Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access
ISSN: 2090-4541
ISSN: 2090-4541
Ruben Sakrabani, Stephen Hallett, Fauziah Shahul Hamid, Tang Kok Mun and Agamuthu Pariatamby
Cranfield University, UK
University of Malaya, Malaysia
Rapid Genesis, Malaysia
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl
Malaysia is a nation rich in natural resources with agricultural commodities such as palm oil, coconut, rubber, rice and cocoa amongst the major crops. As palm oil is a major crop, large amounts of biomass is generated as residue in current practices which are not fully utilized and can play a significant role in replenishing depleted resources. This project used material flow analysis to determine the amount of biomass generated and evaluated the carbon and nitrogen fluxes within a biomass composting system and also development of sensor technology adapted from current wet chemistry technique to determine nutrient content in biomass. Using the residue to product ratio (RPR), which is based on processing of a tone of fresh fruit bunch (FFB), and also the rate of recoverability of the residue generated, the total amount of residue that can be utilized was determined. The utilization of this biomass can be employed as a solution to the cost of treatment and disposal problem. Major constituents such as Palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunch (EFB), which contributes 94% of the biomass could benefit from land application of either the raw or treated biomass. Both POME and EFB have the potential to improve soil fertility, soil organic matter content and crop yield through nutrient recycling. Based on this research, it was observed that the application of EFB that can be produced annually can substitute about 10% of total nutrient requirement of the cultivated area. This project provides a holistic approach to valorizing biomass in Malaysia which is currently under utilized.
Email: r.sakrabani@cranfield.ac.uk