Optimizing Cooling Tower Performance by Improving Water Quality with Environmentally Friendly AOP Technology

Cooling towers are important and vital equipments for the operations of various processing industries at large. This cooling process is very important for the processing industry, chemical industry, oil and gas industry (oil refineries and petrochemicals), biofuel and biorefinery industries, power plants (fossil fuel and biomass), geothermal and large-scale (hyperscale) data centers. With the process conditions achieved, the industry can produce products that are economical/efficient and stable.

The cooling medium in the industry or factory is water, and the water is cooled in a cooling tower. And air from the atmosphere is used to cool warm water from industrial or factory processes through this cooling tower. This results in direct contact between air from the atmosphere and the warm water to be cooled. This is a source of pollution for the cooling tower water. A certain amount of additional water (make-up water) also needs to be added to replace lost water such as blow down, leaks and so on.

With continuous 24-hour operation for almost a whole year with a large volume of circulating cooling water, up to thousands of tonnes/hour, it is certainly not a simple matter to be able to maintain good and stable water quality. If water quality cannot be maintained, a number of serious problems will arise. A number of problems for cooling tower operations such as corrosion, scale, layers formed by green algae, organic materials and a number of micro organisms will reduce the performance of the cooling tower. If this happens, heat exchange will be disrupted and energy requirements for cooling tower operations will increase. When the cooling process does not work as it should, it will also affect product quality and the durability of production equipment, in the extreme case, if the cooling tower does not function, the industry or factory will stop operating (shut down).

If the cooling tower is damaged or has low efficiency, such as due to scale, there will be a low heat dissipation effect and a lot of energy loss. Then rust causes the pipe to become brittle and leak, resulting in a short life span for the pipe. Then the appearance of green algae, moss and mud from the accumulation of organic material, these things will disrupt the flow of water and even block pipes and valves. Another nuisance is the presence of bacteria and especially legionella (pathogenic bacteria that cause legionellosis) which causes various health problems.

Cold water as the output/product of the cooling tower will be used as a cooling medium in industry or factories such as condensers or other heat exchangers. The layer of fouling formed by scale on the surface of the heat exchanger ultimately reduces the overall heat transfer coefficient. In general, about 15% of energy is lost each year due to a decrease in heat transfer efficiency caused by fouling. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the pipes periodically every 3 to 5 years, and that is not a cheap cost. Even if the fouling problem is not controlled, heat loss can reach up to 70% after five years of operation.

If a problem occurs, repairs need to be carried out and often cooling tower repairs are expensive. A number of improvements/repairs to the cooling tower include structural repairs, replacement of mechanical components, drift eliminators, water distribution and fill types. Apart from the design problems of the cooling tower equipment manufacturers, water quality problems greatly affect the performance and lifespan of the equipment. This means that one solution is that efforts to maintain water quality must be maximized.

AOP (advanced oxidation process) technology has become the focus of developed countries to maximize water quality, including water as a cooling medium that is processed in cooling towers. AOP technology provides complete sterilization without leaving toxic residues and exhibits much stronger oxidizing power than conventional oxidants such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide and potassium permanganate. AOP technology specifically designed for reaction speed and intensity will be very effective for this purpose.

Compared to chemical treatment, although chemical treatment is still commonly used, there are restrictions due to environmental pollution and formaldehyde production, as well as because workers are exposed to serious dangers. As the restrictions on environmental pollution by respective governments become increasingly stringent, the use of chemicals will become increasingly restricted. Several developed countries are starting to control the addition of chemicals. The Singapore government has banned the addition of chemicals to cooling towers since 2008.

If you are interested in knowing AOP technology and its application for cooling tower water conditioners, please contact: eko.sbs@gmail.com 

Processing Palm Oil Trunk Waste for OPT Dust Block Production

Basically, there are many options for processing oil palm trunk waste from palm replanting programs. Small to medium to large capacity processing industries can be created depending on how big the market needs and raw material capacity are. Simple technology to advanced technology can also be applied to this industry. One option for processing oil palm oil trunk waste is the production of OPT dust blocks. OPT dust block is a group of biomaterial products used specifically as animal bedding. Livestock such as cows and horses need animal bedding, especially in winter.

