18 May 2012: The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) has published an update on a project it is funding in Indonesia aiming to transform wastewater from tofu production into biogas, and which will create both environmental benefits and increase the use of renewable energy by the industry and surrounding communities.

The project is co-funded by the Environment Technology Center at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT). It is based on a BBPT pilot plant in the Banyumas tofu industrial cluster. The project will develop an enabling framework and policy recommendations for the future use of biogas in the tofu industry, including its nearly 84,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). An upcoming workshop will ensure dissemination of findings and recommendations.

Dr. Ridwan Djamaluddin, Deputy of Natural Resources Technology Development of BPPT, states that “more than 56,000 tonnes of fossil fuels could be substituted each year with biogas produced from tofu industry waste water in Indonesia.” Besides environmental benefits, this project will create access to a new source of renewable energy, not only for the tofu industry but also for the surrounding communities. The project will also serve as an example for other industry clusters, including by analyzing the potential of carbon markets as a source of investment funding. [REEEP Press Release]