Hoong Chan

Category: Palm Fibre

  • 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 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.