Hoong Chan

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  • Moisture of Shredded EFB Fibre

    Many biomass boilers have converted to use shredded EFB Fibre as one of the important biomass in Malaysia, however the moisture content for shredded EFB fibre is favourable as an important biomass for boiler? Let us reveal some of the situation here.

    What is the moisture for Shredded EFB Fibre?

    The moisture for EFB itself which newly discharge from crude palm oil mill may reach as high as 70% moisture, apart from steam water moisture; it also consists of small amount of crude palm oil. This is why some of the crude palm oil mill wants to further proceed to press the EFB for further salvage the crude palm oil.

    After press and shredded, the moisture for shredded EFB fibre may reduce to 50-55%, again also may fluctuate depends on the press machine and shredded machine design and maintenance status.

    The shredded EFB fibre will be transport to biomass factory who may locate at 100km away from the crude palm oil mill. The moisture of shredded EFB fibre measure at biomass plant may reach at 60-65%.

    Why Shredded EFB Fibre Moisture Increase?

    The newly shredded EFB fibre is normally warmer, this imply the existence of latent heat in this shredded EFB fibre. More over the during transportation, the shredded EFB fibre will be packed and covered under canvas, this will further accelerate the fermentation process which water moisture is the by-product.

    We have proof that the increase of moisture for shredded EFB fibre mainly due to fermentation process.

    Biomass Boiler prefers dry or wet EFB fibre?

    For sure, from boiler stand point, dry EFB fibre is preferred. Wet EFB fibre will cause insufficient burning and more over a substantial amount of heat has been used to evaporate the moisture content in EFB fibre. Hence, the heat that eventually goes to biomass boiler process may much lesser than the calorific value it initially quotes.

    Suggestion to improve moisture content for EFB fibre.

    From our study, we find out cool down the EFB fibre with sufficient air ventilation maybe one of the best method to reduce moisture content. This action will reduce the latent heat for EFB fibre which newly go through shredded process.

    Reduce EFB piling up time and store in indoor maybe another action, this is mainly reduce the EFB fibre exposure to rain or condensate water due to climate temperature change.

  • EFB Fibre has turn Useless to Useful

    EFB Fibre?

    EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) is the by-product from crude palm oil mill which having low economic value before more application being developed. Currently the major application of EFB is extract the fibre for others industry.

    Before latest application being developed, converting EFB to compost is seems to be the only solution for most of the crude palm oil mill. Those crude palm oil mills having their own estate will gather the EFB, expose to air to let it turn black and start fermentation. After 120 days of fermentation, the EFB will be transferred back to oil palm estate for compost fertilizer. Sometime we do see palm oil sludge being mixed in the EFB in order to expedite the fermentation process.

    Now EFB has more other application other than compost. The new application about EFB is using the fibre nature of the EFB. There are researches about pressed and shredded the EFB to get fibre for biomass boiler; gone through further cleaning process and extracting long fibre for replacing coconut fibre for mattress; extracting Vitamin E from EFB Fibre.

    Shredded EFB Fibre has become a major biomass media in this Malaysia. Many steam provider companies have secure the EFB fibre supply chain from crude palm oil mill and selected biomass boiler for supplying steam to surrounding industry. There are estimated total 18million tons of EFB fibre available through out Malaysia for year 2010 and expected more for subsequence years.

    EFB fibre as biomass has become one of the major converting application for EFB. Apart there are also companies buying the EFB and recover the long fibre from the EFB. The long EFB fibre has more economic value that could be used as fibre mattress. Due to more profitable income, we also seeing many crude palm oil mills also start investing in this process to extract long fibre from EFB.

    In bio-technology industry, there are also researches extracting Vitamin E from fibre or re-grinding the fibre in smaller grain size mixing in food chain.

    We are seeing more and more application study in EFB fibre

    Biomass Availability – Oil Palm Fibre

    In Malaysia, more and more forest or estate are converting to oil palm estate, research has study and showed that using oil palm fibre as biomass for biomass power plant is not only feasible but also practically success.

    In year 2009, Malaysia has produced 17.56 million tonnes of crude palm oil and this lead to almost 90 million tones of EFB that yet to further disposal. EFB will be shredded and become one of the major sources for biomass power plant in the country. Until EFB fibre can reach other economic value, we foresee there are still rooms for Malaysia company converting existing fossil fuel power plant to biomass power plant, however the transportation network need to further establish.

  • Oil Palm and Palm Oil, What is the Differences

    Oil palm is the general name term of Elais Guinensis palm tree. There are several country in the world planting oil palm tree, Malaysia is one of major country with oil palm plantation. Besides, Indonesia and Nigeria in Africa are another 2 major oil palm plantation.

    Palm oil is the product that produces from oil palm fruit. Oil palm fruit which rich content of palm oil will process through crude palm oil mill in order to get crude palm oil. Crude palm oil will send to refinery to further process become palm oil that ready sending to consumer for cooking and other derivative products.

