Reducing energy intensity and environmental
impacts of palm oil consumed in the UK:
Improvements to the local waste management in
palm oil mills
Yoon Lin Chiew1, Alessandra Fusi1, Mei Fong Chong2, Denny Ng2 and
Adisa Azapagic1
1 The University of Manchester, UK; 2 The University of Nottingham, Malaysia
1
Contents
• Palm oil consumption in UK
• Methodology
• Results
• Conclusions
Palm oil consumption in the UK
• 390-451 kt of palm oil imported to the UK (~1% of global
palm oil production)
• 60% used in the food sector
• 72% (Oil World) or 93% (FEDOIL) of sustainable palm oil
certified by RSPO*
• Definition of sustainable palm oil:
– Conservation of primary forests, ethical conduct,
compliance with laws and regulations, traceable palm oil
(supply chain), etc.
*RSPO- Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Methodology
• Life cycle assessment
• Goal of the study
• Energy intensity and climate change impact of the palm oil
imported to UK and of different waste management options
• Improvements to the local waste management activities in
the palm oil mills
• Scope
• Crude palm oil production, transportation to palm oil refinery,
storage and handling, waste management, transportation to
UK.
• Functional units (unit of analysis):
– 1 t of crude palm oil
– 1 t of refined palm oil consumed in UK
Waste outputs
1 t Fresh Fruit
Bunch
Crude palm oil
Palm kernel oil
Palm oil mill effluent
Empty fruit bunch
Fiber
Shell
21~23%
13-19%
6-7%
20-21%
2-3%
51-65%
Waste
Product Palm kernel
Fuel for boiler
Waste management: Conventional
• Pond system and mulching
Crude palm oil
(CPO) production Ponding
system
POME
Mulching Production and
spreading of mineral
fertilizer
EFB
Palm oil sludge
treatment
CPO
• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent
• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch
Waste management: Current trend
• Anaerobic digestion and composting
Biogas
production
Power
generation National grid
Crude palm oil
(CPO)
production
Spreading of
compost EFB
POME
Production and
use of
electricity
Production and
spreading of
mineral fertilizer Composting
EFB
Wastewater
treatment
Final
discharged
BOD < 20 ppm CPO
• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent
• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch
Waste management: Future scenario
Biogas
production
Upgrading
biogas Use of biogas
for transport in
plantation
Crude palm oil
(CPO)
production
• Co-digestion of EFB and POME
EFB +
POME
Production
and use of
diesel
Spreading of
solid
digestate
Production and
spreading of mineral
fertilizer
Dewatering
of solid
digestate
Spreading of
liquid
digestate
Dewatered
EFB fibre
CPO
• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent
• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch
Supply chain of palm oil imported to the UK
35 countries 24 countries
Papua New Guinea
20%
Indonesia 20%
Malaysia 19%
Columbia 11%
Netherlands 10%
2008
Papua New
Guinea 48%
Malaysia 20%
Indonesia 11%
Netherlands 13%
2015
Transportation routes
Crude palm oil
production
Waste
management
system
Palm oil
refining
Handling & storage
at local ports
Palm oil
refining (UK) Palm oil
refining (EU)
Handling & storage
at UK ports
Handling & storage
at EU ports
Handling & storage
at local ports
1 t of palm oil consumed in UK • Black: Malaysia & Indonesia
• Blue: Papua New Guinea
• Orange: Europe
Climate change impact of waste management
options
49
58
1012
21
-52
1258
127
-29
1172
-400
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rren
t
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nven
tio
nal
Papua NewGuinea
Malaysia Indonesia
kg
CO
2 e
q./
t cru
de
palm
oil
Mulching
Composting
Spreading of liq. digestate
Spreading of sol. digestate
Avoided prod and use ofmineral fertilizerAvoided prod and use ofelectricityAvoided prod and use ofdieselCrude palm oil production
Biogas plant + UpgradingplantOpen ponding system
Energy intensity of waste management options
-5935
-758 -1
-6625
-1992 -21
-5954
-1691 70
-10000
-8000
-6000
-4000
-2000
0
2000
4000
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Papua NewGuinea
Malaysia Indonesia
MJ/ t
cru
de p
alm
oil
Spreading of sol. digestate
Open ponding system
Mulching
Composting
Spreading of liq. digestate
Avoided prod and use ofmineral fertilizerAvoided prod and use of diesel
Avoided prod and use ofelectricityCrude palm oil production
Biogas plant + Upgrading plant
Climate change impact of imported palm oil
-400
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600F
utu
re
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Papua New Guinea Malaysia Indonesia Europe
kg
CO
2 e
q./
t r
efi
ned
palm
oil
Crude palm oil production Waste management Transportation mill to port
Transportation port to port Refining palm oil
271 294
1312
207 130
1506
320 156
1418 1389
161 269
Energy intensity of imported palm oil
-8000
-6000
-4000
-2000
0
2000
4000
6000
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Fu
ture
Cu
rre
nt
Co
nv
en
tio
nal
Papua New Guinea Malaysia Indonesia Europe
MJ/
t re
fin
ed
palm
oil
Crude palm oil production Waste management Transportation mill to port
Transportation port to port Refining palm oil
-35
13
1351
3420
-27
81
1695
3015
3523
-36
30
1270
3126
-28
87
2705
Climate change impact of palm oil consumed
in the UK (2015)
Countries GWP [kt CO2 eq.]
Total palm oil [t] 390,450 Conventional Current Future
Papua New Guinea 185,299 47% 243.0 54.5 50.3
Indonesia 44,693 11% 63.4 7.0 14.3
Malaysia 77,280 20% 116.4 10.1 16.0
Australia 13,174 3% 19.3 1.9 3.5
Singapore 4,613 1% 6.7 0.7 1.2
Netherlands 49,934 13% 69.4 8.0 13.4
Germany 11,038 3% 15.3 1.8 3.0
Spain 1,616 0.4% 2.2 0.3 0.4
Sweden 596 0.2% 0.8 0.1 0.2
Total 388,243 99% 536.5 84.3 102.3
Reduction -84% -81%
Energy intensity of palm oil consumed in the
UK (2015)
Countries Energy intensity [TJ]
Total palm oil [t] 390,450 Conventional Current Future
Papua New Guinea 185,299 47% 652.7 501.2 -534.9
Indonesia 44,693 11% 134.8 75.8 -124.3
Malaysia 77,280 20% 264.3 104.4 -271.5
Australia 13,174 3% 42.4 20.1 -41.5
Singapore 4,613 1% 14.8 7.0 -14.5
Netherlands 49,934 13% 156.1 63.4 -181.2
Germany 11,038 3% 34.5 14.0 -40.1
Spain 1,616 0.4% 5.1 2.1 -5.9
Sweden 596 0.2% 1.9 0.8 -2.2
Total 388,243 99% 1306.6 788.7 -1216.0
Reduction -40% -193%
Conclusions
• In 2015, palm oil consumed in the UK used 1.3 PJ of
energy and emitted 536.5 kt CO2 eq.
• Reductions through improved waste management
• Current trend: reduces climate change impact by 84%
and energy use by 40%
• Future scenario: climate change lower by 81% and
energy by ~2 times
• Waste treatment for EFB and POME are vital - contribute
80% of the total impacts
• Transportation: 8% of the total impacts
Acknowledgements
This work is funded by the UK Research Council
as part of the UK Centre for Sustainable Energy
Use in Food Chains (CSEF)
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