The intensification of industrial salt production using the salt production house concept

Abstract

The current national salt demand in 2021 is 4.6 million tons, 84% of it: for manufacturing purposes. The volume of imported salt reaches 50.29 percent of the national saltavailability. This high import is caused by lack of the industrial salt. In the 2020-2024 RPJMN, the total national salt production target in 2021 is 3 million tons, not enough, due to the natural conditions of high rainfall. KKP and Kemenkomarves are targeting to increase production through intensification and extensification of salt pond land, which is planned to be carried out in Flores and Sumbawa. However, according to our rough calculation, to meet the amount of national salt need, if the choice is the extensification: this will need 20 thousand hectares of newponds. This is hard option to proceed, because there are obstacles: limited land, not all types of land can be used for salt farming, high costs, long land clearing time, and dependence on weather. Plus, the negative impact on the environment from the land conversion. What is the alternative solution?This study aims to figure the solution for improving the industrial salt production. Methods are the analytical descriptive study, collecting data with reference studies, then compiling data for the formulation of the model. Study results: the suitable option to do is the intensification of the salt production. More efforts are needed on the intensification, by increasing the quantity of salt production, parallel with improving its quality, and could continuously producing salt in a full year. To fulfill this, this study recommends a technological engineering approachment, by using a combination of the Japanese Method with the closed system called: the Salt Production House (SPH). The SPH is green and sustainable concept, because it consumes renewable energy, effective and require a small area. This method requires no new land clearing since it could be constructed on the existing salt ponds.