Dr. Ronny Purwadi Herman from Indonesia

Photo Asia Biomass Researcher
at National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology
(AIST, Tsukuba)
(from the left; Dr.Tirto:Indonesia,
Dr.Ronny:Indonesia,
Mr. Huan: Vietnam,
Mr.Dat:Vietnam)

Nine researchers from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore study biomass at Research Center for New Fuels and Vehicle Technology (Tsukuba) of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST) in 2009. We introduce Dr. Ronny Purwadi Herman from Indonesia.

Dr. Ronny came to Japan on December 17, 2009, and will leave Japan on March 15, 2010. He conducts research biofuel production such as biodiesel and bioethanol at Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest palm oil production country in the world, and palm oil is used as raw material of biofuel. EFB (Empty fruit bunch of palm oil) ,which is a by-product of the palm oil production, also is produced abundantly.

At present the EFB is disposed; he studies to produce biofuel from this EFB at Institut Teknologi Bandung. In Indonesia, the light oil which mixed 3% biodiesel from palm oil is marked, and the price is 45 yen（4,500Rupiah）/ l now. Besides gasoline (E-3) which mixed 3% bioethanol is sold in 60 yen / l - 70 yen / l.

His research theme at Research Center for New Fuels and Vehicle Technology (Tsukuba) is “Collection of the chemical analyses data of biofuels on the oxidation storage stabilities” in cooperation with Director of Research Center, Dr Shinichi Goto and research scientist, Dr. Toshihiro Hirotsu. This research is very important to establish quality control of biofuel and to make standardization, and will be done by accumulating chemical analysis data.

Photo Dr. Ronny

PH of biofuel is the one of the analysis data. PH of bioethanol has serious influence on the corrosion of fuel tank. Measurement method of PH has not yet establish, and development of the measurement method of PH is the one of his research theme. This theme is cooperated with Mr.Huan who came from Chemical Research Institute Vietnam. He went to Okinawa for the training at the end of January, 2010. He told us that "I talked with the researchers of other countries in Okinawa, and it was very good to communicate with them", and then he showed a lot of photographs in Okinawa.

Dr.Ronny acquired the doctor-degree at Chalmers University in Swedish. There were stay experiences in the Europe, four years in Sweden and three months in the Netherlands, so that he knows the Europeans well. Japan visit is the first time for him. In Bandung , he has many friends who know Japan well; and he heard many stories from them about Japan, and Japan interested him.

Now he had impressions about Japan that "Japan is a country of the high technology. The Japanese cooperates with each other and pushes forward , and this has something common to an Indonesian." Furthermore he told us "Europe, Japan and Indonesia has own language, culture, habit and food. These differences are exciting for me. It is interested to contact culture unlike our country.

He is not troubled with the eating in Japan at all; he eats various meats and fresh fish deliciously in the same way as a Japanese. There are many Japanese restaurants in Jakarta and Bandung, and he goes to these restaurant often. However, at the Japanese restaurant in Indonesia, he has not eaten tuna and salmon. He ate tuna and salmon for the first time in Japan; and has impression "They are fresh and delicious !" Dr. Ronny’s motto is "try everything, and enjoy" . In Japan, he sends fruitful daily life and make a lot of good memories.