Tempo
No. 41/VIII/June 10-16, 2008
National
Blue Energy Uncertainty
The President challenges academics to offer a concrete proposal on alternative
energy to replace petroleum. He asks experts not to engage in a debate.
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THE closed-door meeting took place for about one and a half hours on the third
floor of the State Secretariat building next to the State Palace. In front of
no fewer than 60 energy experts, academic researchers and government
researchers, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked for a concrete proposal
for an alternative energy to replace fossil energy which is normally used for
fuel. This proposal will be solicited in two weeks' time.
"Please, don't argue with me," said the President as quoted by a participant.
In his one-hour speech, Yudhoyono referred to the book Beyond Gas: The Methanol
Economy, by Nobel Prize winner from the United States, George A. Olah. If one
still wishes to argue, said the President, do so with Olah. "He wrote the book,
not me," said Yudhoyono in his steady baritone voice.
This is a new chapter following the two-week furor over the alternative energy,
the so-called Blue Energy. It is not clear what the sanctions will be if the
proposals of the researchers do not "adequately excite" the President. A Tempo
source said Yudhoyono told the head of the Blue Energy team, Heru Lelono, at
the Merdeka Palace, Friday a fortnight ago, he would like to invite the
researchers. "Let me keep quiet," said the source quoting the President. "I'll
be waiting for two weeks. Whoever is willing to respond, just bring them here."
The polemic over the hydro-fuel "invented" by Joko Suprapto has been an
interesting topic of discussion over the last few weeks. This 48-year-old man
from Nganjuk, East Java, at first claimed to be graduated from the Gadjah Mada
University School of Electro Engineering. But Gadjah Mada refuted it. In
figuring out his "invention," Joko worked in cooperation with Heru Lelono,
Secretary-General of the United Indonesia Movement, an organization established
two years back by President Yudhoyono's backers.
Joko's name shot to prominence after the President sent off the convoy to the
International Climate Change Conference in Bali last December. At that time
Heru Lelono said the vehicles used the fuel invented by Joko. Mid-last month,
when he would present his invented machine to the President, Joko suddenly
"disappeared." He was later found lying sick supposedly after a heart attack at
Soedono Hospital, Madiun, East Java.
Some academics believe in the science of "transforming water into fuel" even
though the cost for processing the substance is higher than that for processing
crude oil. Others brand the "technological" invention a hoax, challenging Joko
to reveal it for a scientific test.
According to the State Minister for Research & Technology, Kusmayanto Kadiman,
the President in the meeting said that oil, gas, and coal energy in Indonesia
will soon be exhausted. The reserves will last another 20 years, 50 years, and
150 years respectively. Therefore, besides economizing, sources for alternative
energy should be discovered pretty soon. "The President gives his directives
and also a challenge," said Kusmayanto who is appointed by the President as
coordinator for the researchers' proposals.
Separately, Heru Lelono said the President's statement was not a challenge.
"Because, since the start of the speech, the President said, 'I want
assistance'." The request was also directed at anybody who was willing. Queried
as to whether the gathering of experts was a form of presidential reprimand
over the polemic about Blue Energy, Heru denied it. "The President's character
is not like that," he said. "If he gets angry, he'll just get angry."
Those present at the meeting were from, among others, the University of
Indonesia (UI), Gadjah Mada University, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bogor
Institute of Agriculutre, and the Surabaya November 10 Institute of Technology.
Those from government research institutions included the National Nuclear
Technology Agency, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and the Agency for the
Application of Research & Technology.
Some 11 ministers handling energy, economic, and political affairs were also
present, including the commander of the Indonesian Military. Four state-owned
enterprises were invited too. They were Pertamina, the State Electric Company,
the State Gas Company, and PT LEN Industry which is engaged in the electronics
field.
Dean of UI, Gumilar Rusliwa Somantri, said he received an invitation on Friday
the previous week. He came along with five researchers from UI. "Research
requires substantial funds," he commented.
It is a different story with Tumiran, head of the Gadjah Mada Department for
Electro Engineering. He failed to attend the event. Somebody who claimed to be
a Palace protocol officer said that he would be invited next time. Tumiran is
one of those who doubt the Blue Energy invention. Nevertheless, Tumiran's name
is listed in the presidensby.info website as participant. Regarding this
matter, head of the palace household Achmad Rusdi did not respond to the phone
call and text message sent to him for confirmation.
The President also invited the Center for Food, Energy & Water Studies (CFEWS).
This institution was established by Heru Lelono and Iswahyudi, Deputy
Secretary-General of the United Indonesia Movement. Through research at this
Center for Food, Joko Suprapto's invention was further processed.
According to Iswahyudi, who attended the event, the research into the fuel base
invented by Joko Suprapto will be continued. "But I haven't contacted Joko
again," he said Wednesday last week. Despite not being directly mentioned,
according to him, the making of synthetic fuel, as done by his institution,
resembles the methanol economy and the biomass cited by the President in his
speech.
Methanol economy refers to George A. Olah's book, namely, stimulating the state
economy based on methanol energy as replacement of fossil energy. According to
Wikipedia, methanol is derived from plants (biomass) which is not to be eaten,
such as humus, wood and trash, including carbon dioxide.
According to Iswahyudi, Joko Suprapto's invention is originally in the form of
fuel base. Only after being processed by means of the fuel refinery belonging
to his research institution, can the fuel base be used. At Joko's house at Turi
hamlet, Ngadiboyo village, Rejoso subdistrict, Nganjuk, East Java, on Thursday
last week, a plainclothes guard said the host was not home. "He's been in
Jakarta since yesterday," he said.
His wife Winda Mirah's cellphone was not active. At the post in front of his
house were some five plainclothes men keeping watch. They were assisted by two
policemen and two soldiers from the local military district command. At night
they took turns doing the rounds around the house.
According to Iswahyudi, at present the Blue Energy project faces mass
production constraints. He said he was seeking some Rp3 billion to make a
large-scale reactor in relation to the Blue Energy processing. "Just like
making fried rice," he said, "cooking it for one person is different from
preparing it for a battalion. The measurement must be different."
Director-General for Intellectual Property Rights, Andy Noorsaman Sommeng, said
that until last week there had been no patent rights registration for the
technology invented by Joko Suprapto or by the Center for Food. "If it's really
true, why don't they simply register it?" he asked. "So that it is legally
protected."
Iswahyudi fears that if patented, his technology might leak out to other
parties. "Who can guarantee it is not going to be leaked?" he said. Asked when
he would launch the Blue Energy, Iswahyudi replied that the lab research which
is fully privately funded has no definite schedule. "Just like in the
commercial," he said cryptically. "Maybe yes, maybe no."
Budi Riza, Heru C.N., Dwidjo U. Maksum, Deffan Purnama, Bunga
