Universitas Indonesia (UI) has once again proven its commitment to sustainability and innovation by selecting Dr.-Eng. Arnas Lubis, S.T., M.T. as the UI Research Collaboration Ambassador. Dr. Arnas, a lecturer at the UI Faculty of Engineering, has outperformed his fellow researchers thanks to his research project that focuses on utilizing plastic waste as a basic material for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology directly from the air.
This collaboration involves Prof. Andre Bardow from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with research titled “Metal Organic Framework (MOF) and Activated Carbon from Wasted Plastics as Adsorbent for Direct Air Capture (DAC): Synthesis, Adsorption Capacity and Life Cycle Assessment.” The research explores the potential of environmentally friendly materials to absorb CO2, and is expected to contribute to reducing global carbon emissions.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., stated, “Dr. Arnas Lubis’ research has the potential to have a significant impact on the environment, especially in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This MOF-based CO2 capture technology and activated carbon from plastic waste not only offers an innovative solution to overcome plastic pollution, but also accelerates Indonesia’s transition towards achieving the net zero emission target by 2060.”
In addition, this research supports the sustainability agenda by utilizing plastic waste as the main raw material. “If widely adopted, this technology can help Indonesia achieve more significant emission reductions, especially in the industrial and energy sectors which are the main contributors to the country’s carbon emissions,” said Prof. Heri.
This research is focused not only on the development of technical technology, but also on the exchange of methodologies and technology transfer between UI and ETH Zurich. Dr. Arnas explained, “We hope this research can be the first step to produce more efficient and easy-to-implement CO2 capture technology. Utilization of local plastic waste is very important to support sustainability and reduce the global carbon footprint.”
As part of this collaboration, FTUI students will also be directly involved. “We plan to send FTUI undergraduate students to Waseda University through the INSPIRED program from CIL UI to study Molecular Dynamics,” said Dr. Arnas. “Our main goal is to ensure that students can understand advanced technologies like this in depth, so that they can later apply this knowledge in future research and innovation,” said Dr. Arnas.
The research, which will last until the end of 2024, is expected to produce a DAC-based CO2 capture system that has optimal CO2 absorption capacity and is ready to be implemented on an industrial scale, especially in the green technology and waste management sectors.
Through the Research Collaboration Ambassador Program, UI continues to strengthen its position as a leading institution in global research and is committed to providing concrete solutions to increasingly complex environmental challenges. This program allows UI researchers to collaborate with leading universities around the world, broadening their horizons and improving the quality of research in Indonesia.
