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)
Mulch*
BIO-FERTILIZER
Compost*
Heat & Power*
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Oil Palm
Biomass
BIO COMPOSITE &
BIO-PRODUCTS
BIO-BASED
CHEMICALS
* Developed
** Emerging
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
Commercial production
Of sound dampening
sheet
Comply: PROTON (ESX62223/6), Hyundai (MS731-06) dan Nissan (NES
M 9001 (2007)
Sound
Dampening
Sheet
Commercial
Production
Cost
(RM/kg)
2.75
Differences
in Cost
(RM/kg)
-
Cost Saving (RM/year)
(Based on 1,650,000kg/year of palm
based Sound Dampening Sheet)
-
10% EFB Fibers
20% EFB Fibers
30% EFB Fibers
2.48
2.35
2.23
0.28
0.40
0.52
687,500
996,875
1,290,781
Medium Density Fiberboard
Oil Palm Biomass
Chipping
Refining
Glue blending
Drying
Forming
Cold & Hot pressing
Conditioning
Storage
Commercialization of MDF – Dongwha Fiberboard Malaysia
Splitting of over-diameter OPT (> 17 inch)
Feeding of OPT chips via double screw
OPT chips – diverted outside reclaimer
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)
Palm biomass briquettes – piston press technology
Biomass Pellet
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
Pyrolysis
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 fibercomposite 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
CRUDE
PETROLEUM
7%
LNG
5%
PETROLEUM
PRODUCTS
5%
TIMBER
3%
OTHERS
32%
PALM OIL
9%
ELECTRICAL
&
ELECTRONIC
S
39%
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
production
(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 : 439
Status
As of 10 June 2015
Completed Biogas Plants
75
Under Construction
12
Under Planning
145
Covered
Lagoon,
28 (37%)
Covered lagoon digester
Digester
Tank , 47
(63%)
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