1. MIGHT Partnership Exchange EU- Biomass
Stakeholders Forum
The Potential of Biomass in Malaysia as a Fuel For Electricity Generation Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur April 2010
Badrol bin Ahmad
Abdul Halim Shamsudin

2. Outline
Background
Biomass potential
Biomass for electricity generation
Issues

3. BACKGROUND Malaysia’s energy resources are dominated by fossil fuels.
Biomass, solar and mini hydro hold great promise as complementary energy resources.
They are plentiful
They provide potential for the reduction of GHG emissions
Successful utilization these resources depends on
Favourable energy policy
Technology availability
Access to supplies
This presentation focuses on biomass and its potential for electricity generation

4. Generation Fuel Mix in Peninsular Malaysia (2008)%
Gas 64
Coal 29
Hydro

5. Malaysia Agricultural
Remains an important sector of Malaysia’s economy
Contributes 12% to national GDP
3 main crops dominate agricultural export:
Rubber
palm oil
Cocoa
Rice and sugarcane are grown for domestic consumption.

6. Biomass are organic matters that are derived from
plants (agriculture and timber industries)
livestock waste
garbage
They represent ‘new energy resources’ that opens up opportunities for economic activities and employment

7. Sources of biomass
Animals
Waste
Plant
manure
municipal
waste
field residues
process residue

8. Biomass: availability and utilization
Biomass are plentiful but their utilization as fuel for electricity generation is currently limited.
In the near term, interest will mainly be on biomass that are associated with the major crops
Oil palm
Rice
Sugar
Cocoa
In the longer term, other sources may be feasible
Banana
Bamboo
Dedicated energy crops
etc

9. This commodity accounts for:
Palm oil industry
Malaysia is one of the biggest producers and exporter of palm oil and palm oil products
At present the industry is the most developed among the agricultural industries in Malaysia.
This commodity accounts for:
41 % of world palm oil production
47% of world exports
11% and 25% of the world's total production and exports of oils and fats.

10. Oil Palm Life Cycle Cultivation Pruning Felling Harvesting Extraction
(Tree trunks
Fronds)
Pruning
Felling
(Palm fronds)
Harvesting
(Fresh
fruit
bunches)
Extraction
POME
EFB,
etc
Oil
Image:CIRAD

11. Oil Palm Biomass
Biomass Qty/ Moisture CV/ Main mil. tonnes content / % kj/kg uses
Fibre Fuel
Shell Fuel
Empty fruit bunch Mulch
Palm kernel Animal feed
Expeller
Source: A.B. Nasrin et al

12. Paddy cultivation and production
Harvested area
(T ha)
Yield
(kg/ha)
Production
(T t)
Import
Source: FAO

13. States 2006 2007 2008 Area / ha Production/ tonnes Area/ ha Johor
2 405
5 739
2 639
9 221
2 154
8 128
Kedah
Kelantan
72 266
73 514
6 8598
Melaka
1 769
8 640
2 032
7 225
1 731
4 158
N. Sembilan
1 495
6 864
1 105
5 091
1 196
5 437
Pahang
7 762
22 282
7 415
22 673
6 331
21 384
Perak
82 286
81 027
80 724
Perlis
51 905
52 188
52 180
P. Pinang
25 564
25 513
Selangor
37 473
37 135
37 221
Terengganu
16 538
59 671
17 277
62 253
16 547
63 490
Penininsular M’sia
Sabah
38 498
33 858
41 443
37 447
Sarawak
Malaysia

14. Paddy is harvested and processed in the mill to produce rice.
Paddy biomass
Paddy is harvested and processed in the mill to produce rice.
The residue from the harvests and subsequent processing includes
Straw
Concentrated on farms
Husk
23 % of the paddy processed
13 % moisture content
Concentrated in mills

15. Sugarcane cultivation and sugar production
Sugarcane flourishes in dry region of Malaysia.
Its cultivation, therefore, is concentrated mainly in
Perlis and Kedah.
Johor and Sarawak are potential states identified as suitable for sugarcane cultivation
Cultivated areas are estimated to be to hectares producing 1.3 to 1.6 million tonnes annually .

16. Sugar production
Sugar cane are processed to produce raw and refined sugar, exclusively for domestic consumption.
The processing is carried out in facilities located in in the plantations in Kedah &Perlis.
Facilities in Penang and Selangor are refineries that produces refined sugar.

17. Sugarcane biomass Sugarcane biomass Bagasse Leaves and cane tops
Residue of sugarcane processing
300 kg of bagasse / kg sugarcane
Annual bagasse production is estimated at 300 million.
Leaves and cane tops
From sugarcane harvesting
About 0.7 of the dry weight of cane

18. Rubber biomass Rubber biomass Utilization Rubber wood
Available during replanting
Estimated at 3.4 million kg / year
Utilization
Materials for furniture
Energy

19. Once a major commercial crop in Malaysia.
Cocoa cultivation
Once a major commercial crop in Malaysia.
Cultivated areas show definite decline
Peninsular and Sabah
However, bean production continue to increase in tonnage.
Cocoa biomass
Pruning activities
kg dry organic matter/ m2/year.

