VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Climate change and air pollution are serious challenges to environmental sustainability. One contributor to air pollution is motorised vehicles. These vehicles are the mode of transport used for mobility by most Indonesians. Its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution is significant. SMK Teknologi Balung Jember offers a solution through the development of a water-fuelled motorbike.

Quoting the Vokasi Kemdikbud website, SMK Teknologi Balung has made a bold move by creating a water-fuelled motorbike. The concept is simple yet revolutionary by replacing conventional fuels with water as an energy source. "To make this innovation, the students utilised unused second-hand goods. This water-fuelled motorbike is a development of the LPG gas-fuelled motorbike that has been done before,’ wrote Kemdikbud.

Motorcycle Engineering teacher at SMK Teknologi Balung, Danang Wahyudi Hidayat, said that the students used used materials to assemble the motorcycle, such as pieces of paralon pipes that function as water storage generator tubes, aluminium used antennas, used bottles, cables, stenlis, and batteries.

Danang explained that water mixed with caustic soda is put into the generator tube. Then, 12-volt electricity is applied until it boils and produces steam and then filtered with water. From the steam, the carburettor components can be driven. Not all water can be used for the modification. Only water that has a low acid content can be applied. From temporary trials, the motorbike can travel up to a speed of 40 kilometres per hour to increase battery power. Half a litre of water that serves as fuel can last up to eight hours.

"The development of this student-made water-fuelled motorbike took about two months, from research to modification. The assembly cost is no more than Rp400,000. So far, the water-fuelled motorbike technology has only been applied to four-stroke motorbikes,’ said Danang.

The head of SMK Teknologi Balung, Abu Hasan, said that this product will continue to be refined as a renewable energy product. Hasan hopes that this product can be patented. "If this is successfully perfected, we no longer need to worry about running out of fuel oil because we already have alternative energy. With the right support, technology can be the main driver towards a more sustainable and green future,’ said Hasan.