HyMeTek from Taiwan to Manado, Indonesia: Benchmark of an Agro-renewable Energy Technology Transfer - The Efforts Behind the Name –

HyMeTek from Taiwan to Manado, Indonesia: Benchmark of an Agro-renewable Energy Technology Transfer - The Efforts Behind the Name –

Published: 2019.08.15
Accepted: 2019.08.15
119
Senior Lecturer
Electrical Engineering Department, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Sam Ratulangi, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Institute of Green Products, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan

INTRODUCTION

The idea appeared in APEC EWG 54th  meeting at Wellington, Australia on November 22, 2017, when North Sulawesi, Indonesia Vice Governor delivered his presentation and stated that “North Sulawesi Province as a Promising Land of Renewable Energy to be utilized and to be conserved.” This statement had attracted the two Feng Chia University Professors who are active in APEC ACABT organization, that is Prof. Shu-Yii Wu, Dean of College of Engineering, as also a CEO of APEC ACABT, and Associate Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu, Director of Master’s Program of Green Energy Science and Technology, also as an Executive Secretary of APEC ACABT, who attended that meeting and watched the North Sulawesi Vice Governor presentation.

With this early information of North Sulawesi situation, these professors continued their curiosity to find more detailed information. The opportunity came in December 2017 when Assoc. Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu from Feng Chia University (FCU) and Assoc. Prof. Keng-Tung Wu from National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), had been invited by Manado City government to attend the Workshop on Renewable Energy Application for Tondano River and Surrounding Areas. In this workshop, they gain more information about the energy supply condition in Manado city and its surrounding, especially after the Manado city flood disaster in 2014. The workshop was continued by Field survey in Pandu Village, Manado, where the refugees from Tondano River impacted by climate change were ready to be relocated.

According to the Data from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Manado City in 2014, 101 houses were lost, 18 died, 2 were missing, and 86,355 people or 25,103 families were displaced by the floods. To overcome the housing problem and to replace the lost houses for the victims and refugees of the flood disaster impact, the Manado city government has built simple housing in Pandu village. And since January 2017, the victims of the floods can be relocated to Pandu village, in Bunaken District, Manado City, by the support of the Manado city government. But even though the houses were built in new area and the flood disaster victim were ready to relocate, there was still a problem that needs to be solved. The electrical power shortage is still a problem because of the high cost of power transmission.

After the workshop and field survey in Manado city, the APEC ACABT team have some discussions, i.e.: Seems that Pandu Village can be a model of renewable energy (biomass and solar farm) in collaboration with Manado Government and APEC ACABT, supported by Feng Chia University (FCU), Sam Ratulangi University (UnSRAT), Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI) and National Chung Hsing University (NCHU). To answer this discussion, APEC ACABT by FCU support, planned to build a Pilot Project on Biowaste to Bioenergy System model by using their HyMeTek patent technology, that can help the people in Manado relocation area. This Pilot Project also can be a place for students to learn about Renewable Energy focused on Biogas Power Plant.

THE RESPONSE FROM TAIWAN

As a response to the good relationship with Manado city and Indonesia, APEC ACABT invited Dr. Cynthia Wuisang, lecturer from UNSRAT for Green Urban Planning and Dr. Dwi Susilaningsih from LIPI to visit Taiwan from March 28 to April 1, 2018. Actually, the purposes of the invitation is to share the new idea and knowledge about Renewable Energy in Taiwan. These two delegations from Indonesia were brought to have visiting experience to: (1) Municipal City Visits : to learn the technology of disaster prevention, waste management, and tourism low-carbon city policies; (2) Green Energy and Disaster Prevention and Warning Technology  (3) Climate refugees’ resettlement; (4) Implementation project of filming the new energy in Manado City, and   (5) Visit solar panel training center at Hsiuping University of Science and Technology, Taichung city. During this few days visit, both of them also join an APEC-ACABT mini workshop in Feng Chia University, and Dr. Cynthia has given a speech with topic of “MANADO RUMAH KITA BERSAMA“ , that means “Manado, our home together”. Another response from APEC ACABT through Feng Chia University Master Program in Green Energy Science and Technology, was the invitation sent to UnSRAT to invite two lecturers to join the Taiwan Education Experience Program (TEEP@AsiaPlus2018) as participants of exchange students. UnSRAT have sent Ms. Saartje Silimang and Alicia Sinsuw to join the program from June 1 to November 1, 2018 to learn the process of the biogas plant and maintenance and operation of the solar panel system. They learned many things during this 5 months program, and by this opportunity, Ms. Alicia finally decided to join the PhD study in FCU which started on February 2019, Spring semester.

