A Study on the Potential of Cow Dung Waste as an Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy Source

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A Study on the Potential of Cow Dung Waste as an
Environmentally Friendly Alternative
Energy Source
Ratminingsih1,* Jumadi2
1,2 Science Education Department, Graduate School Program, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: ratmi25@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Cow dung is a very serious problem for people around the farm. The problem is often caused by cow dung which
is not handled professionally. Its existence pollutes the environment, disturbs the scenery, and can be a vector of
disease. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the potential of cow dung waste as an
environmentally friendly alternative energy source. This study used a descriptive content analysis study method.
The study found that cow dung waste can be processed into biogas. The process is through fermenting the cow
dung in a biogas reactor. Biogas has various benefits as an alternative energy source, namely replacing LPG gas
and kerosene, power generation, water pump driving, and a substitute for gasoline fuel. The eco-friendly concept
boils down to optimizing the use of natural resources while maintaining environmental sustainability. The
potential for the utilization of cow dung waste can overcome public complaints about the scarcity of LPG gas
and kerosene, expensive electricity bills, fuel, and cases of environmental pollution due to cow dung waste. It is
recommended to provide education to the public about the utilization of cow dung to obtain optimal results.
Keywords: Cow Dung Waste, Environmentally Friendly, Alternative Energy Source.
1. INTRODUCTION
Currently, Indonesia's food security is mostly
supported by the livestock sector. One of them is cow
farming. The cow breeding centers in Indonesia
include Sekarmojo Village, Pasuruan and Wonosalam
District, Jombang and others. The villages are highly
potential for the development of cow farms due to
large area of land for the livestock along with its feed
and the culture of the community that supports it. The
large potential of cow farming provides great benefits
to support the provision of animal protein but can
also make an impact on environmental pollution [1].
The more cows that are raised, the more dung will be
produced. Cow dung waste in a large capacity is
generally not professionally processed by the
community. Disposing of waste to the open land until
it piles up creates new problems for the surrounding
environment [2]. These problems include unpleasant
odors, pollute the environment, and can become
vectors of disease [1]. Besides, unmanaged livestock
waste produces the largest greenhouse gas emissions,
which is around ± 18%. Every 1 kg of cow dung can
release about 60 liters of gas emissions into the air.
The largest composition is methane gas (CH4) [3].
Cows can produce dung waste in large
capacities every day. A cow weighing 454 kg can
produce up to 30 kg of faecal waste every day. If the
farmer has 5 cows, the amount of dung that is
produced will reach 150 kg per day. Farmers tend to
throw them on empty land or pile them up at the
edge of the pen [1]. The accumulation of cow dung
waste in the environment results in decreased
environmental quality. This is because the dirt that
is disposed of directly is still hot, so it can inhibit
plant growth. The application of environmentally
appropriate technology to overcome these problems
needs to be done gradually to maintain the balance
of the production sector with the preservation of the
surrounding environment [4].
The application of cow dung waste cultivation
to become an environmentally friendly alternative
energy source is important to do to reduce the
negative impact. This is in line with the concept of
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Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Research, Implementation, and
Education of Mathematics and Sciences (ICRIEMS 2020)
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"Environmentally Friendly Development" which has
been proclaimed by the government in the Law of the
Republic of Indonesia No. 32 of 2009 concerning
Protection and Management of the Environment [4].
Every activity that runs in cow farming needs to pay
attention about the impact on the environment and
how to solve it. The activity of processing cow dung
waste into an alternative energy source is directed not
only to support environmental sustainability but also
to provide solutions to problems in other sectors.
The development of alternative energy sources
is also expected to overcome the scarcity and cost of
fossil energy sources in Indonesia. The price of fuel
oil and LPG today continues to increase from year
to year. The higher the price of fuel oil and LPG
make the people become restless. Apart from being
expensive, its availability on the market is also
increasingly scarce. Many communities, especially
those in rural areas, difficult to find it. It is common
for children in rural areas do not go to school to look
for firewood [5]. This should be concerned by many
parties. The development of alternative energy
sources with waste-based materials can reduce
people's dependence on non-renewable sources [3].
The utilization of cow dung waste can be developed
widely, such as for lighting and others. Therefore
we need a study that provides an understanding of
the public about the potential use of cow dung waste
in Indonesia.
This research is a descriptive content analysis
study to provide education to the public about the
utilization of cow dung waste. This is aimed to
obtain a detailed description of the information
content of a particular text [6]. The analysis was
carried out on various scientific sources regarding
the potential of cow dung waste as an alternative
energy source in Indonesia. Scientific sources used
include national and international scientific journals
as well as other sources relevant to the material.
