubes) and ready for export. Under tropical climate conditions, biomass production, especially for renewable energy, feed and food through energy plantations, is an ideal solution. Wood product will be used as bioenergy, especially into wood pellet product, leaf as an export commodity for animal feed, and honey as a highly nutritious multi-functional food. Millions of hectares of potential land for the creation of energy plantations so as to maximize the benefits of land use, especially with the tropical climate conditions that support.

Learn from the state of Oregon in the United States which is successful as an exporter of hay grass as a source of fiber in animal feed. It is recorded that more than 900,000 tons per year export hay grass from Oregon to the destination countries, namely Japan, Taiwan and Korea. The business has been around for more than 30 years. The mechanization of agriculture and the use of modern agricultural techniques have helped the business grow. A number of grass species that they cultivate include annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), perennial ryegrass (L.perenne), bent grass (Agrostis spp.), fine fescue (Festuca spp), Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis), Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) and tall fescue (F.arundinacea).

The difference between hay and dry straw (straw) is sometimes still confusing. Hay is made from fresh stalks, leaves and shoots of plants. Many plants can be used as hay, for example in Iowa, USA alfalfa and clover are most commonly used. If it is cut and packaged (compacted) almost all of the nutritional content is not lost and is used as animal feed. Meanwhile, straw is also made from the stalks and leaves of plants, but is cut after the plants are mature with their shoots or the fruit has been harvested for something else. This straw has very little nutritional value and is used primarily as animal bedding. The conditions for plants to make hay are fine textured, harvested at the start of the flowering season and harvested from fertile areas.

Hay production is carried out by cutting the forage (grass or leaves) then withering and drying the forage, then to facilitate storage, transportation and use, the hay needs to be compacted. Animal feed in dry form such as hay will make it able to hold out until the nutrients are maintained. The history of hay production is thought to date back to the late 19th century, when alfalfa was introduced to Iowa and became the most popular crop for hay production. Alfalfa itself comes from Central Asia which was first used for animal feed and then this alfalfa spread to various parts of the world. Legume leaves from energy plantations are also very potential as animal feed and processing them into hay will increase their utilization including their economic value. In the commercial hay industry modern mechanical devices are used primarily for compaction by making blocks or boxes with a high production target, as shown in the video in the following link here.   

Dichotomy of Energy Plantation and Legumes Plantation

There is a dichotomy between friends in livestock and forestry today about these legumes. From animal husbandry, they see leaves as a source of feed protein from plants and from forestry, they see wood as a source of wood that is easy to cultivate with high productivity. In the forestry sector, the wood is usually used as a renewable energy source such as wood chips, wood pellets, wood briquettes or charcoal briquettes. Forestry grows thousands of hectares of these legumes such as gliricidia with a wood orientation while the leaves are considered a by-product or waste from their plantation side. By utilizing the wood and leaves, it means getting out of this dichotomy, creating a new paradigm and being able to overcome food and energy problems or optimize the legume plantation or energy plantation (whole tree utilization) of thousands of hectares.

In addition to functioning as a legume plantation for animal feed, especially ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo), as well as biomass fuel as above, the same plantation can also be used as a raw material for synthetic fiber board, for more details, please read here . Meanwhile, as the bioeconomic era is getting closer, the need for bioenergy, especially wood pellets, is increasing, the need for animal feed, especially ruminants which is part of the chain of human food needs is also increasing and indeed the growth of the earth's population is also increasing, and the need for biomaterials such as synthetic boards is also increasing. Therefore, the establishment of energy plantations or legume plantations or biomass plantations is very important, strategic and multi-beneficial. Based on these conditions, it is not impossible that in the near future the plantation will become a national and even global trend.

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. 

