Being the largest producer of crude palm oil in the country, there is certainly potential for a large scale production of bio-ethanol in Sabah. And.. someone has finally taken the first step towards achieving that.
The setting up of a plant in Tawau, Sabah is a wise move by palm oil planter Teck Guan. It says that 1 metric tonne of empty fruit bunches can produce 72 litres of ethanol. Other bio-products are also possible.
Imagine how much can be tapped from the millions of biomass in the palm oil industry here!
Bio-ethanol project in Tawau
Syarikat Teck Guan Group has started a pilot project to produce lignocellulosic bio-ethanol from oil palm biomass.
Operational Innovation, Research and Development director Douglas Furtek said the plant, construction of which began in May, is expected to be operational by month-end.
"The plant can produce 72 litres of ethanol from a metric tonne of wet empty fruit bunches, and capacity can be easily upscaled," he told Bernama, while expressing the hope that more foreign investors would be attracted to the state, the country's largest palm oil producer.
It is understood the plant, the first in the country to produce ethanol from empty fruit bunches (EFB), will contribute to the production of bio-fuels, bio-plastics and other environmentally-friendly products.
Furtek hoped more foreign investors would be attracted to the state, the country's largest palm oil producer.
Agensi Inovasi Malaysia strategic innovation executive vice president Bas Melssen said Sabah, with its abundant oil palm biomass and palm oil mills within a relatively small area, is well-positioned to benefit from biomass, more so than any other state.
"Biomas products, in the form of pellets, bio-based fuel or bio-based chemicals, can contribute RM30bil a year to the national economy and create 66,000 high-value jobs by 2020," Melssen said, adding half of these jobs would be in Sabah. - Bernama
The setting up of a plant in Tawau, Sabah is a wise move by palm oil planter Teck Guan. It says that 1 metric tonne of empty fruit bunches can produce 72 litres of ethanol. Other bio-products are also possible.
Imagine how much can be tapped from the millions of biomass in the palm oil industry here!
Image credit: BEST
Bio-ethanol project in Tawau
Syarikat Teck Guan Group has started a pilot project to produce lignocellulosic bio-ethanol from oil palm biomass.
Operational Innovation, Research and Development director Douglas Furtek said the plant, construction of which began in May, is expected to be operational by month-end.
"The plant can produce 72 litres of ethanol from a metric tonne of wet empty fruit bunches, and capacity can be easily upscaled," he told Bernama, while expressing the hope that more foreign investors would be attracted to the state, the country's largest palm oil producer.
It is understood the plant, the first in the country to produce ethanol from empty fruit bunches (EFB), will contribute to the production of bio-fuels, bio-plastics and other environmentally-friendly products.
Furtek hoped more foreign investors would be attracted to the state, the country's largest palm oil producer.
Agensi Inovasi Malaysia strategic innovation executive vice president Bas Melssen said Sabah, with its abundant oil palm biomass and palm oil mills within a relatively small area, is well-positioned to benefit from biomass, more so than any other state.
"Biomas products, in the form of pellets, bio-based fuel or bio-based chemicals, can contribute RM30bil a year to the national economy and create 66,000 high-value jobs by 2020," Melssen said, adding half of these jobs would be in Sabah. - Bernama
