Pertamina Educates the Community to Use Water Hyacinth as a New Renewable Energy Source to Preserve Cengklik Reservoir in Boyolali

Boyolali, August 18, 2022 - As a concern for the environment, especially in preserving the Cengklik Reservoir in Boyolali, Pertamina runs a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program or Desa Energi Berdikari Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL), by educating the public on water hyacinth use around the reservoir as a new renewable energy source.

Training activities were carried out for the Ngudi Tirto Lestari Community Group in Boyolali Regency located around Pertamina's operational location, in Adi Soemarmo's Aircraft Filling Depot (DPPU) on Sunday (14/8).

Area Manager of Communication, Relations, & CSR for the Central Java Region of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Brasto Galih Nugroho, explained the Cengklik Reservoir is a water area and nature tourism icon in Boyolali that provides environmental and economic impacts for the local community.

“An artificial reservoir with a 300 hectares inundation area could attract at least 13,000 tourists per year. Not only that, but the reservoir is a livelihood source for fishermen and an irrigation source for agricultural land around the reservoir. At least people in the two sub-districts around Cengklik Reservoir, namely Ngemplak and Nogosari Sub-district, depend on water sources from the reservoir," he concluded.

Besides the great potential, the Cengklik Reservoir has problems, such as the reservoir sedimentation caused by the excessive water hyacinth.

“This causes the water capacity to decrease from time to time, considering that water hyacinth plants can grow rapidly. If left unchecked, it will disrupt people's water needs,” he explained.

Based on this, Pertamina educates community groups to collect and process water hyacinth as biogas fuel.

“The collected water hyacinth is chopped and fermented to produce biogas in a container that could be used as an alternative fuel for cooking on a gas stove. From the test, 100 kg of water hyacinth can be converted into portable biogas with a capacity of 200 liters," he said.

Not only used as biogas, but Pertamina also encourages farmers around the Cengklik Reservoir to utilize water hyacinth as solid and liquid organic fertilizer for agriculture around the reservoir.

"This will not only preserve the Cengklik Reservoir but also reduce chemical fertilizers used by farmers. Thus it is more environmentally friendly, provide savings, and a healthier and organic harvests," Brasto said.

Raharjo, the Chair of the Ngudi Tirto Lestari Group, is relieved after receiving the training provided by Pertamina regarding water hyacinth, which has been the main problem in the Cengklik Reservoir.

"We thank Pertamina for helping us find solutions to the problems we have experienced so far, even providing value for the use of these problems," he said.

ESG Commitment and Contribution to SDGs

Brasto explained that the CSR program implemented is one of Pertamina's ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) commitments.

"In addition, this program also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially at point six (Clean Water and Adequate Sanitation), point seven (Clean and Affordable Energy), and point 13 (Handling Change climate)," he concluded.**