KONTAN.CO.ID - BONTANG.Since last year, PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim) has been processing coal ash waste in the form of fly ash and bottom ash (FABA) for soil stockpiling purposes.The subsidiary of PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) claims to be a pioneer in this utilization.In the process of burning coal as an energy source to support fertilizer plant operations, Pupuk Kaltim produces ash waste in the form of fly ash and bottom ash.Fly ash is light ash that floats while bottom ash is heavy ash that falls to the bottom.The content in FABA such as carbon, nitrogen and silica.The initiation of the use of FABA for landfilling appeared in 2017. However, it was only last year that Pupuk Kaltim received a permit from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK) to make it happen.Also Read: Towards the Blue Ammonia Era, Pupuk Kaltim Will Build a Soda Ash Factory to Take Advantage of CO2Pupuk Kaltim admits that many companies have used FABA.However, for use in the process of stabilizing soil stockpiles, they claim to be pioneers."KLHK wants to work with us to make this project a reference," said Nurichsan Usman, staff of PT Yepeka Usaha Mandiri (YUM) when met by KONTAN in Bontang, East Kalimantan, Monday (25/7).For your information, YUM is owned by the Pupuk Kaltim Foundation (YPK) and the Employee Cooperative of the Pupuk Kaltim Foundation.The company, which originally ran the English study and language business since 2004, is now engaged in various business fields, including general contractors and construction.The permit for the use of FABA for landfilling along with Pupuk Kaltim was issued along with the emergence of Government Regulation (PP) 22/2021 concerning the Implementation of Environmental Protection and Management and Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation 19/2021.According to PP, FABA can be included in the category of non-B3 waste as long as it comes from the coal combustion process other than stoker boiler facilities or industrial furnaces.Also Read: Build a US$ 250 Million Soda Ash Factory, Pupuk Kaltim Aims for Unilever's Market to MaspionFABA from coal combustion in steam power plants (PLTU) using a pulverized coal (PC) combustion system or chain grate stoker, is included in non-B3 waste.Even so, the rules still require non-B3 waste producers to meet the technical standards and requirements in the approval of environmental documents.On the other hand, coal burning waste from stoker boiler facilities or industrial furnaces is still categorized as B3 waste.In this category, fly ash is coded for B409 waste while bottom ash is coded for B410 waste.In a year, Pupuk Kaltim produces 35,000 tons of FABA from burning coal at the PLTU.According to the plan, the majority of the burnt waste will be used for a prospective industrial land stabilization project covering an area of ​​60 hectares (ha) in an industrial area owned by PT Kaltim Industrial Estate (KIE), Bontang, East Kalimantan.Ichsan explained that the type of soil in the prospective area for the new industrial land of Pupuk Kaltim is in the form of swamp, so it is not stable if it is directly used for development."The function of FABA will be to stabilize the soil by partially mixing it with cement," he explained.Also Read: These are the Four Biggest Challenges of Green Energy Development in the Domestic Industry SectorFor the initial stage, Pupuk Kaltim plans to stabilize the 9 ha land which is divided into five plots of 1.8 ha each.To stabilize the 1.8 ha area, the company needs 32,000 tonnes of FABA.Thus, the target for completing the first phase of industrial land stabilization will take about five years.Land stabilization begins with the process of making embankments as markers and retainers of the project area.Because the initial land was a swamp, the process was attempted to be carried out when the water was receding.Furthermore, the installation of two layers such as tarpaulin, namely geotextile and geomembrane inside the embankment with the aim of preventing FABA from touching the ground directly.Then in the middle of the embankment a water channel is made with a control tub at the end.Also Read: Using Rooftop PLTS, Pupuk Kaltim Can Save Up To 30% of Office Electricity NeedsThe next step is the stockpiling of FABA in the embankment in three layers.The bottom layer is a mixture of FABA and cement with a composition of 90:10 while the middle layer is FABA and cement with a composition of 95:5.While the top layer consists of 97.5% FABA and 2.5% cement.After that, Pupuk Kaltim planted Brachiaria Humidicola (BH) grass in the top layer to reduce soil erosion that has not been used for development.Based on the results of stockpiling in a plot of 1.8 ha, not only BH grass but other wild plants also live.Ichsan said the technical data concluded that the results of the land embankment with FABA were strong and safe."If the layer is finished and there is no decrease in the elevation of the soil and the grass also grows, there is no need for any maintenance," he explained.In addition to supporting soil stockpiling, in a smaller portion, Pupuk Kaltim utilizes FABA as a mixture of bricks.However, in accordance with the provisions of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the percentage of FABA allowed is only 30% of the total brick raw materials.The rest is cement and sand.Read also: Pupuk Kaltim (PKT) Processes Plastic Waste into Road Asphalt MaterialsSo far, Pupuk Kaltim is still making bricks with a mixture of FABA for internal projects.In a year, they produce thousands of bricks.Meanwhile, before using FABA for stockpiling soil and bricks, Pupuk Kaltim disposed of the waste to a cement factory for processing."Because now the status is not B3, it can be used because frankly the use of FABA is also related to processing costs," said Anton Sri Widodo, Vice President of Plant 6 of PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur in Bontang, East Kalimantan, Tuesday (26/7).However, the use of FABA for bricks has not been maximized when compared to its use in Java.Anton suspects that the massive property development in Java has contributed to the demand for bricks with a mixture of FABA.Not to mention, there are more cement companies on the island.Also Read: Reducing Carbon Emissions, Pupuk Kaltim Uses Electric Motors for Company ActivitiesMeanwhile, cement factories usually only take fly ash for cement mixture.Fly ash has a softer texture than bottom ash.Cement manufacturers do not choose bottom ash as a product mix because it contains unburnt carbon.Even though FABA from PLTU Pupuk Kaltim is now in the status of non-B3 waste, the provisions of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry must still be fulfilled.The petrochemical company must routinely carry out toxicity tests to match the level permitted by the ministry.Anton explained that FABA produced from a number of coal specifications could be different.In addition to calories, FABA is also affected by the sulfur or ash content in coal.Also Read: Pupuk Kaltim's Efforts to Increase the Productivity of Local Fishermen Through Floating CagesFor information, since around 2011 Pupuk Kaltim has operated a steam power plant that consumes low to medium calorie coal.The coal boiler unit has a capacity of 2x220 metric tons per hour or 96.6 megawatts (MW) of electricity.PLTU functions as a steam supplier to support the production process of ammonia and urea plants.Meanwhile, so far, Pupuk Kaltim has two FABA storage locations (TPS) around Factory 6. The first reservoir is capable of producing FABA produced from PLTU operations for 15 days to a month.If the second storage area is 2.43 ha, it can store FABA generated from PLTU operations for up to a year.Next up: Muscular, Jisdor Rupiah Strengthens to Rp 14,860 Per US Dollar On Friday (29/7)Check other News and Articles on Google NewsIn the midst of the threat of global warming, the development of a green economy has become a priority and is increasingly being taken into account.Green economy is also one of the issues raised by Indonesia as the support for the G20 Presidency in 2022. As a form of support for the initial efforts of various parties for the goal of realizing a sustainable economy, KONTAN held a special coverage and in-depth report entitled Exploring the Green Economy 2022. The KONTAN Exploration Team will visit, covering and recording green economic activities in various regions in the country.Various topics will be raised, ranging from roadmaps and green economy regulations, electric vehicle ecosystems, implementation of corporate green energy, green energy sources, circular economy to green tourism.