OIL PALM BIOMASS UTILISATION- SIME DARBY’S EXPERIENCE

Contents

� Introduction� Oil palm biomass

� Biomass availability� Selection of feedstock� Feedstock value

� Biomass utilisation� Composting� Sugar extraction

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� Sugar extraction� Energy production (Bio-ethanol)� Biomas for Biogas

� Conclusions

Introduction

� Increasing interest in sustainability: � High energy price (petroleum based liquid fuel)� Environmental impact

� Energy demands� Transportation fuel keep increasing� Programmes and policies – to increase uses of RE fuel to

substitute fossil based fuel� Environmental impact

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� Environmental impact� Increasing demand for “Green Chemicals” from bio-

based products � Consumer awareness and preference for environmentally

friendly products� Huge opportunity for “Waste to Wealth” utilising non-food

by-products from oil palm biomas, potentially 10 times the CPO quantity produced.

Sime Darby Plantations

Total landbank at 873,222 hectares :• Malaysia – 359,869 hectares• Indonesia – 285,571 hectares• Liberia – 227,782 hectares

Malaysia Indonesia Total

Number of Mills 37 24 64

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Total Land bank Area (ha) 359,869 285,571 645,440

Total Oil Palm Planted Area (ha) 314,035 207,889 521,924

FFB Produced (mil mt in 2012) 6.30 3.50 9.80

Total Rubber Planted Area (ha) 8,086 - 8,086

Oil Palm Biomass Availability

Oil Palm Biomass Malaysia (Mil mt/yr)

Indonesia (Mil mt/yr)

Total (Mil mt/yr)

Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) 1.39 0.77 2.16

Palm Trunk (5% replanting/yr) 1.18 0.78 1.96

Fronds 7.85 5.20 13.05

POME 4.73 2.63 7.35

5% of FFB processed

* mt/ha.yr

Palm Shell 0.32 0.18 0.49

Palm Mesocarp 0.79 0.44 1.23

Oil Palm biomassDry

matter(mt/ha)

Nutrient (kg /ha)

N P K Mg

Trunks 75.5 368.2 35.5 527.4 88.3

Fronds

Nutrient Availability of Oil Palm Biomass

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Fronds

(from replanting)14.4 150.1 13.9 193.9 24.0

Fronds

(from pruning)10.4 5.4 10.0 139.4 17.2

Empty fruit bunches 1.6 107.9 0.4 35.3 2.7

Source : MPOB Publication

Selection of Feedstock

� EFB always the first choice for OP biomass� Abundant, all year round availability, strategically collected

at palm oil mills � Ideal feedstock to replace conventional raw material that

are meant for food� Biomass for 2nd generation biofuel/green chemicals� ‘Food vs. Fuel’ issue

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Selection of Feedstock

� Other type of biomass suitability:� Nutrient value; trunk = EFB� Sap from trunk; high sugar

� Trunk� Issue on handling, logistic and

storage� Availability during replanting

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� Fronds� Nutrient supplier in plantation,

moisture retainment � Available all year round� Logistic and storage

� Palm Shell� Scattered depending to mill

location� Small quantity

Feedstock Value

� What is a fair value of EFB?� Based on nutrient composition of EFB

Element% on Fresh EFB

Mean Range

N 0.37 0.32 – 0.43

P 0.04 0.03 – 0.04

K 0.91 0.89 – 0.94

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K 0.91 0.89 – 0.94

Mg 0.08 0.07 – 0.10

� Fertilizer value of 1 mt EFB = RM 45 to 60� Agronomy study on EFB mulching indicated higher yield app 5 –

10% against inorganic fertiliser� Sustainability

� Other OP biomass value :� Trunk� Fronds� Effluent

Biomass

Mesocarp Fiber

1. Compost

Empty Empty Fruit Bunch

Fronds Palm TrunkShell

1. Compost 1. Animal Feed 1. Plywood1. Activated

Oil Palm Biomass Utilisation

1. Compost

2. Boiler Fuel

3. Dry fibre

1. Compost

2. Industrial Fiber

3. Bio-ethanol

4. Industrial sugar

5. Lignin

6. Boiler Fuel

7. Solid fuel

8. MDF

9. Pulp & Paper

10. Bio-oil &

Charcoal

11. Green

Chemicals

1. Animal Feed

2. Particle Board

3. Furniture

4. Sugar

5. Green

chemicals

1. Plywood

2. Lumber

3. Furniture

4. Compost

5. Biofuel

6. Industrial

sugar

7. Bio-oil

8. Fertilizer

replacement

1. Activated

Carbon

2. Boiler Fuel

3. Solid Fuel

4. Cement

additive

5. CMS, CNT

Biomass – Composting

� EFB is widely used for compost production� High fertiliser cost� Carbon cycle/sustainability

