Effect of Salinity, Sugar Level, and Fermentation Time for Bioethanol Production from Nipa Palm Sugar

This study aims to determine the effect of salinity, sugar level, and fermentation time on the bioethanol production from nipa ( Nypa fruticans Wurmb.) palm sugar. The research was conducted in two stages using batch fermentation. The first stage aims to determine the optimal salinity of nipa palm sugar from Nusadadi, Cikembulan, and Pedasong Village, Central Java, for bioethanol production. The results showed that salinity significantly affected bioethanol productivity. Nipa palm sugar from Nusadadi, with the lowest salinity, produced the highest bioethanol content after distillation (39.31% v/v). The second stage was conducted to evaluate the effects of fermentation time (24, 48, and 72 hours) and sugar-to-water ratio (1:4, 1:5, 1:6) on bioethanol production. Nipa palm sugar from Nusadadi was chosen as feedstock due to the highest ethanol yield. The combination of fermentation time and sugar solution ratio had a significant effect on the total sugar and reducing sugar content of the fermentation broth, as well as density and bioethanol content. The treatment with a 48-hour fermentation time and a sugar solution ratio of 1:4 produced the highest ethanol content after distillation (42.97% v/v).