PALM BIOMASS UTILISATION IN MALAYSIA

FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTICS

Mohamad Ali HassanUniversity Putra Malaysia

Yoshihito ShiraiKyushu Institute of Technology

Presentation Outline

• Biomass Resources in Malaysia• Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia• UPM-KIT-FELDA Biogas & Biomass

Project• Palm Biomass Plastics• Novel Business

Biomass Resources in Malaysia

• Biomass – organic matter available on a

renewable basis – includes forest and mill residues,

wood wastes, agricultural crops and wastes, animal wastes and MSW

• Abundant in Malaysia > 70 million tonnes collected / year

• Produced throughout the year– high sunlight intensity/time

and high rainfall

• Main contributor of biomass is the palm oil industry (ligno-cellulosics)

MSW9.5%

Palm Oil 85.5%

Rice 0.7%

Sugarcane 0.5%

Wood industry

3.7%

• Increasing demand for food leads to increased biomass/waste generation– problem with waste treatment and disposal

• Open dumps/landfill and wastewater treatment facility– uncontrolled release of greenhouse gases/global warming– groundwater and river contamination from leachate

• Indiscriminate dumping– environmental pollution

• Burning of biomass– emission of smoke & haze hazard– emission of toxic chemicals such as dioxins

• No special incentives or provisions to utilize these residues

• Biomass business not economically feasible & long payback periods

Problems Associated with Biomass

Palm Oil Industry and Malaysian Socio Economy

• Introduced in 1911 from West Africa

• Commercial planting in 1917• No. 1 commodity in 1970• USD 6 billion export in 2003• More than 500 000 people

employed directly and indirectly

• Poverty alleviation - Land ownership scheme &

stable income - FELDA

• Sustainable Development – 3P: Profit, People and Planet

Malaysian Palm Oil Industry

Palm Oil Mill Effluent50 million tonnes

Fresh Fruit Bunch70 million tonnes

Oil ExtractionCrude Palm Oil

15 million tonnesPalm Kernel Oil2 million tonnes

Empty Fruit Bunches 15 million tonnes

Fiber 9 million tonnes

Shell4 million tonnes

Renewable Resources

• Methane sinks– Employs anaerobic treatment for palm oil mill

effluent– Extensive and efficient system– The largest methane emission– Not yet commercialized, WHY?

Palm Oil Industry and CDM

Potential Power Generation from Oil Palm Residues at Palm Oil Mills in Malaysia

Type ofIndustry

Production (Million Tonne)

Residue Residue product

Ratio(%)

Residue Generated(Million Tonne)

PotentialEnergyPJ

PotentialElectricityGeneration( MW)

Oil palm 59.8 EFB at65%MC*

21.14 12.641 57 520

Fiber 12.72 7.607 108 1032

Shell 5.67 3.390 55 545

Total Solid 16.670 220 2098

POME (3.5m3/CPO or 65% of FFB)

38.870 320

Ref – Malaysian Oil Palm Statistics 2002, 22nd Edition, MPOBData is for the year 2002

New Business Potential of Palm Biomass

Empty Fruit Bunch > 15 million t/yr

Palm Oil Mill Effluent> 50 million t/yr

Concentration of biomass “business as usual”

Sugars

Bioplastic (PLA)or Bioethanol

Saccharification of cellulose

Lactic Acid or Cellulosic

Bioethanol fermentation Electricity

Organic acids

Bioplastic (PHA)Biogas / Methane Plant

Biopolymers open up new options for an old problem -- disposal

AGHH! Plastic lasts FOREVER

1950’s Today

Wow! Plastic lasts FOREVER

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)Carbon source

PHA in cell wall

Extraction

Bacteria

Fermentation

Polyesters accumulated inside microbial cells as carbon & energy storage

Produced from natural, renewable resources

Able to be recycled, composted or burned without producing toxic byproducts

100 % biodegradable

Produced under conditions of: low limiting nutrients (e.g. N, S, P) and excess carbon

PHA StructurePHA Structure

PHA RPHB - CH3

PHV -CH2CH3

PHBV - CH3 & CH2CH3

PHBHx -CH3 & - CH2CH2CH3

PHBO -CH3 & -(CH2)4CH3

R = Hydrocarbon

x = 100-30000

n = 1-4

Carbon Cycle of Bioplastics

CO2

H2O Biodegradation

CarbohydratesPlastic

Products

Fermentation PHA Polymer

Photosynthesis

Recycle

Applications

Your foodcomes from

nature..

Now sodoes your container

$$$$$$$$ factor factor

• The major drawbacks in commercialisation of PHA are

1) high cost of production and recovery

2) price

• Raw material ~ 40-50% of the total production cost

• Current price with natural producer like Ralstonia eutropha is US $6-10 per kg, about 3-5 times more expensive than PP

• To be commercially viable, PHA price ~ US $3-5 per kg

• Therefore, various carbon sources are being explored in order to reduce the price of bioplastics

• Our work focuses on producing organic acids and sugars as cheap carbon sources for bioplastics (PHA and PLA)

UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS & UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS & BIOMASS BIOMASS

FOR NEW BIOPRODUCTSFOR NEW BIOPRODUCTSJOINT RESEARCH & JOINT RESEARCH &

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIAUNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA

FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD.BHD.

KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

PALM OIL INDUSTRY: NEW BIOPRODUCTS

PROJECT #1 - Improved Methane Fermentation from Palm Oil Mill Effluent for Electric Power Generation for CDM

PROJECT #2 - Organic Acids Production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent

PROJECT #3 - Production of Sugars and Other Valued Products from Empty Fruit Bunch and Fruit Fiber

Bioplastics from Palm Biomass

Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Concentrationof biomass

Oil Extraction

Bio-acids PlantBioplastic

(PHA)

Consumerproducts

Biomass Plastics from EFB

Crystalline Poly-

lactate

Poly-lactate pilot plant at

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Novel Business Using Biomass Energy from Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia

CDM provides profitable area for novel business to which biomass energy can be supplied from palm oil industry with a reasonable price

CDM provides a complete methane fermentation system and change lagoon area into a profitable area.

CDM provides electricity using the methanefermentation system for novel businesswith a competitive price.

1. CDM can reduce GHG by sealing the lagoons.2. Prevention of undesirable

smell by modern treatment.3. Local employment can be

encouraged from new business.

for novel business

Based on the economic growth in Malaysia, the development of new oil palmplantations in the tropical rainforest will soon be no longer economically viable.In order to meet the increasing demand for palm oil in the future, palm oil industry must cooperatively stay with other industries and people >>> 3P (Profit, People, Planet)