DRIVING NATIONAL

BIOMASS AGENDA

DR. ASTIMAR ABDUL AZIZ

(Head Biomass Technology Center)

Presentation Outline:
Introductions:

MPOB
Oil Palm Biomass Availability
Successful Commercialization
Future and Beyond Biomass
Issues and Challenges
Recommendations
Conclusions

Introduction: MPOB
Custodian

of the well being of the

Malaysia palm oil industry.
Research, Development and
Commercialization
Three pronged strategies: Zero Waste,
Value Addition and Higher Income
Till date MPOB introduced about 40
technologies on oil palm biomass.
Commercialization still low.

BIOMASS R&D PROGRAM (MPOB)

BIO-FERTILIZER

Mulch*
Compost*

RENEWABLE ENERGY
Oil Palm
Biomass
BIO COMPOSITE &
BIO-PRODUCTS

BIO-BASED
CHEMICALS
* Developed
** Emerging

Heat & Power*

Solid, liquid and gas
bio-fuels **
MDF**, Plywood,
Fibremats , bio-char
and activated carbon
etc.
Sugars/Cellulose, **
lignin, Vitamin E,
Carotenes, Squalene.
etc

Generates
RM 59 billion
in gross
national
income

Types of oil palm

biomass:
CPO and CPKO

Palm shell
Palm Fronds

Mesocarp fibers

Fresh Fruit Bunch

Empty fruit bunches

10% Oil
90% Biomass

POME
Palm Trunk

Not fully
tapped for
value
added
products

OIL PALM BIOMASS AVAILABILITY IN 2014

No.

Biomass

Amount (dry weight)

1.

OPF (from pruning activity)

OPF (from replanting activity)

47.06 million tonnes

3.66 million tonnes

2.

OPT (based on 5% replanting rate)

38.48 million trunks

19.37 million tonnes

3.

From the 434 palm oil mills operating at

total capacity of 94.92 million tonnes of
FFB,
~ Estimated EFB = 22% x 94.92 x 35%
million tonnes

7.31 million tonnes

4.

Mesocarp fibres

7.69 million tonnes

5.

Palm kernel shells

5.22 million tonnes

6.

POME generated from per tone of FFB

is about 67%.

63.60 million tonnes **

** (million M3)

SUCCESSFUL
COMMERCIALIZATION

Sound
Dampening
Sheet
Commercial
10% EFB
Fibers
20% EFB

Productio
n
Cost
(RM/kg)
2.75

Cost Saving (RM/year)

(Based on 1,650,000kg/year of
palm based Sound Dampening
Sheet)
-

2.48

0.28

687,500

2.35

0.40

996,875

Differences
in Cost
(RM/kg)

Medium Density Fiberboard

Commercialization of MDF Dongwha Fiberboard Malaysia

Splitting of over-diameter OPT (> 17 inch)

OPT chips diverted outside reclaim

Feeding of OPT chips via double screw

There are about 3-5 palm

Plywood plant in Malaysia
In general, one OPT bole
of 18 feet long produces
around 40 pieces of
veneers (size: 2 by 8 feet)
of 4 mm thick, which in
turn, can make into 7
pieces of 12 mm
plywood.

SOLID FUELS FROM OIL PALM BIOMASS

(EFB FIBRE, BRIQUETTES & PELLETS)
Biomass Pellet

Palm biomass briquettes piston press technology

Charcoal briquettes

Palm Biomass Briquettes Screw Extrusion Technology

Fibrous EFB & Bale

Torrefied Pellet

COMMERCIALIZATION OF CELLULOSE AND CMC

(Waris Nove Sdn. Bhd.)
Both cellulose and CMC plants were fully commissioned in early 2012
Commercialized the Technical grade CMC for detergent (TL55) eg. To
Pakistan (5MT/month)
Cellulose product obtained the Free For Sale certification from MOH,
complied with the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulation 1985
Product CMC was launched during the MPOB International Oil Palm
Biomass Conference 2012.
Patent for CMC was granted.

FUTURE AND BEYOND BIOMASS

(GREEN CHEMICALS)
Hemicellulose
(30-35%)

Cellulose
(35-42%)

Lignin
(17-21%)

rhamnose

xylose

galactose

arabinose

Chemicals Obtainable from Biomass

Pyrolysi
s

Hydrogenation

OIL PALM
BIOMASS

Gas (CO, CO2, H, hydrocarbons)

Liquid (methanol, acetic acid, acetone,
phenol derivatives, charcoal/activated carbon
Gas (hydrocarbon)
Phenol and cyclohexane derivatives
Hexoses

Pentoses

Alcohols, polyols, ketones and acids

Hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid
Polyols, Glucose

Yeast, furfural, alcohol, polyols (xylitol)

xylose

Hydrolysis

Lignin

Cresol, phenol, catechols, vanillin,

Thermosetting resin, dispersant,
Antioxidant, rubber reinforcement

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

a) Nutrient Re-cycling to the soil
The

total biomass from the whole tree is about 85 t/ha dry

matter above-ground and additional 16 t/ha below ground
roots.

From

this 101 t/ha dry biomass, a significant pool of nutrients

equivalent to 642 kg N, 58 kg P, 1384 kg K, 156 kg Mg.
Source: Khalid et al., 1996.

