Jan 6 2011
Malaysian companies, Sime Darby Plantation and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding, are coming together to set up and run a bioethanol demo plant, which will utilize the empty fruit kernels that are the natural by-products of the palm oil business. The plant will be erected adjacent to the palm oil mill at Bestari Jaya in Selangor, owned by Sime Darby.
Spokespersons of the company, said that the plant will process about 1.25 metric tons of empty kernels a day with the help of the water pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis method. The information from this endeavor will enable the venture to determine the commercial viability of manufacturing bioethanol from the by product.
Interestingly, the two countries Malaysia and Indonesia put together supply about 90 % of palm oil in the world, and produce approximately 40 million metric tons of fruit kernels per annum. The project will effectively use the immense quantity of waste product by turning it into biofuel, and can also be used as a raw material in the manufacture of plastic. The project will also stem the growth of more palm plantations, thus curbing deforestation.
Source: http://www.simedarbyplantation.com/