Yanmar Kota Kinabalu R&D - a boost for Renewable and Alternative Energies

The bold move by Yanmar in setting up a Research and Development centre in Kota Kinabalu is commendable.

Other renewable-energy-inclined companies should emulate such noble cause, but, of course the state government would need to facilitate it by making the policies business-friendly. Yanmar's initiative is timely as Sabah is one of the major producer of CPO in Malaysia and this deserve more effort to unearth the potential of bio-diesel.

Kudos!

A Daily Express snippet

Yanmar's capital investment of RM17 million for new engine testing building

Yanmar Kota Kinabalu Research and Development Centre has increased its capital investment to RM17 million for its new engine testing building.

The building with four test benches for performance and durability tests was in line with the corporate mission to provide "sustainable solutions for needs essential to human life for our tomorrow."

In conjunction with the launching, the company also celebrated its 5th year business anniversary in Sabah. The celebrations were launched by the Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir here on 17 May.

The centre, located on a 1.31-hectare site at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, is currently focusing on diesel engines based on the next generation fuel technologies such as biodiesel fuel and alternative energies.

The purpose of this new technology is to diversify the company's biodiesel fuel research for the reduction of greenhouse gas towards a better environment.

The centre also has a complete facility for chemical analysis for fuel in compliance with the European standard and the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) standard. The ASTM is a non-profit organisation.

Ref: iProperty.com

Malaysia going the Bio-oil way

During the Palm and Lauric Oils Conference and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur last week, an exhibitor told that bio-oil, which is derived from biomass, it is a cheaper alternative to depleting fossil fuels. Compared to fuel oil, currently priced at around US$750 (RM2,325) per tonne, bio-oil can be be sold for US$375 (RM1,170) per tonne.


What is bio-oil

Bio-oil is a renewable diesel fuel converted from biomass through process called fast or flash pyrolysis. The fast pyrolysis occurs by heating compact solid fuels in the absence of air (oxygen) at temperatures between 350°C and 550°C for a very short period of time (less than 2 seconds) and then condensing the resulting vapors within 2 seconds.

The flash pyrolysis process to produce bio-oil *

Lipochem's bio-oil pilot plant *

Note: *Images from Lipochem's presentation handout.


Big potential for domestic use and export of bio-oil

Malaysia's ambition to produce and use more second-generation biofuel is fast picking up as process engineers embark on converting biomass to liquid fuel via fast pyrolysis.

“Second-generation biofuel, like bio-oil, is more environmentally friendly than biodiesel or bio-ethanol. This is because bio-oil is derived from biomass and this circumvents the food versus fuel dilemma,” said Lipochem Sdn Bhd managing director Koh Pak Meng.

Second-generation biofuels are a realistic alternative to the costlier fossil fuels. This is because bio-oil can be used to heat up water to produce steam to push turbines that generate electricity. This is a valuable means of replacing depleting fossil fuels like petroleum, coal and natural gas.

One can turn a wide range of biomass, for example agricultural waste like oil palm waste, into stable, concentrated bio-crude. This is then refined into bio-oil to replace fuel oil burnt in boilers.

Unlike the current burning of empty fruit bunches in oil mill boilers, Koh said bio-oil plants adopt the fast pyrolysis process, where biomass is heated rapidly to temperatures between 300° Celsius and 550°C at high pressure without any oxygen.

The gases released by the burnt biomass enter a quench tower, where they are quickly cooled and recycled back to the reactor as fuel.

“Bio-oil plants are the way forward as ithey are far more energy efficient and make the industry more carbon neutral,” he told Business Times at the sidelines of the Palm and Lauric Oils Conference and Exhibition, here, yesterday.

Currently, Lipochem’s demo plant in Klang is able to process fiveonnes of dry biomass a day. Koh said this plant, when scaled up 20 times to a commercial size of 100 tonnes a day, will cost around RM30 million.

“The return on investment for a typical 100-tonne-a-day bio-oil plant is around three years. It is a worthwhile investment.”

Koh said bio-oil has many of the advantages of petroleum fuels since it can be stored, pumped and transported. It is currently being combusted directly in boilers, gas turbines, and slow and medium speed diesels for steam and power plants.

“Fuel oil is priced at around US$750 (RM2,325) per tonne while bio-oil can be sold for US$375 per tonne. The price difference itself poses big potential for domestic use of bio-oil as well as for the export market.”


via: Business Times

Biodiesel 10% blend (B10) programme goes nationwide 2014

B5 is a blend of 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel, and B10 contains 10% biodiesel.

While B5 is still not fully implemented nationwide, rolling out the biodiesel B10, in my opinion, is more of trying in vain to deplete the inflating crude palm oil inventory rather than to promote the use of 'greener' diesel.

B5 is the more commonly approved and used blend, so, why not do more aggressive promotions and awareness programmes for this one so that more motorists will fill up their tanks with biodiesel. I am driving a diesel-powered 4WD and I might be persuaded to join in the bandwagon.

Going B10? Not many gas stations have B5 pumps. Photo credit: paultan.org

Malaysia to roll-out biodiesel 10% blend (B10) programme nationwide by July 2014

Malaysia is expected to roll out the biodiesel 10% blend (B10) programme nationwide by July next year upon full agreement among the parties involved with the B5 biodiesel programme, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

“We expect about one million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) per year will be taken out from our current high stockpiles from the B10 programme,” he said.

As at end December 2012,Malaysia's CPO inventory hit a record at 2.63 million tonnes.