Why is animal bedding for cows and horses suitable for the OPT dust block? The material characteristics of oil palm trunks which have the ability to absorb water quickly are an important factor. Production of OPT dust blocks as a compaction technology (biomass densification) is also not difficult, just like making cocopeat blocks. Compared to cocopeat block which is also superior in water absorption but because the price is much more expensive, OPT dust block is more of an option. Apart from that, cocopeat blocks are generally used as a planting medium.

The volume or production capacity of OPT dust blocks will also not be as high as for energy or fuel needs, for example if oil palm oil trunk waste is processed into pellets (OPT pellets) and as fuel for power plants, read more details here. However, as a solution for utilizing oil palm oil trunk waste so that it is not left alone and polluting the land, of course the production of OPT dust blocks can be an effective solution. The market niche in the livestock sector with animal bedding applications can also continue to increase along with the development of the livestock sector. And as a business that can provide financial benefits and also as a solution to environmental problems, of course this is very interesting and needs to be considered. 

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. 

Slowing Palm Oil Land Expansion: Replanting or Biochar ?

The reckless expansion of palm oi plantations is definitely offside sustainability. Instead of palm oil being a blessing due to their highest productivity among other vegetable oil sources (soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed, coconuts, etc.), growing only in tropical regions and contributing 40% of the global vegetable oil supply, they have instead become a natural disaster. The cost of this disaster is no small matter, costing thousands of lives, in addition to other material losses. This issue was particularly highlighted during the recent floods in Sumatra. Are the profits from palm oil worth the loss of life?

Clearing tens or even hundreds of thousands of hectares of oil palm plantations produces valuable timber. It's even possible to generate substantial profits from land clearing alone, even though palm oil plantations and production haven't even begun. This is what drives entrepreneurs to flock to this plantation sector, driven by the sole goal of maximizing profits without considering their own needs, resulting in widespread disasters. Furthermore, the implementation of mandatory B-40 or even B-50 biodiesel, currently being discussed, will undoubtedly create a new market for palm oil/CPO, much easier and more flexible than exporting to Europe, which is subject to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), or to the US, which faces high tariffs.

Moreover, it has already been established that palm oil/CPO consumption for biodiesel has exceeded food demand. The mandatory implementation of the B-50 program also requires a 20% increase in CPO production capacity, or 60 million tons per year. The most profitable and fastest way to do this is through extensive deforestation, as the timber from cleared forests can be sold directly.

When the goal is to increase palm oil production gradually, safely, in a planned, and sustainable manner, adequate consideration is required, not blindly and recklessly clearing forest areas (deforestation) under the guise of land conversion. Besides the use of superior seeds, there are at least two ways to increase palm oil productivity: replanting and biochar application (part of land intensification).

According to Joko Supriyono, former chairman of GAPKI (Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association) for the 2015-2018 and 2018-2023 periods, in his book "Is Indonesian Palm Oil Still Successful?", it is stated that if replanting of palm oil in Indonesia successfully reaches 300 thousand hectares per year, it is estimated that CPO and CPKO production in 2045 will reach 80 million tons. While currently CPO and CPKO production is around 55 million tons. And with the use of biochar, palm oil productivity will increase by an average of 30% in 5-10 years, meaning that by 2035 CPO and CPKO production will reach 71.5 million tons. Moreover, if the two methods are combined, the results should be even better.

Indonesia's current CPO production reaches approximately 50 million tons/year, covering a land area of ​​16.8 million hectares with an average CPO production of 3.55 tons/ha per hectare, or 3.55 million tons per million hectares. If biochar is used and productivity increases by 30%, this means an increase of 15 million tons of CPO (a total of 65 million tons of CPO/year) and this saves approximately 4.2 million hectares of land, or the use of biochar will slow down forest clearing for palm oil plantations. The application of biochar with compost will improve the quality of the compost to become premium compost. For more details, read here. This allows the palm oil industry to operate by utilizing all its biomass waste.