2. DISCUSSION
2.1 Potential of Cow Farming in Indonesia
The potential for developing cow farms in
Indonesia is enormous. Cow breeding centers in
Indonesia, among others, are in the Village of
Sekarmojo-Pasuruan, Wonosalam-Jombang District,
Merauke Regency, and Cangkringan-Sleman and
various other areas [1] [4] [5] [7]. These areas are
very potential for cow farming because they have
natural resources that support animal feed. Besides,
the culture of the surrounding community also
supports the development of cow farming. One
example of the number of cow and buffalo in the
Merauke Regency until 2014 was around 33,000
heads [5]. The number of cow in Bali Province from
2013 to 2017 was 525,955 heads [8]. However, not
all people in the area have an understanding and
awareness to process cow dung waste into alternative
energy.
The potential amount of cow dung waste in
Indonesia can be seen from the number of cow
population. The more cows that are raised, the more
capacity for waste dung will be produced. The
population of beef cow in Indonesia in 2010 is
estimated at 10.8 million heads and 350,000 -
400,000 dairy cows. This number will continue to
increase with the limitation on meat imports by the
Minister of Agriculture. One cow can produce about
8-10 kg of dung per day so that in one year it
produces 2.6 - 3.6 tons. If one cow on average every
day produces 7 kg of dry dung, the dry cow dung
produced in Indonesia is 78.4 million kilograms of
dry dung per day [9].
2.2 Conversion of Waste into Alternative Energy
Sources
Cow dung waste can be processed into an
alternative energy source by processing it into biogas.
Biogas is a gas that is produced from various kinds of
organic waste such as animal dung and biomass
waste which is processed in an anaerobic digester or
closed room. Animal dung that can be used includes
cows, buffaloes, goats, chickens, and other livestock
[4].
Biogas contains methane gas (CH4) and carbon
dioxide (CO2). Methane gas in biogas can reach up to
70% while other gases are produced in small amounts
[10]. The concentration of methane gas determines
the amount of energy content in biogas. The greater
the methane content, the greater the energy content or
calorific value. The heating value of pure methane
gas is 8900 kcal / m3 while the heating value after
being converted into biogas is around 4800 to 6700
kcal / m3. The heating value is high enough so that it
can be used for various purposes such as lighting,
cooking, moving machines, and others [11]. Biogas
quality can be improved by removing carbon dioxide,
hydrogen sulfur, and water content [8].
The process of making biogas is very simple.
The principle of making biogas is the anaerobic
decomposition of organic material to produce gas,
mostly methane and carbon dioxide gas. Methane gas
has flammable properties [1]. Cow dung waste is put
into anaerobic biodigester tube. The anaerobic
decomposition process is assisted by several
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microorganisms, including methane bacteria.
Microorganisms can work optimally in breaking
down organic matter when the temperature is set
around 30-50oC [3]. The by-product is an organic
fertilizer that can be used to fertilize plants [12]. The
accumulated gas is collected in the digester and then
distributed to the house for further use, for example
for lighting and fuel replacement [1]. Each type of
livestock produces a different amount of biogas, so
the potential of each type of dung is different [8].
The biogas produced from the above processing
can be used as an alternative energy source that
reduces the impact of fossil fuel use. These
alternative energy sources, among others, can be used
as electricity generation, a substitute for LPG and
kerosene when cooking [13]. Biogas can also be used
as a towing power for water pumps and fuel for
vehicles at the industrial level [14]. Equality of
biogas as an alternative energy source with other
energy sources, namely 1 m3 of biogas equivalent to
0.46 kg of LPG, 0.62 liters of kerosene, 0.52 liter of
diesel oil, 0.80 liters of petrol oil, 1.50 m3 of city gas
and firewood 3.50 kg [11]. The efficiency of biogas
on a small scale is 55% for cooking, 24% for heat
engines, and 3% for lighting [15].
2.2.1 Substitute for LPG Gas, Kerosene and
Firewood
The existence of scarcity and expensive LPG
gas and kerosene can be overcome by utilizing
biogas. Household biogas with 2 - 4 livestock or a
dung supply of 25 kg per day is sufficient to use a
reactor tube with a capacity of 2500 - 5000 liters. The
biogas produced is equivalent to 2 liters of
kerosene/day. This amount can meet the cooking
energy needs of about 6 family members. Research
conducted by Dianawati shows that the energy
contained in 1 m3 of biogas is 2,000-4,000 kcal or can
meet the cooking needs of a family (4-5 people) for 3
hours [16]. To cook 0.5 kg of rice, an average of 0.15
m3 of biogas is required in 30 minutes. The daily use
of the household requires an average of 3 m3 of gas.
