Geothermal energy is a form of clean energy that is less prominent compared to renewable power sources such as wind or solar — but it's slowly gaining steam in diverse ways, including in a novel coffee drying process in Indonesia.
ThinkGeoEnergy profiled a groundbreaking coffee processing technique pioneered by Muhammad Ramdhan Reza Nurfadilah (also known by the name Mang Deden) in West Java.
The nation has long been a hotspot for geothermal energy use and advancement. In 2010, The Age reported that Indonesia possessed 40% of "the world's potential geothermal resources and 265 potential sites for plants" because of its high concentration of volcanoes and volcanic activity.
Geothermal energy utilizes naturally occurring hot water and steam deep underground to generate power at the surface.
Indonesia's high rate of volcanic activity is a boon when it comes to green tech advances. The country is also in the top four coffee-producing nations, making the bean drying technique particularly well-suited for the area.
PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy is a subsidiary of Indonesia's state-owned oil and natural gas company, Pertamina, and it has been in operation for over four decades.
Deden launched a coffee business in 2015, and in the course of running his café, he began making friends with PGEO employees. Over time, discussions about coffee production and geothermal energy "evolved into a concrete idea," and the company approached Deden about launching a coffee development program. He was on board immediately.
"At that time, I considered the idea to be a challenge," he told ThinkGeoEnergy. "I saw geothermal potential as an opportunity to provide solutions to various problems faced by conventional coffee producers."
The partnership was a process, and the parties worked together for nearly a year to identify which fermentation techniques worked most efficiently with geothermal drying processes.
"From more than 20 processes we tried, we finally found three that best fit the characteristics of the drying process," Deden said.
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According to ThinkGeoEnergy, the coffee bean processing technology "excels by accelerating the drying time up to threefold," reducing costs and increasing production capacity. The technique also lowers the risk of outside contamination and results in a better-tasting brew.
Deden said it was important that the geothermal coffee drying technique was developed and used in Indonesia first before being introduced to other markets.
"We want the Indonesian people, especially in coffee-producing areas close to geothermal sources, to be the first to implement a similar concept," he said.
Ultimately, the "collaboration is not just about inventing the world's first geothermal coffee but also about opening doors" for fellow local entrepreneurs.
"We are increasingly experiencing the benefits of geothermal energy, not just as a source of electricity in our homes, but also as a door that opens up opportunities for a better life," Deden told ThinkGeoEnergy.
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