1. PALM BIOMASS UTILISATION IN MALAYSIA FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTICS
Mohamad Ali Hassan
University Putra Malaysia
Yoshihito Shirai
Kyushu Institute of Technology

2. Presentation Outline Biomass Resources in Malaysia
Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia
UPM-KIT-FELDA Biogas & Biomass Project
Palm Biomass Plastics
Novel Business

3. Biomass Resources in Malaysia
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)

4. Problems Associated with Biomass
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

5. 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 people employed directly and indirectly
Poverty alleviation
Land ownership scheme & stable income
FELDA
Sustainable Development
3P: Profit, People and Planet

6. Malaysian Palm Oil Industry
Fresh Fruit Bunch
70 million tonnes
Oil Extraction
Crude Palm Oil
15 million tonnes
Palm Kernel Oil
2 million tonnes
Empty Fruit Bunches
15 million tonnes
Fiber
9 million tonnes
Shell
4 million tonnes
Renewable Resources
Palm Oil Mill Effluent
50 million tonnes

7. Palm Oil Industry and CDM
Methane sinks
Employs anaerobic treatment for palm oil mill effluent
Extensive and efficient system
The largest methane emission
Not yet commercialized, WHY?

8. Potential Power Generation from Oil Palm Residues at Palm Oil Mills in Malaysia
Type of
Industry
Production (Million Tonne)
Residue
Residue product Ratio
(%)
Residue Generated
(Million Tonne)
Potential
Energy PJ
Electricity
Generation
( MW)
Oil palm
59.8
EFB at
65%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, MPOB
Data is for the year 2002

9. 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

10. Biopolymers open up new options for an old problem -- disposal
Wow! Plastic lasts FOREVER
AGHH! Plastic lasts FOREVER
Today
1950’s

11. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
Carbon
source
Extraction
PHA in cell wall
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
Bacteria

12. PHA Structure PHA R R = Hydrocarbon x = 100-30000 n = 1-4 PHB - CH3
PHV CH2CH3
PHBV CH3 & CH2CH3
PHBHx CH3 & - CH2CH2CH3
PHBO CH3 & -(CH2)4CH3
R = Hydrocarbon
x =
n = 1-4

13. Carbon Cycle of Bioplastics
CO2
H2O
Photosynthesis
Biodegradation
Recycle
Plastic Products
Carbohydrates
Fermentation
PHA Polymer

14. Applications

15. Your food comes from nature..
Now so does your container

16. $$$$ 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

17. 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)

18. UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS & BIOMASS FOR NEW BIOPRODUCTS
JOINT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA
FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD.
KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

19. 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

20. Bioplastics from Palm Biomass
Concentration
of biomass
Oil
Extraction
Palm Oil Mill Effluent
Consumer
products
Bioplastic
(PHA)
Bio-acids Plant

21. Biomass Plastics from EFB
Poly-lactate pilot plant at
Kyushu Institute of Technology
Crystalline Poly-lactate

22. 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
for novel business
CDM provides a complete methane
fermentation system and change
lagoon area into a profitable area.
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.
CDM provides electricity using the methane
fermentation system for novel business
with a competitive price.
Based on the economic growth in Malaysia, the development of new oil palm
plantations 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)