It can be said that TEEP is a successful program in widening the networks and strengthening the collaborations. The “sleeping” relationship between FCU and Manado city government after the workshop in December 2017 was “awake” during TEEP 2018 program, since the participants from UnSRAT Manado became a bridge to reconnect the sleeping parties. Then the spirit goes up!

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

  1. Action

The communications between FCU and Manado city government became more intense with the help of UnSRAT Manado city exchange student participant on TEEP 2018. In preparation for project funding, Assoc. Prof Chen-Yeon Chu had made his presentation about the idea and the planning system of this project, to NEP II in Taipei. And this idea was approved, from the system installation to community sustained during five years.

And, the ball starts rolling.  It needs the solid team to work together. While communication with Manado city kept going well, and the installation of HyMeTek system (Fig 1) lead by Engineer Arlex Chen - the right man on the right place – is going on, Feng Chia University takes action by sending students to Manado city. FCU sent Mr. Chang-Yu Chen an undergraduate student to study and develop an international joint-project with Manado City Government in the field of Urban Planning and Green Energy and focus on “Solar Panel Photovoltaic and Biogas technology” in Manado City, Indonesia, .and Mr. Lo Chin, Master Student to study and develop an international joint-project with Manado City Government in the field of Urban Planning and Green Energy and focus on “Biogas technology” of Bailang Slaughterhouse site in Manado City, Indonesia. Also FCU sent his Research Assistant and Engineer, Mr. Tsung Hsien, Chen – known as Arlex Chen – to do a research project on Green Energy and Green Urban Planning, associated with the Demo and Training Power Station of Two Bio Hythane Production (HyMeTek) of Bailang Slaughterhouse site, Manado City, Indonesia. Each one stayed one month in Manado.

 
   

  

 

Fig 1. The pilot project of HyMeTek demo and training of two-stage biowaste to bioenergy system

  1. MoU Signing

 Meanwhile, the intense discussion and communications between Manado party and FCU party regarding to the project, run well, and both parties planned for MoU signing on August 24, 2018 between APEC ACABT and Manado City Government, continued with International Seminar on “Manado Reaching the Dream of Renewable Energy.”  On the other side, the engineers’ work continued to the Designing the system of “Power Station of Two-stage Biohythane Production (HyMeTek)” with output electrical capacity of 10 kW. The tasks to be finished   are (1) to build the system designed, (2) to shipped the built system to Bitung Harbour, and (3) to install the system at Manado site. All members of the team worked together, simultaneously.
The great day has come. The team, composed of Professors, CEO and Engineers, flew from Taiwan and arrived in Manado city. Everything was arranging well, and on August 24, 2018 a   MoU signing between APEC ACABT – Manado city Government (Fig 2), and International Seminar took place. This was attended by Manado city Vice Major, Mr. Mor Bastiaan, SE and CEO of APEC ACABT, Prof. Shu-Yii Wu, with Executive Secretary of APEC ACABT, Assoc. Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu, and Dr. Peter Karl Bart Assa, the Manado city Secretary, as witnesses. The content of the MoU is about collaboration between APEC ACABT and Manado city government in exchange researcher, exchange data, joint research and publications.

Fig 2. MoU Signing between APEC ACABT and Manado City Government

  1. International Seminar

The International Seminar also were successful, attended by 250 participants from government, universities, companies, and private sectors, put attention on the Renewable Energy technologies issues. The Keynote speakers (Fig 3) of this seminar are Prof. Shu-Yii Wu (CEO APEC ACABT/FCU), Assoc. Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu (Executive Secretary APEC ACABT/FCU), Assoc. Prof. Keng-Tung Wu (Secretary of APEC EGNRET/NCHU), Dr. Dwi Susilaningsih (Indonesia Institute of Science/LIPI), Mr. Zulfan Zul (Bioenergy Engineering, Indonesia Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry), Dr. Pi-Fuang Chen (CEO Zolargus Inc/Private Sector) and Alicia Sinsuw (Sam Ratulangi University). The chairman of Board of Regional Research, Planning and Development of Manado city (BAPELITBANGDA), Dr. Liny Tambajong, MSi., also following the Seminar with enthusiasm. She is the important key person of this Pilot Project between APEC ACABT and Manado city government.
The International Seminar has been done, the MoU signing also had been done and the professors team had flew back to Taiwan. Now, what’s next? Yes!! The shipment of HyMeTek system. Started from Taiwan to Bitung International Harbor, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, the nearest harbor to Manado city. The shipment itself took time more than it was planned. It was almost a month shipment!