Utilization of Marginal Land and Former Coal Mines for Ruminant Livestock and Charcoal Briquette Production

Photo is taken from here

The extent of marginal land including critical land and unused land which reaches more than 6 million hectares as well as ex-coal mining land which is estimated to reach 8 million hectares are environmental problems that must be overcome. Turning these lands back into productive land so that apart from preventing a bigger environmental disaster, it also provides other benefits for human life. One solution to this problem is to plant the land with pioneer plants of the leguminoceae group whose roots firmly grip the soil and are in symbiosis with azetobacter so that it fertilizes the soil such as calliandra and gliricidia as well as its leaves as a source of animal feed, flowers for honey production, and the wood for the production of charcoal briquettes. Or in other words, the establishment of the plantation besides having environmental benefits as an effort for conservation and land reclamation along with water conservation, of course, also provides benefits for ruminant livestock or the production of animal feed and the production of charcoal briquettes. Ruminant farms, namely sheep, goats and cattle, are very suitable to be developed using the leaves of the plantation. The combination with charcoal briquettes, namely by using the wood, is an ideal combination or integration. In a number of countries the charcoal briquettes are used as fuel for grilling BBQ from lamb, goat and beef. So in addition to all parts of the tree can be utilized also even the final product of livestock in the form of meat and wood processing so that it becomes charcoal briquettes also meet again. An interesting and unique blend or integration.

The need for red meat, namely lamb, goat and beef in the country itself is still lacking, so it requires an adequate supply. In terms of goat and lamb meat, the need for the Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi) area alone has not been met, so it is supplied alternately from East Java, Central Java and Lampung alternately. In addition, according to Aspaqin (Association of Indonesian Aqiqah Entrepreneurs) there has been an imbalance in the supply of sheep and goats due to the large number of female productive sheep and goats being slaughtered. This condition causes the sustainability of the supply of sheep and goats to be disrupted. According to data from Aspaqin that they collected, 63% of female sheep and goats were slaughtered from a total of 331,693 slaughtered tails. Of course there are still many who are not recorded because there are still many aqiqah entrepreneurs who are not members of the Aspaqin. In addition, there are also many stalls for eating goat dishes, such as satay stalls which still slaughter productive sheep and female goats. Aspaqin continues to strive for education and socialization to improve these conditions, including a proposal to provide punishment for the slaughter of these productive females.

Meanwhile, in the beef cattle sector, Indonesia has the advantage of fattening cattle (feedlot). With the availability of a lot of agricultural wastes and agro-industrial wastes in Indonesia, this business is very competitive, even indonesia is the best. Moreover, this is by creating a plantation that is specifically designed for the feed source by utilizing land that can be said to be unproductive at first. By only taking about 100-120 days, the fattening was successful or completed, although in general, breeder or seed cattle are generally still imported from Australia. Australia, especially northern Australia is the center of the seed cattle. With the vast grazing area there, the cost of producing feeder cattle is very competitive and cannot be done well in Indonesia. Although there are a number of discourses to produce seed cattle in eastern Indonesia and palm oil plantations, the facts are still not or are still very minimal. In addition, according to Gapuspindo (Indonesian Beef Cattle Farmers Association), the domestic demand for beef has not been met or there is still a shortage of around 60% and this shortage is filled by imports of buffalo meat from India. Buffalo meat from India actually has to be sold cheaper than beef, but in fact it is the same as beef. This condition is getting worse, especially in the period leading up to the Eid al-Fitr holiday with lots of illegal meat circulating, such as wild boar meat.

Charcoal briquettes are a product of wood processing from the plantation. The production of charcoal briquettes using wood raw materials must also be managed properly so that it can be sustainable. The important thing to note is that the harvest of wood for the production of charcoal briquettes should not exceed the production of wood from the plantation itself, for example the need for wood for the production of briquettes is 1000 tons / month, the speed of wood production from the plantation is at least the same as the wood harvested every month. Charcoal briquette production techniques are also available in 2 options or routes such as the scheme below. However, route 1, which is briquetting before carbonization, is more in demand because the quality of the briquettes produced is better. In this route, the wood biomass raw material has been downsized so that the particle size is suitable for the production of the briquettes and the dryness level has also been adjusted and then briquetted or pressed in a briquette machine without using additional adhesive. The briquette product is then carbonized so that it becomes the final product in the form of charcoal briquettes or commonly known as sawdust charcoal briquette.