The B10 biodiesel programme by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) for the ministry's vehicles was officially launched by Dompok yesterday. He said all 81 vehicles owned by the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry and its agencies operating in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur with diesel engines, will be using the B10 biodiesel blend and expected to utilise 25 tonnes of palm biodiesel annually.

The Government has budgeted RM300mil for the building of the biodiesel blending facilities nationwide, he said adding that to date,about RM80mil was spent to build the blending facilities and in the biodiesel subsidies.

According to an MPOB representative, the new B10 biodiesel programme standard is expected to be out by next month. Meanwhile, the B5 biodiesel programme will also be fully implemented nationwide by mid-2014, of which the blending facilities is expected to be fully develop and would enable to cut at least 500,000 tonnes of palm oil inventory per year,” Dompok told reporters after the B10 launch.

“Once we have fully implemented the B10 programme, the B5 programme will then be phase out,” he said.To date, five big players namely Petronas, Shell, Chevron, Petron and BHP have provided the B5 biodiesel in 1,150 petrol stations with a usage of 110,000 tonnes per year.

“We are expecting an additional 500,00 tonnes of biodiesel usage next year when the B5 is fully implemented nationwide,” he added.

The B5 programme was introduced in November 2011 in Putrajaya, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

In conjunction with the launching, Dompok said the government was planning to use biodiesel 40% blend from olein palm oil with 60% diesel petroleum for a power plant in Sandakan, Sabah within two years period starting from March this year and expected to use about 54,000 tonnes palm olein per year.


TheGreenMechanics: It is claimed that in order to use B5 and below biodiesel, only minor no modification is needed to your vehicle. If that is the case, would you be willing to fill up your tank with it?

Reference: The Star Online

FRIM ready to produce biodiesel in larger scale

Let's not stop researching for biodiesel alternative. Just like what FRIM is doing:

Back in Oct 2011, Chairperson of the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board, YB Hajah Nancy Shukri poured the biodiesel into a bus. Photo credit: FRIM portal. One year on (Dec 2012), they say they are ready to produce it in larger scale.

FRIM NOW READY TO PRODUCE BIODIESEL

The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) has been successful in growing 6,000 Jarak Pagar (Jatropa Curcas) trees, and now, it is ready to plant these trees on a large scale. The pilot project to grow these trees began in 2009.

These trees are also known as the Barbados Nut trees, the Purging Nut trees and the Black Vonit Nut trees. FRIM is planning to acquire a large piece of land from the Terengganu state government for the upcoming project.


COASTAL LAND MOST SUITABLE

Rosdi Koter, a research officer at FRIM, said Terengganu has close to 71,000 hectares of unused coastal land. He said the land is able to withstand extreme heat, and 99% of the soil is fused with silica. It is suitable for the cultivation of Jarak Pagar trees and Bintangor trees, which are capable of producing biodiesel.

Through this project, raw materials will be gathered for the production of biodiesel, which will ultimately increase the income of the locals.

"These trees can be easily planted, and the saplings do not face any threat from pests and animals like wild boars.

"FRIM is willing to provide its expertise for the success of the project," he said.


BIG POTENTIAL

FRIM stated that although Malaysia has the potential to become the world's largest biodiesel producer and the world's largest oil palm producer, many NGOs have criticised the idea of generating bio fuel from food sources like sugarcane and corn.

Hence, FRIM started research and development programmes in 2008 to find alternatives to palm oil with regard to the production of biodiesel from non-food sources.

The transfer of multi-feedstock technology in producing biodiesel had been carried out by FRIM and Xtract Tech Sdn Bhd, an entity under the postgraduate entrepreneurial training programme (FMBiosis), supported by the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC).

This resulted in the establishment of a FRIM pioneer plant in December 2010, which has the capability of producing 20,000 litres of biodiesel every month.

B20, a multi-feedstock compound, has been used by FRIM's vehicles, and it has enhanced the performance of engines in these vehicles. FRIM has also used B5, another biodiesel compound, in diesel-powered vehicles. FRIM requires 120,000 litres of the compound every year.


Source: Bernama

BioDiesel: Terengganu mulls planting Jatropha

Not too long ago Jatropha became a bit of a talking point among biodiesel enthusiasts and researchers. At one point some suggested that this plant has enormous potential it could be the next big money spinner for Malaysia.

I remember reading one of the local dailies over breakfast that Jatropha's potential for biodiesel production could at least match that of or bigger than palm oil. That is a tall order for the un-tested commodity, but who knows.

Terengganu is considering such option to produce biodiesel - as reported by Bernama. I just hope that a full assessment would be carried out prior to granting of funds to entrepreneurs. You don't want another National Feedlot Centre blunder, do you?

Wonder Plant? Cover page of the Malaysian Business, April 2008.

Terengganu To Study Frim's Application To Cultivate Jatropha For Biodiesel

KEMAMAN, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu state government will consider the application by the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to plant jatropha on a large-scale to produce biodiesel in the state.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said stressed however, that the state government would scrutinise any high-impact project before approving it for the benefit of the people and the state.

"Many aspects need to be studied, such as the cost, returns, implementation approach and whether the investment is worth it," he told reporters when asked to comment on FRIM's readiness to carry out the project in Terengganu.

It was reported in the media yesterday that FRIM would submit an application to the state government to request for land along the coast for the project. Besides maximising Terengganu's coastal areas which had been categorised as unfeasible for commercial agriculture because of the extreme heat, the project was seen to potentially generate income for the local residents.


Credit: Cover page image of the Malaysian Business, April 2008 can be found at Dunia Tiger's blog.