Background

The Indonesian tofu industry encompasses some 84,000 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in clusters around the country. Currently, the wastewater from these firms is released without being completely treated, producing odour, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in both water and soil.

The Environment Technology Center at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has developed a pilot plant in the Banyumas tofu industrial cluster where wastewater can be processed to produce biogas, providing renewable energy to  be used for substituting fossil fuel consumption in tofu industries and household of the surrounding community.

Purpose

To provide a plan and policies to support the wide-scale implementation and replication of RE biogas in Indonesia, and to explore the possible funding options to produce biogas from tofu small industry’s waste water, including the carbon market.

Main Activities

• Compile overview of existing use of renewable technologies  in tofu sector
• Determine the technically viable quantity and quality of renewable resources in the sector
• Initiate dialogue with stakeholders
• Conduct barriers and opportunities analysis
• Draft an enabling framework and policy recommendations for implementing renewable energy in tofu industries  
• Organise workshop to disseminate findings, case studies and recommendations
• Develop analysis and assess possible funding options, including carbon market,  to support the production of biogas from tofu small industry’s waste water in Indonesia

Expected Impact

• Strengthened regional government capacity to to develop planning and policy support
• Greater understanding  government and stakeholders about the renewable energy, environmental management and financial options including carbon offset potentials in tofu sector
• Assessment the financial options including carbon market and offsetting from biogas from the tofu industry
• Potential for concept to be replicated in other industry clusters in Indonesia
• Up to 56,811 tonnes of fossil fuels can be substituted each year with biogas that produced from  all tofu industry waste water in Indonesia.
• Potential to reduce GHG emissions of 1.2 million tonnes CO2 annually from all possible tofu biogas production in Indonesia