The use of biogas in the household can reduce the
number of family expenses due to the expensive and
scarce LPG and kerosene. Even if converted, biogas
can replace the expenditure of 2 liters of kerosene or
10 kg of firewood per day [11].The biogas stove can
be modified from an LPG gas stove. How to modify
it is by drilling with an iron drill on the Gas Jet or
Spuyer injector, with a diameter of 1.5 mm to 2 mm.
The biogas stove can function as an LPG stove [11].
The blue flame color is the same as the LPG gas
flame. This indicates that biogas does not produce
soot which can pollute household kitchens and
cooking rooms. Even the use of biogas in the
Magelang Regency has a gas production potential of
86,690 m3. This value is equivalent to 43,345 kg of
LPG gas or 14,448 3 kg LPG cylinders which can be
used to cook about 278 households for 1 year [7].
2.2.2 Power Plants
Biogas has the potential to be used as a raw
material for electricity generation. A study in
Argosari Village, Malang Regency shows that a 5 m3
digester with two cows produces 3 m3 of biogas
which is enough to power a 400-watt generator for 6
hours [17]. 1 kWh of electricity can be generated by
utilizing 0.62 - 1 m3 of biogas [12]. Biogas can be
converted into electrical energy by knowing the
amount of cow dung produced every day [8]. Another
study in Bali Province, based on the level of cow
population from 2013 to 2017, it was found that the
average cow population in Bali Province was 525,955
heads. The potential for biogas from cow dung waste
produces electricity of 494,397.7 kWh / day.
2.2.3 Water Pump Drive Fuel
The water pump can suck water with biogas
fuel because biogas can be used in machines with
high compression ratios. The Pertamax fueled water
pump can suck water 2 times longer than the water
pump fueled by biogas. The amount of water
discharge generated by the water pump, both biogas,
and pertamax, does not differ much. The ratio of the
average time of biogas fuel to Pertamax fuel at
different engine speeds is also not much different [3].
2.2.4 Gasoline Motor Fuel
The biogas produced in the community service
program in Limbangan Village, Banjarnegara
Regency can be used for gasoline fuel. Gasoline
motor fuel with biogas is very potential because of
the high methane content. H2S in high biogas content
can pollute the environment so it needs to be purified
before being used as fuel. Biogas can be purified
using zeolite or using Fe-EDTA (Iron Chelated
Solution). Gas purification in this community service
program uses iron waste from the lathe industry
which is then compressed and put into PVC pipes
[11].
Biogas fuel has a high octane number, namely
130. Gasoline has an octane number of 90 to 94 while
the best alcohol is only 105. This shows that biogas
can be used in engines with high compression ratios
and also prevents the engine from knocking [3]. This
is very beneficial for keeping the vehicle durable.
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2.3 Environmentally Friendly Utilization Concept
The use of biogas has a role in efforts to preserve
the surrounding environment. Cow dung waste that is
processed into biogas will reduce the unpleasant
smell of livestock dung and prevent the spread of
disease [18]. The use of biogas is also expected to
reduce biomass waste and reduce the level of global
warming [13]. Biogas can also solve environmental
problems, such as soil degradation, deforestation,
CO2 emissions, indoor air pollution, organic
pollution, [19]. The result of burning fuel from biogas
if the result is clean, not smoky like wood charcoal or
firewood [3]. The residual waste from the biogas
processing process can be used as solid and liquid
organic fertilizer to support plant growth [3].
Providing understanding to the community
regarding this matter is of course very necessary to
get more optimal benefits. Things that need to be
done, among others, are to carry out counseling on
the dangers of pollution due to cow dung and
technical construction of biogas installation.
Furthermore, coordinating with cattle breeders to do
the occasional arrangement and direct biogas
installation. The follow-up of the program can be
carried out by giving counseling on the use of biogas
as alternative energy both to replace LPG gas, power
plants, propulsion water pumps and substitute for
gasoline [11].
3. CONCLUSION
Cow dung waste treatment as an alternative
energy source can be used as a substitute for kerosene
and LPG gas, power plants, water pumps, and
gasoline replacement fuel. Utilization of cow dung
has a positive impact on the surrounding environment
because it can reduce environmental pollution and
global warming. It is recommended to provide
education to the public about the utilization of cow
dung to obtain optimal results.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank the Science
Education Department, Graduate School Program,
Yogyakarta State University for supporting this
research.
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