Maximizing the Rate of CO2 Absorption from the Atmosphere Based on Biomass

Maximizing the rate of CO2 absorption from the atmosphere is very important considering the rate of addition of CO2 concentration to the atmosphere is not comparable to the rate of CO2 absorption. This is what makes the CO2 concentration continue to increase. To balance this speed, a strategy is needed to increase the rate of CO2 absorption. The use of biomass will be very effective and provide multiple benefits for human life. 

CO2 from the atmosphere needs to be captured through biomass production through the process of photosynthesis in plants. Fast-growing species of plants that have high photosynthesis rates are needed for this. Furthermore, biomass, especially wood from fast-growing species of plants, is used as raw material for biochar. Furthermore, biochar is used to improve soil fertility (soil amendment) in various types of agricultural and forestry plants.

Biochar production with slow pyrolysis will also produce excess heat, syngas and biooil that can be used as energy sources. The benefits of biochar production will be obtained from the sale of biochar, the sale of carbon credits and the use of slow pyrolysis by-products. With conditions like this, efforts to increase the speed of CO2 absorption from the atmosphere should be increased. How fast and how much CO2 volume can be absorbed will depend on the type of fast growing species used, the area of ​​planting and the capacity of biochar production. 

Biochar or Biocoal Production?

Biochar and biocoal production are basically one breath. Biochar production with full pyrolysis while biocoal with half/mild pyrolysis (torrefaction). The purpose of torrefaction/mild pyrolysis is to increase its energy content and make it hydrophobic so it is called biocoal. While the purpose of full pyrolysis is to produce stable biocarbon material so that it does not decompose in the soil for hundreds or even thousands of years and improve soil fertility so as to increase plant productivity (agriculture and forestry). 

Current biochar applications are mainly for agriculture and biochar production will produce excess heat, syngas and biooil as energy sources. While biocoal only focuses on energy. The benefits of biochar production are obtained from the sale of biochar, the sale of carbon credits and the utilization of by-products (full) pyrolysis. While the benefits of biocoal are only from the sale of biocoal itself.

The selection or development of a business will be related to business readiness (market, technology, investment, etc.) and other benefits, namely benefits in the social and environmental sectors. 

Charcoal Production for Activated Carbon Raw Material

Charcoal characteristics are influenced by the raw materials used and the conditions of the production process. The use of charcoal for certain applications or industries also requires certain specifications or characteristics. For example, charcoal used for fuel can have different specification requirements from charcoal specifications for agriculture (biochar), or charcoal used as raw material for activated carbon. A number of parameters that are acceptable in certain applications may not be acceptable in other applications.

Charcoal products used as raw materials for activated carbon production are also the same. Parameters in the form of high fixed carbon (~80%), high hardness, low ash content (~3%) and low volatile matter (<10%) are prerequisites for the specifications or quality of charcoal as a raw material for activated carbon. As a comparison, charcoal for agriculture (soil amendment) or commonly called biochar has a wide range of quality or specifications, namely lower fixed carbon (FC), higher ash content and higher volatile matter, especially in agro type biochar according to WBC (World Biochar Certificate), while premium type biochar according to WBC has a higher or highest quality and can be used for various purposes. While the material type biochar according to WBC has the lowest quality with use mainly in certain industries such as cement, asphalt, plastic, electronics, and composite materials or cannot be used for agriculture, soil applications and consumer products.

 Raw materials for charcoal production for activated carbon production because it requires stricter parameters, especially high fixed carbon, low ash content and high hardness so that raw materials suitable for this purpose are more limited or not all biomass can be used for charcoal production for activated carbon raw materials. This is what makes coconut shells the best and most popular raw material for charcoal production as activated carbon raw materials today. And palm kernel shell raw materials (especially from dura variety) are expected to be the next candidate. The availability of abundant palm kernel shells (PKS) is a special attraction. But indeed with this palm kernel shell (PKS) charcoal raw material, there is still the smell of palm oil, so it is a challenge for activated carbon producers.

Biochar For Patchouli Plantation

Indonesia is famous for producing various essential oils, including patchouli oil, clove leaf oil and so on. The main use of essential oils is mainly for food, pharmaceuticals, fragrances (perfumes). The potential of this country to develop essential oils is very large due to climate factors, land area and soil fertility. World export-import statistics data show that consumption of essential oils and their derivatives has increased by around 10% from year to year. Of the 70 types of essential oils traded on the international market, citronella oil, patchouli, vetiver, ylang-ylang, cloves, pepper, and jasmine oils are supplied from Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia producing essential oils and is among the top 10 in the world.

