Six students from Universitas Indonesia (UI) who are members of the Kawani Cihud team have won the international Impact Pitch Solution competition organized by the Indonesia Energy Innovation Challenge (IEIC).
The team members, Priscilla Tiffany (FTUI 2021), Ghazi Achmad Dzulfikar (FTUI 2021), Paskasius Andrew Nandya Pradanantyo Soeradji (FTUI 2021), Muhammad Farid Gunawan (FTUI 2021), Ahmad Mufid Dhiya’udin (FMIPA 2021), and Ahmad Yasri Zaenuri (FIA 2021), successfully outperformed 50 other participants in the competition with their project titled “Innovation of Micro Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) and Marketability Analysis to Enhance Renewable Energy Adoption: Improvement by Utilizing Head and Water Flow Optimization as Solution for Topography and Weather Fluctuation for Hydropower Implementation.”
The Kawani Cihud team recognized Indonesia’s vast potential for hydropower. This potential is abundant in Indonesian rivers; however, due to their relatively small size, this potential is suitable only for micro hydropower plants (MHPP).
Priscilla stated, “MHPP is more suitable for small to medium-sized rivers in Indonesia with a run-off river type. However, currently, the utilization of MHPP in Indonesia only reaches 46.12 MW.”
The benefits of MHPP for the community include providing affordable off-grid electricity access to remote areas, improving the standard of living in remote communities, boosting the local economy around rivers, and creating new job opportunities through community involvement in its development.
“Our team designed an update to the existing micro hydro power plant (MHPP) system by adding several features or additional units. We included a bar screen with slight flow modifications to separate waste and prevent aquatic life from entering the MHPP system and causing harm,” said Priscilla.
Priscilla continued, “Our innovation focuses on implementing a ram pump system to increase head and water potential energy as an energy source. We also used a pneumatic cylinder connected to an adjustable funnel before the water flow enters the powerhouse and hits the turbine. This addition can be made to existing MHPP installations without needing to dismantle them. These modifications offer better and more cost-efficient results.”
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU, expressed his appreciation, saying, “This initiative utilizes the significant potential of Indonesia’s diverse and abundant rivers, which have not yet been fully optimized. By addressing topographical challenges and weather fluctuations, this project can significantly improve the efficiency of microhydropower plants. This innovation not only supports the use of environmentally friendly renewable energy but also offers practical solutions for utilizing existing natural resources. I am confident that this innovation will contribute greatly to increasing the adoption of renewable energy in Indonesia.”
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Public Communications Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