The replanting movement of palm oil plantations must be encouraged to continuously increase palm oil production. The problem of biomass waste from palm oil trees, which cover thousands of hectares, also poses a challenge. With such a large volume of old palm oil trees, utilizing them for value-added products is crucial. With an average hectare of palm oil plantations consisting of 125 trees, each tree having an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, this yields 50 tons of dry weight of biomass per hectare. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this yields 0.5 million tons of dry weight, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million tons of dry weight. An optimistic estimate suggests that Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting (very optimistic) or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million tons of dry weight of biomass per year. Similarly, Malaysia, with 5% replanting or 285,000 hectares, would produce 14.25 million tons of dry weight per year.

Business readiness factors, both technologically and in terms of the market or user base, need to be carefully assessed. With such a large volume, biomass processing plants or industries can be established and operate optimally without worrying about raw material shortages. Products such as pellets, briquettes, biochar, and other bioproducts, such as other biocarbons, biomaterials, biofuels, and biochemicals, are also possible from this old palm oil trunk biomass waste. Old, dead oil palm trunks, often left unattended on land, should be utilized to produce these useful, value-added products. For more details on utilizing trunk waste for fuel pellet production (OPT Pellets), please read here. 

Energy Sources for Data Centers: Between Growth and Sustainability and the Role of Bioenergy

Data centers are physical facilities that house computer systems and related infrastructure, such as servers and storage, used to store and process data. They form the foundation of a nation's computing power and are a core dependency in building large-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI data centers, in particular, are particularly energy-intensive. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a typical AI data center currently uses as much energy as 100,000 households, while large AI centers currently consume about 20 times that amount (2 million households).

The computing power needed to support AI growth is also doubling approximately every 100 days. For example, Malaysia, it is not surprising that data center energy consumption in Malaysia is projected to soar to more than 5,000 MW by 2035, which is 40 percent of Peninsular Malaysia's current power capacity, or 11.1 percent of Malaysia's projected power capacity in 2035. Meanwhile, in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the projection of data center electricity consumption in Indonesia has increased significantly, predicted to reach 5,200 MW in 2034 and could even reach 12,000 MW in 2033. And the current capacity in 2025 is only around 274 MW and with a predicted growth of 16.8% per year, it can reach the target of >2,000 MW in 2029.

There are at least two main drivers of growth in the data center industry. First, demand-side factors include the growth of cloud computing and AI, along with the increasing global demand for data storage and processing capacity for everyday tasks like social networking, e-commerce, and data storage. Second, supply-side factors include the availability of resources such as electricity and water, fiber optic connectivity, and land availability.

In the growing data center industry, high or wasteful energy consumption has contributed to rising electricity prices for residents and small businesses. Each country should learn from these case studies as they strive to strike a balance between growth and sustainability. For example, in Georgia, the fastest-growing data center market in the country, Georgia Power reports that 80 percent of the projected 8,200 MW increase in energy demand by 2030 is related to planned data centers opening in the state. To address the increased demand, base electricity rates have been raised and new nuclear power plant (NPP) are under construction.

Georgia is an attractive market for data centers, given its relatively low electricity prices, with industrial electricity rates about 42 percent below the US national average. Significant tax relief was also promised, with at least $163 million in state collections eliminated and local sales tax annually starting in 2022. However, starting in 2023, the average Georgia Power residential customer will pay $43 more per month following a base rate increase. To address this challenge, a Senate bill was introduced to protect residential and commercial customers from higher electricity bills due to the utility's significant investment in AI-powered energy needs.