� 21 composting plant, 70% of total EFB produced

� Issues with compost� Inconsistent product quality

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� Inconsistent product quality� Application method

� Continuous research:� Increase & consistent

nutrient value� Simplified product

application

• Pelletising and granulating of the compost simplify the in-field compost application.

• High power for drying and grinding.

• Granulator requires much lower power requirement.

• Spreader could be used to apply the compost in granuleform

Pelletisation and Granulation of Compost

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Oil palm trunks(%)

Oil palm fronds(%)

Empty fruit bunches(%)

Lignin 18.1 18.3 21.2

Hemicellulose 25.3 33.9 24.0

Proximate Analysis of Oil Palm Biomass

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αααα-cellulose 45.9 46.6 41.0

Holocellulose 71.2 80.5 65.0

Ash 1.1 2.5 3.5

Source : Astimar et al., 2009

Biomass – Sugar Extraction

EFB Trunks Fronds Fiber

Glucose (g/g of DM) C6 0.43 0.65 0.47 0.23

Xylose (g/g of DM) C5 0.26 0.12 0.24 0.18

Total fermentable sugar (g/g of DM)

0.69 0.77 0.71 0.41

Source: Malaysia-Danish Environment Corporation Programme Report 2008

� High potential feedstock� Trials (pilot scale) must be carried out in Malaysia to ensure

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� Trials (pilot scale) must be carried out in Malaysia to ensure reliable data and information

� Pre-treatment of feedstock is very important to ensure high yield and high efficiency process

� Selection of pre-treatment – by-products management� Ready for post process – production of bio-chemical

products, biopolymer

A

Transesterification

Hydrolysis-Fermentation

Pyrolysis-hydrogenation

Biodiesel

Bioethanol

Hydrocarbon/bio-oil

Vegetable Oil

Sugar & StarchBiofuels for Transport

GreenChemicals

Upgrading process

Raw material Process Product Final Use

Biomass – Energy Production

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Adapted from European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA) 2007

hydrogenation

Fisher-tropsch

Gasification

Pelletisation

Anaerobic Digestion

Producer gas

Pellets

Biogas

Ligno-cellulosicBiomass

Wet Biomass

Biofuels for power

generation, heating and industrial

applications

process

EFB for Bio-Ethanol Production

• Conducted pilot plant evaluation on EFB conversion to Bio-ethanol.

• Required feedstock conditioning to reduce oil content, homogenity for pre-treatment

• High ethanol conversion, but dependant to enzyme dosage

• Feasibility highly dependant to value of feedstock (EFB), by-product utilisation and enzyme cost

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by-product utilisation and enzyme cost

POME

� Direct Conventional Application

� Compost product

� Fertiliser

� Animal Feed

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

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Organic AcidsBiogas (Methane)

� Electricity

� Heat

� Vehicle fuel

(CNGV)

� Cooking fuel

� Acetic

� Propionic

� Butyric

� Biodegradable

plastics

POM Effluent for Biogas Production

� Substantial improvement of Carbon footprint � 60-65% CH4, 35-40% CO2, H2S� Potential usage

� Electricity – gas engine, co-generation, boiler fuel� Energy/fuel – compressed bio-methane (CNGV)

� Committed for biogas capturing before year 2020

� Issues :� POME for composting –

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� POME for composting –less POME for biogas

� POME quality� Inconsistency on biogas

production� Front-end improvement –

less POME production� Process efficiency –

mixing, mesophilic vs thermophilic

Conclusion & Way Forward

� Sime Darby focused on sustainability – recyling of biomass, minimise emission

� Potential to maximise value of OP biomass� Sugar extraction� End products – not fully explored� Niche “Green Chemical” industry

� Significant reduction in GHG emission by utilising the

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� Significant reduction in GHG emission by utilising the biomass

� Challenges� Biomas utilisation vs “return to soil”� Financial viability of the projects – logistic, storage,

market� Expensive compared to fossil fuel – product value

Thank You

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