    Malaysia government has deeply involves in oil palm and it derivative products. Oil palm plantation is one of the major agriculture activity, perhaps oil palm plantation area already existed rubber plantation and coconut plantation. Further more, Malaysia has become the major palm oil exporter that even exceed Indonesia who having larger plantation area.

    Sabah state is having the largest oil palm estate in over all Malaysia. A substantial amount of rain forest from this state has been converted to oil palm estate. On the other hand, Pahang state is having the largest oil palm estate in peninsular Malaysia, and follow by Johor and Perak.

    3 well known palm oil company, Gurthrie, Golden Hope and Sime Darby has agreed on a consolidation arrangement several years ago, currently above 3 companies have consolidated as Sime Darby group. With this consolidation, Sime Darby has inline with Felda, a Malaysia government own oil palm and palm oil corporate.

    In short, oil palm is referring to the palm tree and palm oil is the product produce from oil palm.

  • Palm Kernel Shell

    Palm kernel shell that we are referring is palm kernel from oil palm fruit. As showed in the image, every oil palm fruit is consists of oil palm nut, and mesocarp (the meat). In palm oil industry, the crash shell without nut is referring to palm kernel shell.

    At crude palm oil process, after the Cyclone Separation process, mesocarp fibre and oil palm nut will be separated. The oil palm nut will go through nut drying process and then later for nut cracking. Kernel will be separated for kernel oil process and the nut shell will become the palm kernel shell. Palm kernel shell will be pile up and store at open space.

    Palm kernel shell can be considered as pellet form because of it nature form, due to it high grade solid, low ash and low sulphur content, palm kernel shell has been used as a burner for power plant. One of the most favorable used of palm kernel shell is to process become charcoal.

    Further more, the burned palm kernel shell charcoal has other economy value too. Palm kernel shell charcoal has also been used as activated carbon for water purification, promote organic farming, and also and active agent for soil improvement.

     

    Apart, we also read some articles that researcher already study to include palm kernel shell as a coarse aggregate in road binder courses with emphasis on strength of the asphalt concrete.

     

    In short, researchers have put in afford to develop application for palm kernel shell, and we believe palm kernel shell be much more valuable from biomass aspect

  • Oil Palm Fibre

    What is Oil Palm Fibre

    Oil Palm Fibre is the general term for the fibre being extracted from oil palm.  Palm oil fibre can be further classify into EFB fibre, shredded EFB fibre, oil palm fruit mesocarp fibre as well asoil palm trunk fibre, each category has their own property that serve for difference purpose.

    In crude palm oil mill, FFB (Fresh Fruit Bunch) is received and send for crude palm oil process.  After bunch sterilization process, palm oil bunch will go through “Fruit Detachment” whereby threshing process applied in order to separate between sterilized palm fruit and EFB bunch (Empty Fruit Bunch).

    Application of Oil Plam Fibre

    EFB used to be a discarded by-product for crude palm oil mill, however due to scarcity of energy; EFB has been developed for more usage.

    The unprocessed EFB has used as a mulching material in order to detain moisture and provide nutrition to the land.  On the other hand, EFB fibre has more economy value because of it fibre characteristic.  Due to it long fibre structure, EFB fibre has become one of the major component for palm mat.

    Many companies also have started to replace their fossil fuel by using ShreddedEFB for their boiler’s combustion process; those companies experience cost saving for this change.

  • Mesocarp Fibre

    What is Mesocarp Fibre

    Palm Fruit length about 5cm and is in oval shape. It consists of yellowish red oily flesh mesocarp and single seed Palm Kernel Nut. At crude palm oil mill, palm fruit is cook under hot steam and pressed for oil extraction, with Mesocarp Fiber and Palm Kernel Nut as left over mass. The Mesocarp Fiber is then separated from Palm Kernel Nut by cyclone separator. Mesocarp fiber is an elongated cellulose with 30-50mm length.

    Application of Mesocarp Fibre

    Due to its porous nature, raw Mesocarp Fiber is used as biomass fuel for steam boiler. By replacing fossil fuel for steam generation, besides saving money, the host can earn Certified Emission Reductions (CER ) credit through Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) project.

    As the palm oil extraction process does not involve any chemical, Mesocarp Fiber is natural and non-toxic. Mesocarp fiber can be mix with other material preferably with high nitrogen content to produce composted mass, which can be served as organic fertilizer and potting media. Due to its loose structure, composting time can be as short as 50days if the composting parameters are optimum.

    With advanced technology, Mesocarp Fibre has been successfully turn into activated carbon through physiochemical activation process, which is used as adsorbent for dyes from aqueous solution

    In other aspect, specific fiber length can be sorted to produce filler with consistent characteristic for reinforce composite.