Biomass co

Sabah is becoming centre of oil palm biomass development in Malaysia under the National Biomass Strategy.

The optimism is based on the vast availability of biomass from the 1.4 million hectares of oil palm plantation in Sabah such as :

1) empty fruit bunches,
2) palm fronds,
3) trunks,
4) palm kernel shells and
5) mesocarp fibers

Sabah's prospect in biomass development was highlighted at the Palmex Malaysia 2012 held in Sandakan from May 23 to 25.

Organized for the third consecutive year, Palmex Malaysia 2012 comprises the 3rd Malaysia International Palm Oil Technology Expo and a conference titled "Outlook in Palm Oil Technology for SMEs.

The main objectives of the exhibition and conference is to generate awareness among local oil palm players about downstream potential in oil palm biomass.

Malaysia produces about 80 million tonnes of oil palm biomass and this is expected to reach 100 million tonnes by 2020, with Sabah estimated to contribute about 30 per cent of this volume.

Malaysia Innovation Agency's projection based on utilizing just 20 million tonnes of biomass for downstream value-adding will contribute RM30 billion to the Gross National Income.

Read more: Conference on Sabah's potential in biomass development - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/conference-on-sabah-s-potential-in-biomass-development-1.84721#ixzz1vBa7U141

The 14MW biomass power plant in Kunak, Sabah is the 1st biomass power plant in the country to be connected to the grid. This biomass power plant has a renewable energy purchase agreement (REPA) with the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd to supply up to 10MW of green electricity for 21 years.

It is a co-generation plant that generates electricity and industrial steam from empty fruit bunches (EFB), shells and mesocarp fiber. It incorporated the latest biomass technology from Europe in this biomass power plant, where it operates at high pressure and efficiency to improve energy harvest from EFB. Hence, it is able to produce more electricity and industrial steam from the same amount of EFB as compared to a conventional biomass power plant.

In recognition of such high efficiency, the EU-ASEAN programme called COGEN 3, has given the biomass power venture a grant of almost RM2 million. COGEN 3 is a programme to encourage co-generation and facilitate use of proven, clean and efficient biomass and other technologies.

As generation of electricity from this biomass power plant is environmentally friendly, it qualifies as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project under Kyoto Protocol. Our biomass power is the 1st in the country to be validated as a CDM project. The validation was done by the international accreditation agency Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and able to sell Certificates of Emission Reduction (CER) or more commonly called carbon credits.