Fig 3. International seminar speakers from APEC ACABT, LIPI and Manado City Government

  1. Field Survey and Feedstock Test

Two weeks later than the early information given by the shipping company. Another lesson, we have learnt!  While waiting for the HyMeTek system to arrive in Manado, the team, led by Arlex Chen, the HyMeTek Engineer – he had to stay in Manado more than a month while waiting for the shipment -   were doing some preparation (Fig 4). The Master student that was sent by FCU started to prepare the material to produce some biogas that was planned for demo when the system arrived, and Arlex was preparing the place where the system going to be seated, and doing some measurements to make sure that the system will fit on the site. Also, there was a documentary filming preparation that made a story about the Flood Victim Relocation area and the community’s sustainable activities.
Manado city government have chosen the Slaughter House location, in Bailang Village, Manado city as the location to put the Biogas HyMeTek System with a consideration that in Bailang Village there are some victims of the previous flood, and the electric power capacity over that area were not enough to supply power to the whole village. They hoped that with the HyMeTek Biogas Power Plant can help the people in that area, at least, a public place that constantly needs electricity. It is located on the hill, with very nice view to Manado Bay. The main purpose of this Pilot Project Implementation is actually to give the alternative model and to introduce the technology of Biogas system to Manado City, with consideration that based on Manado surrounding area which has many plantations and farming, Biogas is suitable for sustainable renewable energy system. Therefore, this Pilot Project Plant was given the name of Demo and Training Power Station of Two-stage Biohythane Production (HyMeTek)  Manado Project.With  this Pilot Project capacity of 10 kW, can only power a church as a public place that is located about 300 meters from  the slaughterhouse. In the future this project can be duplicated or built into a bigger capacity according to what Manado city needs.
Waiting for the great day, Assoc. Prof. Chen-Yeon CHU as a PI of this Pilot Project flew back to Manado to bring the Video Documenter Team from Taiwan. Their job is to record all the activities during implementation the HyMeTek system, and do video documentation of the villagers to see the real life and activities of the community and its surroundings where the location of HyMeTek is. The purpose is to show that the system has real positive impact to the community’s sustainability efforts. Also, they have to capture on film the learning process that is experienced by the Sam Ratulangi University students, the lecture of which will be given by Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu. They worked together with a local fixer, Ivana Marcia who has done the pre shoot, a week before the video team arrived. The video team itself, had worked in Manado for ten days, at the same time with the FCU team.

                                                                                                         (a)                                                                                       (b)

Fig 4.  Field Survey of HyMeTek location: (a) Church, (b) Slaughterhouse

HYMETEK SYSTEM BUILD UP

Finally, the day has come. The ship which is carrying the HyMeTek system has arrived in Bitung harbor. With lots of efforts, our Pilot Project PI, Prof. Chu led the process of bringing the system that was put in a container to the pointed location. It was not an easy work. In the middle of the night, the team members were still in the rural area, thinking and trying to figure out how to bring the system in! The access road was very small, and the container truck is very big. Crane which is needed to lift up the container and put on its right position was too big, and it cannot enter the access road to Slaughter House!! This is the time we felt that we needed the friend networks for some favors. Calling friends in the midnight is other thing. But, its happened, and its worked! Some friends of local people in Manado city helped the team. They are friends from the church networks and also from the Eben Haezar Christian Education Foundation, who help the team to find some solutions, especially on how to manage the system and put in the location. The people surround the Slaughter House were also helpful, especially the Priest of the nearby church. Hard work until 4.00 am, the team need to have some sleep and continue the work next day

TESTING AND HANDOVER

Another big day had come. The Board of Regional Research, Planning and Development of Manado city has arranged the program of Manado City Vice Mayor to visit Slaughter House for the Pilot Project of Demo and Training Power Station of Two-stage Biohythane Production (HyMeTek) on September 21, 2019 (Fig 5).  It was well arranged, and at 10.00 am the Vice Mayor came. Prof. Chu welcomed him and escorted him to look around the HyMeTek system in the container. There were a lot of explanation regarding the general process and the objectives of the project especially in the area of community sustainability. The video team recorded the process and also did some interviews with Prof. Chu and Vice Mayor about their response and future expectations on this project. It was a good impression from the Vice Mayor, and he was very supportive. This project will be put as a part of his planning for Manado Smart city in 2021.
The installation process with the engineering team of FCU and UnSRAT continued. Lifting up the container by using forklift was not an easy job. It needed focus and right prediction, skills and logic. Those are the tasks of engineers. With all the efforts and co-operations, finally the container can be put at the right place of Slaughter House location. For a week, the team continued their job. Installations by engineers, documentary filming by the video team, and teaching the students on Learning with experience of Renewable Energy, by the professor. It was very good to have such a collaboration with all parties. Those activities kept going on until the time that the team has to go back to

Taiwan.

