Two students from the Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FT USU), M. Hakim Mustofa and Filbert, completed an internship at PT Supra Matra Abadi (SMA) Aeknabara. The internship was held from April 13 to May 13, 2026, in N Lima Aeknabara, Bilah Hulu District, Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatra.

The company operates in the oil palm processing industry, producing crude palm oil (CPO), crude palm kernel oil (CPKO), and technical oil. During the internship, the students studied a series of processing stages, including fruit reception, sterilization, bunch separation, pressing, clarification, kernel recovery, and palm kernel processing.

The students also gained insights into utility units supporting factory operations, including water treatment, steam supply, and electrical systems. The internship also introduced them to the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME), solid waste management, and biogas utilization.

The activity supported SDG 4: Quality Education through contextual learning based on industrial experience. Exposure to production processes and utility systems was relevant to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, while learning about waste management was relevant to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

FT USU continues to promote internships that are aligned with students’ fields of study. Experience in an industrial environment is expected to strengthen Chemical Engineering students’ technical understanding, ability to connect theory with practice, and professional readiness.