InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR — Japanese and Malaysian researchers are having innovative projects to change palm oil (tree) wastes to be biomass that would function as the source of renewable energy. It would take advantages on palm oil rod (tree) after being cut off, change it to be fiber and pellet for fuel, and re-cycling the liquid from the process.

Palm oil which becomes the main commodity for Indonesia and Malaysia is always accused as the cause of environmental damages because of its expansion that impacts to deforestation. But the project would offer promising promises by re-cycling palm oil rod wastes to be sources of renewable energy while reducing green-house gas (GHG) emission.

The project has been running since 2018 in a sustainable development program that Japan Science and Technology Agency and Japan International Cooperation Agency support. Led by Akihiko Kosugi of Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science (JIRCAS), the project involves the collaboration among universities, companies, and the Government of Malaysia.

As InfoSAWIT quoted from Nikkei Asia, Thursday (9/5/2024), besides producing pellet as fuel material from palm oil rod, the project also explores palm oil wastes for other needs, such as, the materials to make furniture. Panasonic Housing Solutions, the subsidiary of Panasonic Holdings has developed made wooden board from dead palm oil trees. These would support circular economic concept by efficiently taking advantages on (palm oil) wastes.

Though it would be the promising projects, there are challenges to face, such as, the transportation costs of getting palm oil rod to the re-cycle factories and other technical issues to process the wastes. But by having collaborative approach between Japan and Malaysia, and the involvement of many companies and the government, the project would have big potential to be the sustainable solution to process palm oil trees (that were cut off), and support energy transition to renewable energy. (T2)