EAST ACEH  (29 February 2024) - The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) launched an environmentally friendly innovation stove fueled by palm oil waste. This stove began to be used in Seuneubok Simpang Village, Darul Aman District, East Aceh Regency and was created as a solution to overcome the high price of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, when visiting Seuneubok Village, on Wednesday (28/2) said that previously the local village community had complained about the difficulty of getting three kilograms of LPG. Even more, the price is very expensive.

Knowing about this, the Minister of Social Affairs then formed a team and collaborated with Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB). After the MoSA and IPB team came to the location for survey purposes, they decided to use palm oil waste as fuel, especially the rotting one. Palm oil waste is quite abundant in the area. "Instead of wasting it, it is better to use it for fuel," said Risma.

Meanwhile, the stove used was designed by IPB with a simple design in the form of a tube with a diameter of around 15 centimeters and a height of 20 centimeters. "Because the design is simple, the stove can be made independently by the local community, so that it can simultaneously stimulate the community's economy," said the Minister.

Chair of Seuneubok Simpang Village Social Harmony Forum (FKS), Kafriyadi said the innovative stove had been tested since September 2023 and the results were satisfactory. "People no longer need to pay expensive fees to buy LPG because fuel in the form of palm oil is abundantly available here," said him.

According to him, in general, palm oil that has rotted or separated from its stalk will simply be thrown away. Now, they can dry the palm oil and put it into the stove. "Around 25 dried palm kernels are enough for cooking for about an hour," said Kafriyadi.

At the bottom of the stove, there is a hole and an air cover. If the cover is opened wide, the flame will grow. Vice versa, if the air cover is closed, the flame will decrease. "The stove is very practical, so people like to use it," he added.

With the launch of this innovation, people practically no longer need to buy LPG gas, thereby saving costs. Besides, this stove is environmentally friendly because it uses rotted palm oil waste. This MoSA’s innovation is a practical and effective solution for society.