Study

also showed that by implementing the organic recycle

from the OPT, it can reduce the fertilizer application up to 50%.

- There are issues on the mobilization of the OPF, in which the agronomist
would not allow to take away the OPF. Soil organic materials.
- Probably agreeable on taking 50% or less of the OPF and leaving the
rachis part in the plantation.

4-5 ft
>5 ft
Example of Revised calculation:
Per petiole is about 6-7 kg; standard palm per hectare is 148
Harvesting / pruning activity is 2 times per tree per month
Therefore per hectare will be getting 1.78- 2.07 tones of OPF petiole per month
Note: Different areas give different weight sand lengths of petiole and rachis.
Depending on the age, location and species.

b) Difficulties in getting constant supply of biomass

- Different entity and owners of plantation and mills

- Smallholders are scattered and logistic will be a problem.
- Industry reluctant to sign up long term contract for EFB
supply
- No formula or guidelines/regulations on mobilization of
biomass, especially from plantation. Over pruning of
fronds.

c) Selection of technology
Chemical,

physical or microbial technology.

Cost and environmental impact of each technology
International or outside technology; or home-grown technology.
Technology has to be tested in pilot plant scale and demo plant scale.
Economic feasibility of the technology; to include risk analysis

d) Mobilization and pricing of biomass

High moisture and non-woody portions,
transportation cost per fibers tonnage is higher.
No control of pricing, middle-man and logistic

Lists of machinery

1. Load loader
2. Log in-feed conveyor
3. Hydraulic chain saw

Technical Data

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

OPT bole length: 5.5 m to 6.0 m

Average diameter of OPT bole: 39 cm
Volume of OPT bole (18 feet long): 0.71 cubic meter
Cross-cutting operations: 34 OPT boles per hour
If transported by trailer, can accommodate 10-15 OPT
bole,
which
is about 16-22
tonnes
per trailer.
Price
to smallholder
is RM 3-5
per trunk.
Middle man selling RM40 per
trunk

e) Competing with other applications

Mills with plantation would recycle the EFB for

mulching and bio-compost.

Mill process the EFB into clean long for export
Bio-fuel: Briquettes and pellets.
Bio-composite: plywood, particleboard, MDF, plastic
fiber-composite etc.

TIMBER BASED SECTOR

Timber

based products contributed about

RM22.5 billion in 2008, targeting for RM53
billion in 2020 (National Timber Policy
2008, NATIP).

The

main contributors to this targeted

growth will be furniture and panel products
such as the MDF and plywood.

These

industries are facing the issue of

supply of wood and logs

One

of the Policy Directions of the NATIP is

to utilize the alternative raw materials such
as biomass and Kenaf.

This

is a matured sector and should include

this in the National Biomass Policy /
Strategy

Malaysia: Major Export Earning

(Source: NATIP 2008)

RECOMMENDATIONS
(MPOB)
Quantification

of actual biomass available. Mapping/remote

sensing on the distribution of mills, replanting area and matured
oil palm plantation.
Long term study of mobilization of biomass (OPT & OPF) towards
the soil fertility.
Advanced study on fertilizer replacement to the plantation.

Encouragement of compound or organic fertilizer. Utilization of

POME sludge and EFB (value addition with effective microbes) as
source of organic fertilizer.
Smart partnering on R&D for setting up pilot or demo plant to test
the identified technology.
Facilitating the EPP 5 for biogas trapping from the POME. RE to
self sustain the economics of the project.

BIOGAS FROM POME

EFFLUENT
More

than 80% of palm oil

mill using pond system for
treatment of POME
Methane generated at the
anaerobic pond are not
captured and escape into the
atmosphere. No utilization of
biogas.
Some attempt has been
made to tap the methane
gas by using blanket system

Mill
capacity
(mt/hr)

CH4
productio
n
(mt/yr)

CO2
equivalent
(mt/yr)

30

820

17,220

50

1,370

28,770

90

2,460

51,660

120

3.280

68,880

(Golden Hope Plantations, Malaysia)

Status of Biogas Projects

No of Mills
Status: 439
As of 10 June 2015
Completed Biogas Plants

75

Under Construction

12

Under Planning

145
Covered lagoon digester

Digester tanks

RECOMMENDATIONS
(Government)
To formulate the Oil Palm Biomass Policy or Roadmap;

distribution of biomass amongst sectors (wood based,

bio-fuel, bio-fertilizer or bio-based chemicals).
Biomass consortium or Biomass Collection center.
Certification and controls on the quality of products,
compliance with International standard (MPOB, SIRIM).
Financial mechanism. Example: Funding on the pilot or
demo plants study.
Leveraging in engaging the stakeholders.

CONCLUSIONS
Huge potential to fully utilize the oil palm biomass
in Malaysia
Successful efforts mainly in energy and fertilizer
applications, complementing the wood-based
industry.
Promising initiatives being pursued in higher
value areas e.g. fine chemicals.
MPOB will try to support the agenda towards
National Biomass Strategy/Policy or Roadmap.
The industry is on the way to achieving optimal
value addition and zero waste by 2020.
27

DRIVING NATIONAL BIOMASS

AGENDA