Study on the potential of used cooking oil and microalgae as biodiesel feedstocks in Indonesia

The increase in cooking oil consumption in Indonesia has an impact on the high volume of used cooking oil waste which has the potential to pollute the environment as well as become an alternative source of energy. On the other hand, the development of microalgae as raw materials for third-generation biodiesel offers high lipid productivity without disrupting food sovereignty. This review article aims to map the potential of used cooking oil and microalgae as raw materials for biodiesel through a critical evaluation of the stages of conversion technology and its management strategy in Indonesia. The method used was a systematic review of several international literature in the last 5 years. The results of the analysis show that the key to the success of used cooking oil conversion lies in the efficiency of the pre-treatment stage and acid esterification to suppress the level of free fatty acids (FFA) to below 2% to avoid saponification. Meanwhile, the utilization of microalgae requires the integration of more modern lipid extraction technology to achieve optimal yields. The use of the latest innovations such as ultrasonic cavitation and magnetic nanocatalysts has been proven to be able to increase biodiesel yield by up to 95% with a shorter reaction time compared to conventional methods. The conclusion of this study emphasizes that synergy between mapping the potential of local raw materials, the application of efficient assistance technology, and strengthening the capacity of human resources (HR) are the main prerequisites in realizing a sustainable national energy transition.