Efforts to address the increasing energy demand for data centers while reducing their environmental impact are necessary. Typical approaches include optimizing Power Use Effectiveness (PUE) and related metrics, as well as shifting to renewable energy. The use of renewable energy for data centers remains limited, or even at a small capacity of less than 5%. Renewable energy sources still prioritize solar and intermittent wind.

Industry participants also state that the intermittent nature of solar energy (at least without a well-developed battery storage system) does not make it an ideal energy source for data centers, given the need to keep data centers running 24/7. With limited solar generating capacity, data centers often rely on backup diesel generators. While renewable diesel (biodiesel and green diesel) is an available option, there are currently no regulations encouraging this transition.

Biomass as an energy source, or bioenergy, for data centers is still very limited. This biomass can be used directly in biomass power plants, where the CFB type is very common, or through co-firing in coal-fired power plants. Furthermore, biomass can be utilized as an energy source and biochar production through pyrolysis technology, as is the case with this US company. The syngas from pyrolysis serves as a carbon-neutral energy source, and biochar is the primary product for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), resulting in carbon-negative operations. 

OPT Pellets for Biomass Power Plants and BECCS in Japan and Europe (Presentation Version)

One way to maintain or even increase the productivity of palm oil plantations is through replanting , which is absolutely necessary. Old palm oil trees will decline in productivity, becoming uneconomical. Just as palm oil planting is carried out in stages, replanting oil palm plantations is also carried out in stages and periodically.

Most palm oil companies affiliated with GAPKI have been replanting regularly, or annually, on an area of ​​4-5%. GAPKI currently has 731 members, while according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2023, the number of palm oil companies in Indonesia reached 2,446, spread across 26 provinces.

Of Indonesia's approximately 16.8 million hectares of oil palm plantations, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550,000 hectares are owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares are owned by smallholders, and the remainder has not been verified. Specifically for replanting, the government is targeting 180,000 hectares per year for smallholders, but by 2024, only 38,244 hectares had been realized, far short of the target.

With an average hectare of palm oil plantation containing 125 trees, each tree having an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, per hectare yields 50 tons of dry biomass. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this translates to 0.5 million tons of dry biomass, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million tons of dry biomass. Optimistically, Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting, or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million tons of dry biomass per year. Malaysia, with 5% replanting, or 285,000 hectares, would produce 14.25 million tons of dry biomass per year.

To read and access the presentation, please download here. 

EFB Pellets: Indonesia and Malaysia's Huge Potential Ready to be Monetized

Empty oil palm fruit bunches (EFB) are the most abundant solid waste from palm oil mills. Efforts to utilize them have also attracted considerable attention. With hundreds of tons of waste produced daily, it certainly presents a challenge, but also an attractive opportunity. Considerations of investment size and potential profits are key. EFB pellet production is an attractive option given the need for biomass fuel for decarbonization, renewable fuels, and carbon-neutral fuels to achieve Indonesia's Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2060.

The global population of palm oil plantations, with Indonesia and Malaysia leading the way, makes processing this material highly attractive. Many machinery companies have focused on empty fruit bunch processing, particularly through size reduction and pressing, but few have focused on producing EFB pellets. This is because empty fruit bunches, with their high fiber content, are more difficult to process than wood materials like sawdust or other agricultural waste biomass. 

Selecting the right, reliable, and experienced production machinery supplier is key to success. Performance guarantees, such as agreed quality and quantity targets, as well as timely machine manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and production, are indicators of the supplier's reliability. A track record is also an important consideration. Furthermore, the high potassium content of empty fruit bunches (EFB) poses a challenge in producing boiler-friendly fuel, particularly for pulverized combustion, commonly used in power plants.

And with the increasing number of companies producing EFB pellets, there will be competition for the supply of empty fruit bunches raw materials, such as PLN EPI (Energi Primer Indonesia) which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PT Biomassa Energi Group (BEG) and G7 Group SP.Z.O.O from Poland which was developed jointly will start operating in February 2026, with an initial production target of 120 thousand tons per year, and will be followed by five additional factories with similar or larger capacities, more details read here.