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.
