InfoSAWIT, BALI – The Indonesian palm oil sector has significant potential to support national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. One key step is the management of palm oil mill effluent (POME), which can serve as a primary solution to curb emissions from this industry.

Rizaldi Boer, Head of the International Research Institute for Environment and Climate Change at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), emphasized that better palm oil waste management, energy efficiency, forest protection, and peatland restoration can help significantly reduce emissions.

"With technologies such as evaporation, emissions from POME can be reduced by up to 90-95%," Rizaldi stated during a discussion session at the International Conference on Oil Palm and Environment (ICOPE) Series 2025 at Bali Beach Convention, attended by InfoSAWIT in mid-February 2025.

Indonesia has committed to reducing GHG emissions by 31.89% by 2030. However, the palm oil industry currently contributes approximately 143 million tons of CO² equivalent per year, accounting for about 18% of total national emissions. Liquid waste from palm oil processing is one of the main contributors to these emissions.

In addition to reducing emissions, palm oil waste management also has the potential to provide economic benefits. Rizaldi explained that solid palm waste can be processed into biochar, which can help reduce up to 1.5 tons of CO² per ton of biochar. Indonesia's potential biochar production reaches 583,000 tons, which can significantly improve soil quality.

Meanwhile, Shahrakbah Yacob, Vice President of Sime Darby Guthrie, highlighted other benefits of palm waste. "This waste is crucial as it can be used as a supplement and fertilizer, increasing organic carbon levels in the soil and helping retain moisture," he explained.

By applying modern technologies in palm waste management, this industry can become part of the solution to reduce national emissions while providing economic and environmental benefits for the future. (T2)