Patchouli production centers in Indonesia are in Bengkulu, West Sumatra, and Nangro Aceh Darussalam. The quality of Indonesian patchouli oil is known to be the best and controls 80-90% of the world's market share or the largest supplier of patchouli oil in the world. This patchouli oil comes from the distillation of dried leaves to extract the oil which is widely used in various industrial activities. Patchouli oil is used as a fixative or binder for other fragrance ingredients in perfume and cosmetic compositions. The area of patchouli planting reaches 21,716 ha spread across 11 provinces in Indonesia, and in 2008 about 2,500 tons of patchouli oil were produced.

Patchouli plants commonly cultivated in Indonesia are Aceh patchouli because the oil content is > 2% and the oil quality is patchouli alcohol (PA) > 30% higher than Java patchouli which has an oil content of <2%. Furthermore, with Aceh patchouli, there are three varieties of patchouli plants found in Aceh, namely Tapaktuan patchouli, Lhokseumawe patchouli, Sidikalang patchouli. The PA levels of the three varieties vary, namely: Tapaktuan (28.69-35.90%), Lhokseumawe (29.11-34.46%), and Sidikalang (30.21-35.20%).

Patchouli Oil Production in Sentra Province 2015-2020**)

One of the factors that support plant growth and optimal production is the availability of sufficient nutrients in the soil. The level of nutrient availability for patchouli plants must be optimal to obtain high growth and oil content. Patchouli is known to be very greedy for nutrients, especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Patchouli plants are among those that require quite a lot of nutrients, so that production continues to run optimally, fertilizer application is carried out very seriously. This is so that the level of soil fertility must be maintained optimally if we expect optimal patchouli agricultural production. Therefore, in the shifting patchouli cultivation system, there will be a very rapid decrease in land fertility which will damage the land.

Patchouli can be cultivated on dry land, thus the development of patchouli plants is very relevant to the potential of dry land which is quite extensive in Indonesia compared to rice fields. In fact, dry land is the most widely distributed sub-optimal land, which is around 122.1 million ha consisting of 108.8 million ha of acidic dry land and 13.3 million ha of dry climate dry land. The development of patchouli plants has a dual purpose, in addition to increasing farmers' income, it also increases the productivity of dry land which is widely spread in Indonesia.

To improve land quality, namely by applying biochar. The application of biochar to agricultural land functions as a soil amendment that can improve the chemical properties of the soil (pH, cation exchange capacity, total N, and available P), the physical properties of the soil (bulk density, porosity and the ability of the soil to hold water). Improvement in the quality of the chemical and physical properties of the soil has an impact on the availability of nutrients and water through the ability of biochar to retain nutrients and water. Ultimately, the addition of biochar has implications for increasing the productivity of patchouli plants. In the future, it is hoped that with the application of biochar, more suboptimal and degraded lands which can be restored and plants productivity increased.

Optimizing the use of dry land for food crop cultivation needs to begin with land rehabilitation efforts so that plants can produce optimally. Soil amendments that are cheap, readily available and can last a long time in the soil are expected to be able to trigger the rate of increase in dry land productivity. The potential for agricultural waste to be converted into soil amendments (biochar) in Indonesia is quite large. Biochar applications have been proven to improve the quality of physical and chemical properties of the soil, as well as increase water availability. Crop productivity also increases in line with the recovery of land quality.

Biochar can also be added during composting so that more nitrogen (N) content can be absorbed in the biochar. The higher the nitrogen (N), the better the compost quality will be. Total N is one of the macro elements needed by plants in large quantities, accounting for 1.5% of the dry weight of the plant. Nitrogen is useful in the formation of protein, a component of plant chlorophyll, and if morphologically N plays a role in the formation of leaves and stems of plants or the vegetative formation of plants. Phosphorus is an absolute nutrient needed by plants after nitrogen. Symptoms of phosphorus (P) nutrient deficiency are seen as the color of the plant becomes dark green or purplish green which is then followed by older leaves turning purplish. The addition of biochar and compost, in addition to increasing the productivity of patchouli leaves, can even increase the yield of patchouli oil from an average of 2% to 4% and the patchouli alcohol content of patchouli oil from an average of 32% to 40%.       