 

Photo is taken from here

In addition to domestic consumption, sheep and goats are also export commodities to a number of countries. Information obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture's Pusdatin (Centre of datas and informations) that Indonesian sheep and goats have been exported, among others, to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Basically, the choice to do sheep and goat export business is the choice of the breeders or farmers  themself and the specifications for the export market are also different for local needs. If the local market generally uses sheep and goats weighing 25-35 kg per head, the export market generally requires a weight above 35 kg per head. For example, for a large market for sheep and goats, Saudi Arabia, especially during the hajj season, reaches around 2 million heads or a quarter of the country's needs, which means it reaches 8 million heads per year.

And lastly, basically the need for food, especially animal protein and more specifically from ruminants sheep, goats and cattle will continue to increase along with the increase in the population itself. The world population is estimated to reach 10 billion in 2050 or 1.3 times today and Indonesia's population will reach 319 million in 2045 or 1.2 times from today. Another thing that deserves attention is Indonesia's demographic bonus. The demographic bonus with the dominance of the productive young generation should be a separate strength for the Indonesian nation if it is supported and directed properly. This sector is certainly one solution. With the vast land area in Indonesia that can be used for this business, God willing, it will overcome various important problems today such as food security, preventing environmental damage, creating jobs, improving living standards, improving food quality and so on.     

Beef Cattle Fattening (Feedlot) Based on Energy Plantation

The photo taken from here

Indonesia has the advantage of intensively fattening cattle. A number of factors such as the availability of agricultural wastes, agro-industrial wastes, forestry wastes and low labor costs, support these advantages. In addition to the price of seed cow, the feed factor is indeed the next determining factor. With these advantages, Indonesia can focus on fattening beef cattle. If this is done, it is not impossible for meat self-sufficiency or at least meat imports to be reduced. The increasing import of buffalo meat from India should be gradually reduced, in line with the readiness of the domestic beef cattle fattening industry. It takes time and effort is not simple, obviously but must be done.

Import of Seed Cows from Australia, photo from here

Ideally, seed cows are produced domestically, this is because Indonesia has the potential for this in the form of potential grazing areas in eastern Indonesia and palm oil plantations. But the fact is that the implementation is still very minimal or even those who are focused on working in this field do not yet exist. Based on a number of studies that cattle breeding is only effective and efficient in grazing areas. This is what makes Australia superior in the supply of seed cows. The large place and long time in the pasture are obstacles for Indonesia to be independent of seed cow. The export destination of seed cow from Australia is Indonesia and mainly supplied from northern Australia. This type of grass that lives in Australia is also not very suitable for fattening, so exporting it is one of the best options. Meanwhile, cattle fattening (feedlot) in Indonesia only takes 100-120 days with the use of limited cage space. The cattle population in Australia is quite large or almost the same as the total population or the ratio is 1 person to 1 cow, while in Indonesia it is much smaller. Cooperation in supplying seed cows from Australia to be fattened in Indonesia has also been going on for decades. There are efforts to reduce the import of seed cow, but it seems that it will still take a long time.

The development of energy plantation with the main objective of producing wood pellets or biomass fuel, has waste or by-product in the form of leaves. The leaves are very good for cattle feed especially with high protein content. With an area of thousands or even millions of hectares that has been declared, the by-products or leaf waste produced will also be very large, of course. With this alone, if Indonesia wants to focus on fattening, the opportunity to become a leader in the cattle fattening industry in Asia and even the world will be even greater. If that happens, the import of buffalo meat from India and beef from Brazil can be reduced or even stopped altogether. In addition, even when there is excess meat production, meat export is also very possible, including by processing the meat so that it provides greater added value.   

