Making Biomass Fuel from Oil Palm Trunk
OPT, short for Oil Palm Trunk, is currently unutilized because of multi reasons, for example, high moisture content (60~70%), low mechanical strength, and easy to decay due to the sugar in the tree.
Some oil palm plantations fertilize the soil by using Cut-OPT or Shredded-OPT. But this is not really a good solution because it’ll cause some other problems, such as Ganoderma boninense, Fusarium wilt, and Harmful insects, etc.
It is well known that the most significant advantage of OPT is sustainability. The huge global oil palm industry guarantees sustainable supply of OPT. As waste material, OPT is a kind of legal non-wood biomass material. In the fuel supply plan of biomass power plant and industrial boiler users, sustainable supply and legal raw material source are two most attractive necessary conditions. Oil Palm Trunk fits these requirements perfectly. Actually, with the help of advanced technology, OPT could be processed to qualified biomass fuel as replacement of coal.
Oil Palm Trees
OPT Pellet
Demand of biomass fuel is huge and keep increasing in Japan. The fuel supply has to rely on overseas import since local supply is too limited. Making biomass fuel from OPT will diversify business field and improve the value of oil palm industry. As carbon offset biomass fuel ,OPT pellet have been legislated for JPN FIT. Making OPT pellet is to develop long term stable business based on JPN FIT. Developing OPT pellet production will also contribute to the environment.
Utilizing OPT as biomass fuel is regarded as Synergy for Plantation Management. Because it sets off huge replanting cost by making biomass fuel, benefits replanting and also minimizes potential risks, such as firing, disease, pest, and harmful insect, etc.
Some important features of oil palm trunk:
Some oil palm plantations fertilize the soil by using Cut-OPT or Shredded-OPT. But this is not really a good solution because it’ll cause some other problems, such as Ganoderma boninense, Fusarium wilt, and Harmful insects, etc.
It is well known that the most significant advantage of OPT is sustainability. The huge global oil palm industry guarantees sustainable supply of OPT. As waste material, OPT is a kind of legal non-wood biomass material. In the fuel supply plan of biomass power plant and industrial boiler users, sustainable supply and legal raw material source are two most attractive necessary conditions. Oil Palm Trunk fits these requirements perfectly. Actually, with the help of advanced technology, OPT could be processed to qualified biomass fuel as replacement of coal.
Oil Palm Trees
OPT Pellet
Demand of biomass fuel is huge and keep increasing in Japan. The fuel supply has to rely on overseas import since local supply is too limited. Making biomass fuel from OPT will diversify business field and improve the value of oil palm industry. As carbon offset biomass fuel ,OPT pellet have been legislated for JPN FIT. Making OPT pellet is to develop long term stable business based on JPN FIT. Developing OPT pellet production will also contribute to the environment.
Utilizing OPT as biomass fuel is regarded as Synergy for Plantation Management. Because it sets off huge replanting cost by making biomass fuel, benefits replanting and also minimizes potential risks, such as firing, disease, pest, and harmful insect, etc.
Some important features of oil palm trunk:
- FIT Price in Japan: 24 JPY/kWh(≒0.22USD/kWh), according to METI’s registration as of 2018.
- Very high potential as biomass feedstock. Approximate amount is 30~40 million tons per year.
- High securing of traceability. It is easy to identify the place of origin.
- Raw material collecting is feasible. There’s additional cost to collect OPT, but reasonable and acceptable.
- OPT pellets are proper fuel for Biomass & Coal co-firing (PC boiler). Pellets made of treated OPT is proper fuel for biomass firing CFB boiler. OPT treatment is important technology of SIMEC.
- Moisture content of OPT is 60~70%, Na+K content is 8,000 ~ 13,000 ppm, Cl content is 4,000 ~ 5,000 ppm.
With the support of advanced & reliable technologies of making OPT pellet, it is very promising to utilize OPT as biomass fuel. SIMEC focus on process technology R&D to upgrade the value of OPT, and convert OPT to qualified biomass fuel. It’s very critical to treat OPT before pelletizing. Potassium, chlorine and ash contents are very sensitive for biomass firing CFB boilers. During OPT treatment process, we can also get Sap from which sugar can be made. This can be additional value for OPT material.
In the next few years, more investors and capitals will enter into OPT pellet projects. SIMEC technology will contribute more to the oil palm industry.