Pontianak – Geophysics students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Universitas Tanjungpura (Untan) have triumphed, winning first place in the Pertamina Move On Project competition held at the main office of Refinery Unit V Balikpapan on Monday, December 23, 2019.

According to Pertamina’s official website, the Pertamina Move On Project is an innovation proposal competition aimed specifically at students from state universities across Kalimantan. The competition started on October 3, 2019, and consisted of three stages: preliminary selection, semi-final (online presentation), and final (face-to-face presentation).

Out of the 76 proposals received, 64 met the requirements and went through the selection process. From these, the top 10 proposals were chosen for the semi-final round, where participants presented their ideas via video conference. The best five teams then advanced to the final round to present their proposals in person to the judges.

The team from Universitas Tanjungpura, comprised of Vikki (Geophysics 2017) and Djihan Islahiyah (Development Economics 2018), impressed the judges with their innovation "Or-Tic (Orange Plastic)," a biodegradable plastic made from orange peel waste and simple chemicals.

"The plastic we developed is biodegradable, so it’s environmentally friendly. This is one of our efforts to reduce plastic waste and help preserve the environment," said Vikki.

Vikki added that their innovation is not only about economic profit but also about empowering the community to participate in the production of biodegradable plastics. "We hope this project will run smoothly and gain support from various parties, contributing to environmental conservation," Vikki added.

In addition to Vikki and Djihan, Puji Astuti, a student from the Chemistry Department at FMIPA Untan, also became a finalist with her team’s innovation "SPAIRUM (Drinking Water Refill Station)," which is technology-based and environmentally friendly.

The competition winners received trophies, certificates, and project funds amounting to 25 million rupiahs. Additionally, the first-place winner received a coaching fund of 12.5 million rupiahs, the second-place winner received 10 million rupiahs, and the third-place winner received 7.5 million rupiahs. The prizes were presented directly by the General Manager of RU V Balikpapan, Mulyono.

Congratulations to the winners for bringing pride to Universitas Tanjungpura and making a tangible contribution to environmental innovation!