20. Ground cocoa beans / tonnes
Year
Peninsular Malaysia
Cultivated area / ha
Ground cocoa beans / tonnes
Sabah
Estate
Small_
holding
Total
1980
37 713
19632
57 345
6 000
39 761
18 233
57 984
1985
45 798
61 134
27 000
40 804
1990
47 124
90 807
70 000
35 821
1995
15 014
32 690
47 704
81 639
32 652
2000
2 717
12 425
15 142
19 722
32 088
51 810
2008
756
6 097
6 853
2 857
5 728
8 585
Cocoa: Cultivated Areas
Source: Cocoa Board, Malaysia

21. Planted areas and coconut production
States
2006
2007
2008
Area / ha
Production/ tonnes
Area/ ha
Johor
20 810
97 181
19 781
Perak
14057
63 272
14 057
6 914
47 209
Selangor
19 419
77 752
74 683
16 761
75 994
Penininsular M’sia
77 255
77 491
65 931
Sabah
18 245
78 451
18 225
20 021
82 130
Sarawak
23 380
87 119
81 982
25 352
48 684
Malaysia
Planted areas and coconut production
Source: Department of Agriculture, Malaysia

22. Biomass as fuel for electricity generation
Green energy is becoming an important feature of electricity supply industry.
This trend is supported by favourable climate
energy policies
incentives
continued supply of biomass
technology

23. Biomass electricity generation potential in Malaysia
The available biomass has an equivalent generation capacity of more than MW of electricity.
Oil palm biomass has practical advantage
Concentrated in large plantations
A number of plants are already in operations
Active research activities
MPOB
Universities
Research institutions

25. Biomass energy potential
Sector
Quantity / Ktonne/year
Annual generation potential MW
Maximum energy potential/MW
EFB
16 700
28 000
3 150
Fruit Fibres
12 200
Palm shell
4 900
Palm oil mill effluent
38 900
2 800
320
Wood chips
2 200
600 70
Rice husks
400
300 30
Bagasse
200 25
Total
58 500
31 900
3595
(Halim, 2010)

26. Calorific Values of Biomass
Fuel Properties
Calorific Values of Biomass
Source EFB Fruit Shell Bagasse Thrash Husk Straw
Fibre 1 2
1. Shamsuddin (1985) & (1995), Hussain (2006): dry basis
2. Turn et al (1997): HHV

27. Biomass electricity generation projects
Co-gen in the mills
EC-ASEAN Co-gen(1990,s)
5 full-scale demonstration projects using wood wastes
Approved Small RE Projects (SREP)
EFB : MW
Wood wastes: MW
Rice Husk : MW
MSW : MW
Mixed fuels : MW
FELDA-J-Power-TNB Biomass Power Plant
10 MW
Jana Landfill Sdn. Bhd
2 MW

28. Biomass electricity generation projects
TSH Bioenergy Sdn. Bhd. (Sabah)
Grid connected with 14 MW capacity
2 MW : internal consumption
10 MW : supplied to grid
BioGen FSM Projects
MHES Asia Sdn. Bhd. (10 MW)
EFB
FELDA Serting Hilir (1.0 MW)
Biogas

29. Experience

30. Issues and Challenges
Resource availability
Long term supply
Operational optimisation
Technology management

31. Resource availability
Resources are available within the plantations and mills
But not all are available for electricity generation
Biomass to be returned to soil policy
Competing use
Product manufacture
Furniture
Mattress
Composite materials
Fertilizers
Etc
Policy on biomass utilizations is required??

32. Power plants are designed for a service life of more than 25 years.
Long term supply
Power plants are designed for a service life of more than 25 years.
Supply must be assured over this period of time
Supply agreement
Quantity
Quality
Ability of supplier to meet power operators
Production capacity
Raw biomass
Pelletised biomass

33. Storage Power plant Storage Biomass supply chain Processed biomass e.g
transportation
Processed
biomass e.g
pellets
Storage
Quality
Quantity
Delivery
Plantation
Smallholders
Power
plant
transporta-
tion
Mills, refineries,
etc
Storage
transportation
transportation
Biomass supply chain

34. Operational optimization
Storage capacity
Combustion efficiency
Characteristics of fuel
Energy content
Compositions
Heat transfer efficiency
Plant availability
Scheduled outage
Forced outage
Maintenance & inspection practices
Effective
Meets regulatory requirements

35. Technology Management
Design requirements
Technical specifications
Selection of appropriate technology
Economics
Reliability
Long term performance
Skills and expertise
In-house
Out-source

36. Conventional steam plant
Technology
Conventional steam plant
Maximum theoretical thermal efficiency is limited by max and min temperatures of the cycle.
Better cycle efficiency is possible with combined cycle
Biomass converted to gas
Gas power gas turbine
Gas turbine exhaust is recovered to generate steam in boiler and power in steam turbine.

37. Thank you