PALM BIOMASS UTILISATION IN MALAYSIA FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTICS

Mohamad Ali Hassan University Putra Malaysia Yoshihito Shirai Kyushu 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
MSW 9.5% Wood industry 3.7% Rice 0.7% Sugarcane 0.5%

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)

Palm Oil 85.5%

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

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

Fresh Fruit Bunch 70 million tonnes

Palm Kernel Oil 2 million tonnes

Oil Extraction

Crude Palm Oil 15 million tonnes

Renewable Resources

Fiber 9 million tonnes

Shell 4 million tonnes

Palm Oil Mill Effluent 50 million tonnes

Empty Fruit Bunches 15 million tonnes

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?

Potential Power Generation from Oil Palm Residues at Palm Oil Mills in Malaysia
Type of Industry Production (Million Tonne) Residue Residue product Ratio (%) 21.14 12.72 Residue Generated (Million Tonne) 12.641 7.607 Potential Energy PJ 57 108 Potential Electricity Generation ( MW) 520 1032

Oil palm

59.8

EFB at 65%MC* Fiber

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

New Business Potential of Palm Biomass

Concentration of biomass business as usual Bioplastic (PLA) or Bioethanol

Empty Fruit Bunch > 15 million t/yr

Palm Oil Mill Effluent > 50 million t/yr

Saccharification of cellulose
Organic acids Sugars

Lactic Acid or Cellulosic Bioethanol fermentation

Electricity

Biogas / Methane Plant

Bioplastic (PHA)

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

Wow! Plastic lasts FOREVER AGHH! Plastic lasts FOREVER

1950s

Today

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
Carbon source PHA in cell wall Extraction

Fermentation

Polyesters accumulated inside microbial cells as carbon & energy storage

Bacteria

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 Structure

PHA
PHB PHV PHBV PHBHx PHBO

R
- CH3 -CH2CH3 - CH3 & CH2CH3 -CH3 & - CH2CH2CH3 -CH3 & -(CH2)4CH3

R = Hydrocarbon x = 100-30000 n = 1-4

Carbon Cycle of Bioplastics

Photosynthesis
CO2 H2O

Biodegradation

Recycle

Carbohydrates Fermentation

Plastic Products

PHA Polymer

Applications

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

$$$$ 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 & BIOMASS FOR NEW BIOPRODUCTS

JOINT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD. KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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

Concentration of biomass

Oil Extraction

Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Consumer products

Bioplastic (PHA)

Bio-acids Plant

Biomass Plastics from EFB

Poly-lactate pilot plant at Kyushu Institute of Technology

Crystalline Poly-lactate

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. CDM provides electricity using the methane fermentation system for novel business with 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.

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)