According to Rao, his side will encourage many partnerships with a number of UGM Faculties. Several of them has even partnered with various US universities. “We are trying to increase more extensive collaborations in science, technology, energy and environment,â€Â Rao told journalists at UC Resto, Monday evening.
Responding to a question from a journalist with regard to the planned visit by US President Barack Obama to Indonesia this year, Rao said that it was already planned, referring to Mr. Obama’s statement to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently. Rao, however, cannot yet confirm whether Mr. Obama will visit Yogyakarta after his visit to Jakarta. “As he was raised in Indonesia, he will come with his family to see his old school, SD Menteng,†he said.
He gave an example, Tanjung Balai B steam power plant in Jepara, Central Java, generates electricity with a total power of 1320 MW needs 320 cubic meters of sea water per hour to be able to run. However, the residual brine water that is produced reaches 200 cubic meters per hour. With the tendency in Indonesia to produce up to a capacity of 10,000 MW, the potential for alkali and earth alkaline concentrates that are sent to the sea is bigger.
"This means that the more steam power plants in Indonesia, which are generally located near the beach, the more brine water that is not utilized; and the cost of desalination process is very expensive," the man born in Jakarta, March 5, 1964, explained.
Through the doctoral research with the supervisors, Prof. Dr. Triyono, Prof. Dr. Sri Juari, and Prof. Dr. Karna Wijaya of Chemistry Department, UGM, Eddy has been focusing on the search for the utilization of brine water from desalination. Through his research, he managed to synthesize a compound similar to hydrotalcite (hydrotalcite-like) that is obtained from the magnesium, one of the main earth alkaline metals in the brine water. Hydrotalcite compounds can be used as an absorber (sorbent), catalyst precursor, catalyst, and excipient of the pharmaceutical industry.
"So, the residual brine water contains waste absorbent material. When the magnesium from the brine water is taken and added with aluminum compounds, there is the potential solutions to industrial waste reduction efforts through the production of absorbent material from the magnesium of the steam power plant residues," Edy said.
Through the promotional exam, Eddy Heraldy proved that hydrotalcite material can be synthesized from magnesium materials taken from the residual brine water from steam power plant. He believes that the absorbent made from hydrotalcite, pharmaceutical excipients, and chemical reactions catalyst can be made through home industries around the power plant. Thus, the economic potential of communities there can be enhanced, as well as to produce salt. In the exam which was also attended by the Dean and Vice Dean from UNS, Eddy managed to graduate with honors.