Bioeconomy in a Tropical Country “Biomass Heaven”

Indonesia is believed to be a tropical country of biomass heaven so this needs to be translated into a more concrete form so that it can be understood, executed so that it is proven and the potential can be utilized optimally. There is so much potential that should be used to support the welfare of its people. The simple diagram below illustrates so many things that can be done in a tropical country "biomass heaven".

The availability of raw materials is a vital and absolute factor so that various biomass processing can be carried out and sustainable. On the other hand, there is a lot of land potentials that can be utilized for this purpose, the amount of which reaches tens of millions of hectares, namely critical land / marginal land, dry land and post-mining land (coal mines, tin mines, nickel mines, copper mines, gold mines and so on). In more detail, it is estimated that for critical / marginal land it reaches 24.3 million hectares (Times Indonesia, 2017) while dry land reaches 122.1 million ha consisting of dry acid land covering 108.8 million ha and dry climate dry land covering 13.3 million ha and post-mining damaged land reaching 8 million hectares. Energy plantations or biomass plantations need to be created in these land areas and can even be used for various food crops. Even now there are plant species that can only be economically viable on these lands.

Both energy and biomass plantations can be planted with various plants that support sustainable bioeconomy in line with decarbonization, including calliandra, gliricidia, bamboo, calophyllum inophyllum, coconut and even oil palm, including food crops such as rice, corn and soybeans. The selection of plant species will be adjusted to the product to be made, land conditions, and technological and business readiness.

Meanwhile, biomass waste that is currently produced annually, especially from the agricultural and forestry sectors, which also amounts to millions of tons, can be optimized so that in addition to reducing or avoiding environmental pollution, it will also provide added economic value, environmental and social benefits. The utilization of biomass, both from agricultural and forestry waste or from energy plantations and biomass plantations, will be a sustainable bioeconomy activity and in line with the global decarbonization trend that is in line with climate solutions.
 

The Urgency of a Justice Energy Transition

A Muslim from the United States (US) who is also an environmental activist, Ibrahim Abdul Matin (2012), in his book Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet calls renewable energy as energy from heaven. According to him, energy from heaven is energy that comes from above, namely that energy is not extracted (dug up) from within the earth, and can be renewed (renewable). "Extraction causes imbalance (causes climate change), while energy from above is like from heaven."

And so in the carbon perspective when carbon as an energy source comes from (extraction) in the earth, namely fossil energy (petroleum, coal, natural gas) then it contributes to increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, or the term carbon positive, while if it comes from plants (biomass) which because it comes from the process of photosynthesis then it does not increase the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, or the term carbon neutral. Energy sources that come from the sun, wind and water are also included in the carbon neutral energy sources. Meanwhile, if the carbon source from plants (biomass) from photosynthesis, then it can be stored (carbon sequestration) for hundreds or even thousands of years then it will reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, or the term carbon negative.

Even more specifically related to coal mining, the fatwa of Muhammadiyah, one of the largest Islamic mass organizations in Indonesia, stated that the four main problems of coal mining in Indonesia are (a). environmental damage; (b). regulations that are not based on justice and welfare; (c) neglect of the rights of communities around the mine, and (d) mining business as a political tool. If the fatwa is used as a basis for policy and motivation in a just energy transition, environmental damage can be minimized.

Currently, to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, decarbonization efforts are being carried out, namely reducing or replacing the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. The production of biomass fuels such as wood chips, wood pellets, wood briquettes and so on is in the context of decarbonization. Likewise, the production of biochar, then the carbon can be stored for a very long time (carbon sequestration) is starting to be widely carried out today. Even the application of biochar is also used to improve the condition of damaged or less fertile soils so that agricultural or plant productivity will increase. In this context, biochar can even be used to overcome the food shortage crisis, for more details read here.

Renewable energy sources come from plants (bio-energy) which is also in line with QS. Yaasin (36): 80. To produce these energy sources such as tree trunks, fruits, seeds or other parts of the plant, plants carry out photosynthesis. In addition to water and carbon dioxide (CO2), this photosynthesis process requires sunlight. The sun is very important as a source of energy for living things, especially for plants. The sun is a very abundant source of energy, free and will not run out except when the apocalypse arrives. The word sun is mentioned 25 times in the Qur'an and is one of the names of the chapters that Allah immortalized in the Qur'an. This shows that Allah wants to give a sign that there is something that needs to be explored by humans through asy-shams or the sun. Plants through the process of photosynthesis will store energy from the sun in the form of its biomass and this is likened to a battery. This green battery of plants can be used as a very large source of energy, for more details read here.

