Techno-Economic Study of Biodiesel Generation from Sterculia foetida Seeds

Bilqist Imeilia Az Zahra (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, 12780, Jakarta, Indonesia)
H.C. Theofany (Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia Energy Research Center, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Teuku Meurah Indra Riayatsyah (Program Study of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Production and Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, 3536, South Lampung, Indonesia)
H.B. Aditiya (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, 12780, Jakarta, Indonesia Energy Research Center, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Bidattul S Zainal (Department of Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)

Sustainable in Energy Science and Technology
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Sustainable in Energy and Science Technology

As fossil fuel reserves diminish and energy demand grows, biodiesel from non-edible oils has emerged as a promising renewable alternative. This study evaluates the feasibility of producing biodiesel from Sterculia foetida (Java olive) seeds, which contain 50–60 % oil. A second-generation biodiesel plant is designed and simulated using SuperPro Designer, covering oil extraction, transesterification, product purification, and by-product recovery. The plant processes 4,396 kg of seeds per hour in Lombok (Indonesia). Material and energy balances indicate nearly complete conversion to biodiesel, yielding ~16.19 million kg/year with a 0.001 % mass balance error. The total utility power demand is 6.2 million kWh/year, with the transesterification reactor consuming ~27 %. Economic evaluation (2021 USD) shows a capital investment of ~$3.82 million and annual operating cost of ~$20.72 million. At a biodiesel price of $1.00/L, annual revenue is ~$21.47 million, including ~$2.4 million from glycerol and co-products. Profitability metrics are positive: gross margin 3.48 %, ROI 19.67 %, payback period 5.08 years, IRR 9.14 %, and NPV ~$1.03 million. Sensitivity analysis shows profitability is most affected by biodiesel market price and feedstock cost. Overall, biodiesel production from Sterculia foetida is technically feasible and economically viable, diversifying Indonesia’s biodiesel feedstocks.