Charcoal Production from Coconut Fiber Waste

Coconut coir is waste from coconuts or coconut processing industry that is still not widely used. Coconut coir is usually left on the coconut plantations and often only becomes waste that pollutes the environment such as in the Indragiri Hilir area, the center of the largest coconut plantation in the world. This is similar to the empty fruit bunches in the palm oil industry which are usually only thrown in palm oil plantations or just piled up around the palm oil mills. In a number of palm oil mills, fiber (mesocarp fiber) is also widely produced and also tends to be waste that pollutes the environment, especially in the palm oil mills with high efficiency boilers. A number of coconut coir has been processed into cocofiber and cocopeat (or if empty fruit bunches of palm oil are processed into dried long fiber) but the percentage is still small. Cocofiber is used for mattresses, upholstery, ropes, brooms, doormats, geotextiles and so on, while cocopeat is used for growing media.

Another practical and easy use even in remote areas is the use of coconut coir waste for charcoal production. The charcoal is then made into briquettes so that it is denser and easier to use. Charcoal briquettes can be used to grill meat, fish or cooking fuel for various foods. The charcoal briquette fuel should be attractive and preferred because it has no odor, is not smoky and has a uniform shape. Compared to coal briquettes that were once promoted, charcoal briquettes from coconut coir and biomass are generally more suitable for barbecue and cooking purposes for the reasons above, whereas in coal briquettes in addition to the unpleasant odor arising from sulfur compounds, The ash produced is also included in the hazardous group so that it needs more difficult handling. These remote areas can use charcoal briquettes for daily cooking purposes or be marketed to cities, especially in culinary shops that provide food to be baked or burned (barbecue).

Another use of charcoal from coconut coir is for the agricultural sector. That is because charcoal (biochar) can be used to increase crop productivity and efficient use of fertilizers. Biochar can be used in vegetable and fruit gardens. Coconut plantations are generally very rarely or never fertilized so in an effort to increase productivity so that the optimal fertilization program needs to be done regularly. If the average productivity of Indonesian coconuts is currently only 40 grains / trees / year, it is expected that the use of biochar can be increased. Whereas the maximum average number, especially the types of coconut (tall varieties) can reach 100 to 120 grains per tree per year or about three times what is currently available.