Tadukan Raga Village, STM Hilir — A team from the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) carried out a Community Service Program (PkM) titled “Empowering Local Communities Around Palm Oil Mills Through the Integration of Palm Oil Effluent and Empty Fruit Bunches for Household-Scale Biogas Production and Straw Mushroom Cultivation in Tadukan Raga Village, STM Hilir District, Deli Serdang Regency.”
Through this program, various equipment, including pumps, pipe installations, compressors, and biogas reactors, were repaired and restored to optimal function. In addition, the team modified LPG stoves into biogas stoves for use by residents in Dusun Tungkusan and surrounding areas.
Beyond the technical improvements, the USU team also conducted training and awareness sessions on bioreactor operations and straw mushroom cultivation workshops, which were enthusiastically attended by residents and village officials.
The team leader, Prof. Dr. Eng. Ir. Irvan, M.Si, explained, “The integration of liquid and solid palm oil waste treatment not only reduces environmental pollution but also creates new economic opportunities through biogas utilization and straw mushroom cultivation." This initiative is expected to serve as a sustainable empowerment model that optimizes local resources for community benefit. The objectives of this Community Empowerment Program for the Biogas Users and Observers Group in Tadukan Raga Village, STM Hilir District, Deli Serdang, include:
Providing studies, systems, and community empowerment related to technologies for utilizing palm oil effluent and empty fruit bunches as biogas energy sources in Deli Serdang Regency.
Providing studies, systems, and community empowerment related to technologies for using empty fruit bunches as a growth medium for straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea) in Deli Serdang Regency.
Developing biogas production and straw mushroom cultivation technologies through the provision of research, system improvements, facility upgrades, and enhancement of biogas and mushroom product quality.
Ensuring the sustainability of operations and maintenance of non-hazardous (non-B3) biomass waste-to-energy facilities in Deli Serdang Regency.
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Improving biogas production installations derived from straw mushroom cultivation through the utilization of non-B3 biomass waste facilities.
