ICCTF Comparative Study Enriching Knowledge On Processing Used Cooking Oil

The ICCTF secretariat team, together with the representatives from Directorate of Environment of Bappeans, RAN-GRK and GIZ visited Yayasan Lengis Hijau (YLH) in Bali to learn the process of turning used cooking oil into biodiesel.

YLI, located in Bali, has been running this used cooking oil into biodiesel program with the support from Caritas Switzerland. In each month, YLH is able to process 13,000 liter of used cooking oil into approximately 11,700 liter of liquid soap and biodiesel. The stock of used cooking oil can be obtained from hotels or fast-food restaurants and from fried snacks seller as well.

Endra Setyawan, Director of Yayasan Lengis Hijau said that the biodiesel is sold to hotels as main fuel for generator set, land mower, etc. Meanwhile, the liquid soap is sold as car and motor shampoo. The time needed for the whole process to finish can take one full day, from the used cooking oil as the raw material until it becomes biodiesel or glycerin (soap).

Endra Setyawan mentioned several problems concerning the processing of used cooking oil because of the lack of regulation in Indonesia related to the waste management of the used cooking oil. These management activities could also be conducted with centralization system since communities do not have the capability to process the used cooking oil. Besides that, he expressed his dreams for the local government to provide subsidiaries to YLH in running the program.

It is expected for the people to be able to see the economy potential from used cooking oil in the future. With this program, international community is expected to recognize the effort of the Government of Indonesia to achieve the target stated under National Action Plan for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction (RAN-GRK)