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University stops hoax blue energy project
The sponsor of the embarrassing blue energy project, Muhammadiyah University in Yogyakarta, has halted the research and is suing its "inventors" Joko Suprapto and Purwanto
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The sponsor of the embarrassing blue energy project, Muhammadiyah University in Yogyakarta, has halted the research and is suing its "inventors" Joko Suprapto and Purwanto.
The research team from the university's center for energy development and studies tore down the water-fueled Jodhipati power project in Bantul on Friday, after the blue energy invention and concept was found to be a hoax recently.
Muhammadiyah University rector Khoiruddin Bashori said he felt ashamed his university and researchers were deceived and "that is why we have filed a lawsuit against Joko Suprapto's team who claimed to have invented blue energy".
"After a technical and academic study, the university's senate declared that continuing the Banyugeni project and the Jodipathi power plant was 'not feasible,'" Khoiruddin said.
The university took up the project when Joko and his team presented the "blue energy concept" before the university senate at the end of 2007, and agreed to develop a power plant as an alternative energy source to address soaring world fuel prices.
Joko's team claimed "blue energy" could be obtained by separating carbon (CO) from water or hydrogen (H2O) -- turning water into fuel.
The university's scientific team decided to develop the invention and appointed Joko and Purwanto as expert staff.
Joko and his team presented the blue energy project to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace on Nov. 25, 2007.
After the presentation, the President set up a special team to pursue the project, pouring billions of rupiah into the project.
Yudhoyono has faced embarrassing questions after it emerged blue energy was a hoax, and some lawmakers in the House of Representatives have called for an official inquiry.
They claimed the device produced energy more efficiently than the power sold by state-owned PT PLN.
Khoiruddin declined to reveal how much the university had spent financing the two projects, but said he had asked police to investigate the incident.
The university's research team claimed they were intimidated by Joko and his lawyers when the team decided to tear down the project.
"Joko's lawyers were intimidating, saying that radioactive substances could leak from the power project if it was torn down," Dasron Hamid, a member of the research team, said.
University spokesman Ahmad Maruf said the fuel used to power a motorcycle during a demonstration in February was not from the Banyugeni blue energy project.
"The fuel was brought by Purwanto himself and this will need a police investigation."
Maruf said he would give a presentation to clarify why the university had ended the alternative energy projects and stopped working with Joko and his team.
