Efficiency of Sawdust Biomass Utilization as an Alternative Energy Source for Tea Leaf Drying Using Cyclone Burner

Sawdust is a byproduct of wood cutting that has not been optimally utilized, despite its potential as an alternative fuel to replace fossil fuels. This study aims to assess the potential and efficiency of utilizing sawdust biomass waste as an alternative fuel for drying tea leaves using a cyclone burner machine. The research was conducted at a tea processing factory in West Java Province, Indonesia. The results indicate that the innovation of using a cyclone burner fueled by sawdust for drying tea leaves shows promising prospects due to its efficiency, effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and significant contribution to reducing global warming. The innovation of utilizing sawdust waste as fuel in a cyclone burner has great potential for offering tea entrepreneurs energy savings, with a reduction in costs of $6,934 per month, or 73.56% greater efficiency compared to LPG fuel. Calculations using a simple linear regression mathematical model project that the production of sawdust biomass will reach 10.15 million cubic meters by 2040, with a growth rate of 8.19% per year. Meanwhile, sawdust production is projected to reach 6.62 million tons in 2025 and increase to 10.15 million tons by 2040, with an average annual growth rate of 8.19%.