The demand for electricity which continues to increase by 4.6% annually in all sectors in Indonesia can lead to an energy crisis in the future, not to mention the impact of environmental pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, it is important to develop alternative energy sources. One of them is by creating a power plant that utilizes the role of substrate microorganisms in the form of citrus-processing wastewater (CPWW), the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC).

The working principle of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is to utilize microbes that metabolize the medium at the anode to catalyze the conversion of organic matter into electrical energy. MFC has an anode and a cathode separated by a proton exchange membrane (PEM).

Microbes will oxidize the biomass in the anode chamber and produce electrons and protons. In order to improve the performance and output of the MFC, in addition to utilizing high acetate CPWW, anode modification was also carried out with Carbon Nanotube (CNT)/TiO2 composite which can produce excellent conductivity.

This innovation is a collaboration between Chemical Engineering (Tekim) and Electrical Engineering (TE) students, Faculty of Engineering Universitas Brawijaya (FTUB) led by Ester Bonita Sihura (Tekim’20) with her team members; Kharisma Firdaus (Tekim’20), Ivan Dwiharyo (Tekim’20 ), Agda Naufal Awaluddin H. (TE’21), under the guidance of Tekim lecturer, Ir. Bambang Poerwadi, M.S.

This innovation has succeeded in obtaining funding assistance from the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Student Creativity Program (PKM) for Exact Research (RE) which will take part in the PIMNAS XXXV selection in September.