Regarding the action to mitigate climate change, the role of Islamic scholars can be very important. Even a survey conducted by Purpose and the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) said that the role of Islamic scholars in this action has the highest influence or level of trust compared to other groups (including environmental activists, government and scientists). And even the results of the National Climate survey also show that legislative members are in last place in terms of public trust. Efforts to prosper or manage the earth according to Allah's command, namely Q.S. Hud: 61 and this is indeed also the duty of humans as Allah's caliphs on earth or on this planet (Q.S. Al-Baqarah: 30) so that the management of the earth must be based on Islamic teachings or values. While the concept of western secularization has resulted in its perspective, namely that humans have dominance over the earth, not as its managers, which is the Islamic view. Muslims must be guardians or managers of the earth, for the sake of their environment and most importantly for the sake of Allah SWT's command.

Although Islam teaches its followers to maintain or manage the earth or caliphate on this planet. And that they will be held accountable by Allah for their actions, but the fact is that the world's inaction continues despite the declaration of Muslim countries in 2015 to play an active role in combating climate change. This certainly has a negative impact on the global climate problem. Concern and real action on this climate should be increased along with efforts to increase faith and piety and mastery of science and technology, especially coupled with a number of natural disasters due to climate change. Gradual energy transition or migration is one solution. Muslim countries should have an advantage in the climate race. They have a framework and belief system that mandates the protection of the earth and its natural resources.

Calliandra Honey from Caliandra Energy Plantation

Calliandra honey can be said to be one of the best honeys in the world. The quality and taste of calliandra honey are above other honeys such as rubber honey, acacia honey and cottonwood honey. But it turns out that the production of calliandra honey is not as easy as other honeys. A number of things need to be done so that the target of getting the quality and quantity of calliandra honey can be achieved, including engineering or enrichment of energy plantation plants and selection of appropriate honey bee species. This is why before planting calliandra in the energy plantation, it is necessary to discuss it first with a honey bee farming expert, if indeed the energy plantation will also produce honey as a side product or additional product, in addition to the main product in the form of wood pellets from its wood. Making engineering or enrichment of energy plantation plants is much easier before planting activities are carried out than after the energy plantation has been completed or is producing.

Factors that meet the sustainability of a farm or bee colony are important things that must be met by beekeepers or honey producers. These factors include the availability of nectar, pollen, resin and water (abbreviated: neporea). The balance of these factors needs to be created to maintain sustainability and also optimize honey production from the honey bee farm. Of course, the specific needs of each factor are also closely related to the type of bee species being farmed. For example, for the availability of abundant pollen but minimal nectar sources, honey production will also be minimal, or vice versa, abundant nectar sources but minimal pollen sources, then honey production is abundant but the bee colony will shrink or decrease or even become extinct, meaning there is no sustainability. Certain bee species such as the trigona family even require more resin sources than other honey bee species. Pollen is a source of protein for bees so it is vital for the life of the bee colony. Calliandra is a source of nectar, so it is not sufficient to rely on food sources from only one plant species.

By maximizing the potential of the plantation, meaning not only processing the wood, maximum profit will be obtained. With such high quality calliandra honey, it would be a shame if it was not utilized. Calliandra honey production will even provide significant additional profit because it is estimated to produce 1 ton of honey per year from 1 hectare of calliandra plantation. And currently Perhutani (Indonesian state-owned forestry company) has a wider honey production area. Based on API (Indonesian Beekeeping Association) data, Indonesian honey needs reach 15,000 tons-150,000 tons per year. Of that amount, 50% of the needs are supplied from China. With the increasing development of calliandra energy plantations, especially for wood pellet production, which are managed by the government and private sector, it is hoped that it will also increase Indonesian honey production.

The main problem of beekeeping is the availability of food for bees or flower nectar. Calliandra, which is a fast-growing plant and is cultivated massively, will significantly boost honey production, even targeted to increase threefold (300%) in the next 5 years. Moreover, with nine of the world's eleven honey bee species living in Indonesia, this country should be able to meet its own needs. This is so that honey imports can be reduced and Indonesia will be able to export honey. In addition to honey, bee farming will also produce several derivative products, namely royal jelly, bee pollen, bee wax and bee venom.