Fig 5. Manado city Vice Mayor first visit to the HyMeTek System

ACHIEVEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. OUTCOMES

After the installation processes have been done, it needs a roadmap for its five-years project follow ups. Back to Taiwan, the team had some discussions to defined the pathway of the Manado city Pilot Project, with the results: the roadmap started with Year 0 in 2018 to Year 5 in 2023. The year 0, called as Initial Phase that started with Biogas system installation. In Year 1, Hybrid Phase, the plan is to build Solar PV installation for learning materials. There is also the building of an education room for students to have a place for study about renewable energy at the site, and to protect them from sun or rain. Then, in year 2 it will be a Smart Power Management, whereby the two system are going to be connected through a smart grid, to produce electric power for the community. At the same year, the community who live nearby the location can be empowered to collect agricultural waste for biogas system feedstock, and also planting some fruits or other plants by using the organic fertilizer and effluent from the biogas system, so those people also may gain more income. Year 3 is predicted to have Green Products. By harvesting the organic plantations, the community may sell it to have income, especially for women, so they may help their husbands to support the families’ economic life. In the year 4, the plan is to have Green Neighborhood, which means that the citizens of the community already have more understanding about green life. They will have more knowledge to live clean, not to throw rubbish just anywhere, and even how to classify waste accordingly. Finally, in Year 5, the community is supposed to have Economy impact from this system implemented, by keep on collecting the waste for feedstock, planting or farming with organic fertilizers, selling of green products, getting more knowledge from the teachers who give lectures on site, and maybe getting some extra income by selling organic juices from their plantation, to the guests who come to the location. By the fifth year, it is supposed to have a sustainable community in the Slaughter House area. This Five Years Roadmap was submitted to Manado City government through BAPELITBANGDA and had been followed accordingly to continue the collaborations based on an MoU. In order to do some testing after installation, the Master’s Program of Green Energy Science and Technology FCU sent another two Master students Mr. Tantrung, Nguyen and Mr. Chiawei, Lai to do A small research project on Green Energy and Green Urban Planning, associated with the Demo and Training Power Station of Two Bio-hythane Production (HyMeTek) of Bailang Slaughterhouse site, Manado City, Indonesia.

By the end of the year 2018, Sam Ratulangi University held the 1st International Conference IConSEP (International Conference on Sustainable Engineering Practices) on November 8-9, 2018, and invite Assoc. Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu, and Prof. Shang-Yuen Chen from FCU to be the keynote speakers. In his presentation for the Conference, Prof. Chen-Yeon Chu explained about the Biogas Demo and Training Center that has been implemented in slaughterhouse, so that the students and lecturers of UnSRAT know about the power plant. At the same time, after the long preparation since July 2018, finally UnSRAT and FCU came to an agreement to sign the MoU between Universities, in late October. The MoU itself contains the agreement to collaborate in Joint Research, Journal Publications, Exchange students and lecturers, also some other collaborations within Academic issues. The visit of the FCU team in the late 2018 had three main objectives, i.e.: (1) Sign MoU between FCU-UnSRAT, (2) Keynote Speakers for IConSEP 2018, and (3) Hand Over the Demo and Training System of HyMeTek to Manado city government. The activities number (1) and (2) had been done in UnSRAT, and the third activity had held in slaughterhouse office. Attended and accepted by Manado City Secretary, Mr. Mickler Lakat, the Demo and Training Power Station of Two-stage Biohythane Production (HyMeTek) System that was successfully installed, handed over from APEC ACABT and FCU to Manado city government, with future hope that, this Technology Transfer can be very useful for all the students, teachers, researchers, public or private sectors who are willing and curious to learn about renewable energy, for “Manado Reaching the Dream of Agro-renewable Energy Technology” (Fig 6).

Fig 6. Manado city reaching the dream of Agro-renewable Energy Technology through the HyMeTek System

  1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Since HyMeTek technology comes from Taiwan, we suggest that the Taiwan government may assist the private sector to build up the comprehensive industrial chains for the advance bioenergy system. Also Taiwan and Asian countries may immediately set up the Fare Trade Agreement (FTA) to implement the Taiwan benchmark technology in Asian countries.

Based on the implementation of HyMeTek System as a Demo and Training Center for Biowaste-to-Bioenergy Technology, it is expected that the Manado city government may consider about how to manage the agriculture wastes from the community, and convert it into bioenergy.

For Indonesia government, it is suggested to set up a regulation about incentive for organization or private sectors who provided bioelectricity power to support the remote area or isolated islands.

Date submitted: Jul. 01, 2019

Reviewed, edited and uploaded: Aug. 15, 2019

 

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