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hile most teenagers typically turn to gadgets or video games for amusement, Naufal Raziq, 15, from Aceh is turning his penchant for science into a technology to generate electricity from kedondong (mombin) trees.

A third-year Islamic junior high school student, Naufal has supplied electricity to several houses in his hometown of Tampur Paloh in Aceh through mombin-fueled electricity generators. Mombin trees are found in abundance in the city.

The generators do not produce as much power as diesel generators but they do generate enough electricity to power two low voltage Halogen light bulbs for every household. Naufal got his idea of creating the technology off the ground after he received assistance from state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina, which helped him developed the generator from a simple form into an applicable technology.

The company also helps Naufal bring the technology to families in the area. Families wanting to get the technology installed in their homes can submit a request to Pertamina, but they should have at least four mombin trees to be able to power two Halogen bulbs. Meanwhile, all the fees related to installation and equipment, amounting to around
Rp 1.2 million (US$90), is covered by the company.

Naufal got the idea of the technology from how a battery works. To get electricity, he inserted a piece of zinc and copper inside a mombin tree. The two metals, which function as electrodes in a battery, create a chemical reaction when they come into contact with an acid substance inside the tree.

“So the zinc and the copper are wrapped in tissue and cloth before they are inserted into a tree. The function [of the cloth and the tissue] is to absorb acid and turn it into electricity,” Naufal explained as quoted in an Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry media statement on Friday.

Naufal said he got the idea of harvesting electricity from a tree after learning in a natural sciences class that potatoes contained acid that could produce electricity. “[I got to thinking that] if a potato has acid then a tree also has acid, but what tree?” he said, repeating the question he had three years ago when he first explored the possibility of creating the technology.

He recalled that after asking the question he began to do research, which included trying several trees including mango, star fruit and tamarind trees. He spent three years exercising with these trees before deciding to use mombin trees.

“Why did I use the mombin tree? Because it has a bigger trunk and is easy to grow. Besides, the bark does not die when split open but regenerates,” explained Naufal.

The electric generator developed by Naufal seems to be ineffective in that it can only power low voltage bulbs. But there is a chance he can further develop the technology to power bigger appliances in the future. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has recognized Naufal’s creativity and innovation and has promised to provide funding for the young scientist to further develop the technology.

“So there will be development funding from the ministry to take Naufal’s research to the next level,” said ministry spokesman Hadi M. Djurait in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post. He did not specify the total amount of funding that would be provided.

Accompanied by his father Supriaman and teacher Jamaliah, Naufal flew to Jakarta on Friday at the invitation of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan. They discussed Naufal’s ideas, which resulted in the ministry pledging support for the teen’s research development.

Hadi said Jonan told Naufal during the meeting to focus on being an inventor and making the finding useful to other people.