Energy Plantation in Coal Mine Reclamation, Wood Pellet Factory and Coal Powerplant Cofiring in Indonesia

The extent of ex-coal mining area which reaches around 8 million hectares is an environmental problem itself that needs to be addressed. Energy plantations are an effective solution for the reclamation of the former coal mine land for more details, you can read here. Reclamation of ex-coal mining land is a form of responsibility of the coal mining company. Reclamation should be carried out as well as possible, not only symbolic and ceremonial, so that the effects of environmental damage can be minimized. Efforts to reclaim ex-coal mining land is not an easy thing and requires a lot of time and money, so it is not surprising that many avoid this responsibility. The best solution is to tackle the problem while generating both economic and environmental benefits. The production of wood pellets with wood raw materials from the energy plantation is a surefire solution to overcome this environmental damage as well as economic benefits.

Recently, the government launched a cofiring program for a number of coal powerplants in Indonesia. In 2020 the cofiring program has been initiated with a target of 37 coal powerplants and by the end of 2020 it has been reported that 20 coal powerplants have been implemented. While in total there are 114 units of coal powerplans owned by PLN (Indonesia state owned electricity company) that have the potential for cofiring spread over 52 locations with a total capacity of 18,154 megawatts (MW) with a target completion of 2024. Consisting of 13 coal powerplant locations in Sumatra, 16 coal powerplants locations in Java, Kalimantan (10 locations), Bali and Nusa Tenggara (4 coal powerplants unit), Sulawesi (6 locations) and Maluku and Papua (3 coal powerplant locations). Meanwhile, the cofiring ratio ranges from 1-5% of biomass with an estimated biomass requirement of 9-12 million tons per year. Cofiring is the easiest and cheapest effort for coal powerplant to gradually use renewable energy, especially biomass with main purpose of CO2 reduction. Currently, there is also a national standard for wood pellets (SNI wood pellets) for the purposes of cofiring and for more details, please read here. The use of biomass fuels, especially wood pellets, is a carbon neutral scenario that needs to be continuously improved. The biomass fuel will save the environment and not increase the earth's temperature, for more details read here.

Policies to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, especially coal, also continue to be carried out globally. For Asia, for example, Japan and Korea with their leading Feed in Tariff and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in the use of renewable energy, especially wood pellets. While in Europe with the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) renewable energy is targeted to reach 32% by 2030, biomass fuel is predicted to account for around 75% of the portion of renewable energy and the target is that coal is not used in total by 2050. Germany announced not to use coal in 2038, the UK even targets to no longer use coal for electricity production starting in October 2024. North America, namely the United States and Canada as members of the G7 are also committed to reducing coal consumption, even Canada in 2018 announced regulations to no longer use coal for electricity generation by 2030. On the other hand, the construction of coal power plants financed by China in various countries has failed. In addition, the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States) have been aggressively blocking the use of coal. Countries that still support coal use, such as China and Indonesia, are increasingly isolated and could face more pressure to stop the activity.

Leaves as a by-product of the energy plantations have the potential to be used as animal feed. The leaves of this type of legume have a fairly high protein content. The quantity of leaves produced is also large, proportional to the area of ​​the energy plantation. Ideally, the development of energy plantation will support the livestock industry, so that not only energy needs are met but also food needs. As a comparison, the European animal feed producer association, FEFAC, prioritizes protein sources for animal feed from rapeseed energy plantations from a number of efforts to obtain protein sources for animal feed, for more details please read here. The main products of rapeseed energy plantations are oil which is used for biodiesel production, and meal as a by-product of the oil production which is used as a source of animal feed protein. The need for protein sources for animal feed has an important role as nutrition for livestock, especially ruminants. Europe is still very shortage of these protein sources so that imports cannot be avoided. It is estimated that around 48 million tons of feed protein sources are needed by Europe, so there is a chance that leaves from energy plantations can be exported to Europe for this. When the domestic feed industry has not been able to absorb it, export is the best choice.