Innovation and creativity continue to drive the creation of an environment free of waste and emissions. The BIONIDE Team has won second place in the prestigious Kurva 2024 competition organized by Pupuk Kujang. This team consists of students from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program (TRKI) of the Diponegoro University Vocational School (SV Undip), led by I Dhafa Febrian, with members Rhasna Wiritanaya Witrisnanti, Earlene Dascha Faustina, Sheva Risga Tristarini, and Zulfan Amirul Milla. They developed the innovation of Digitalization of Fertilizer Industry Waste Processing.
Dhafa explained that using water for household and industrial needs is a crucial problem in various sectors, especially with the difficulty of accessing clean water in areas around the industry. The BIONIDE Team felt called to contribute through creative and innovative ideas in overcoming this problem. Sheva added that their project was also inspired by river pollution due to industrial waste, so they proposed an innovation to reduce ammonia levels, which are harmful to the aquatic environment. In the innovation competition organized by Pupuk Kujang Cikampek, the BIONIDE Team developed a system that utilizes the Nitrification-Denitrification principle with MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) media coated with Bacillus cereus bacterial biofilm, capable of reducing ammonia levels by up to 90%. Rihanna explained that this innovation helps reduce ammonia levels in industrial waste before being discharged into the surrounding environment close to residential areas. Earlene added that the team is also committed to utilizing waste by-products to create environmentally friendly products with selling value. This innovation not only supports the concept of zero waste and zero emission but also provides solutions for industries in Indonesia to be more environmentally friendly. Dhafa further explained that Bacillus cereus bacterial waste is processed into an innovative composite by mixing it with cocopeat and nutrients that benefit plants, providing added environmental value.
The success of the BIONIDE Team cannot be separated from the guidance of lecturer Mohamad Endy Yulianto, Head of the TRKI Study Program, who continues to support and provide motivation in developing this innovation. Dean of Undip Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si, also expressed his pride in the students’ achievements that impact the wider community. Thanks to their innovation, the BIONIDE Team entered the top 10 grand finals and won second place in the Kurva 2024 competition, with the first-place winner from ITB and the third-place winner from UGM. Zulfan hoped their innovation could be applied to Indonesia’s large- and medium-scale fertilizer industry to provide more comprehensive benefits.