Biomass Energy Resource from Malaysia

Even though Malaysia is a fossil fuel export country, but this does not stop the country from committing in developing renewable energy. Malaysia is a country rich in biomass energy resource, many materials can easily convert to biomass.

There are several common biomass renewable energy in Malaysia, such as palm pellet, EFB pellet, EFB, palm kernel shell, wood chip and saw dust pellet. In this article, we will discuss slightly more about the prospect for each biomass energy resource in Malaysia.

Biomass Energy Resources in Malaysia

EFB

EFB stands for empty fruit bunch discarded from palm oil mill. The EFB will go through pressed and shredded process before it can be used as biomass power plant. The shredded efb will always high in moisture and not favourable for shipping.

Palm kernel shell

Or in abbreviation PKS. The palm kernel shell is a good biomass resource with high calorific value, low moisture and easy transportation and handling. Unfortunately the supply of palm kernel shell is saturated. A large portion of palm kernel shell has been used at local Malaysia market.

Mesocarp Fibre

This short and dry fibre is favourable in biomass for heat retrieve, however the volume is small and unable to support the biomass industry.

Rice Hust

This is the husk salvage from rice mill. The rice husk is light and having high silica content. Not very suitable for biomass. Perhaps the light weight also not favourable for biomass boiler.

Coconut fibre

Most of the coconut plantation in Malaysia has been converted to oil palm estate, hence the coconut fibre is shrinking from year to year. It left very limited coconut fibre available in the market. Coconut fibre has not been used as biomass purpose.

Wood chip

Malaysia is a country cover with wood lodge. The left over wood will send to crushing process for chopping it into chip form. Wood chip is a renewable energy commodity however the re-planting is taking longer time before the tree mature. The wood chip volume is at decreasing stage meanwhile price is getting higher.

Wood pellet

The raw material of wood pellet is saw dust, so it also name as saw dust pellet. Wood pellet is resemble as wood chip. It provides similar heating effect and function as wood chip. However the price of wood pellet is getting higher.

EFB pellet

This is the new pellet product manufacturer at Malaysia. The shredded EFB will go through EFB pelletize process for making EFB pellet. EFB pellet consider relatively new as the biomass commodity for biomass market. Due to it availability, we foresee EFB pellet will become one of the major biomass energy choices in the market.

Malaysia is the country rich in tree and many others agriculture commodities, many commodities has been widely used as the biomass energy resources in Malaysia. Oil palm is one of the larger agriculture products and many researches / application has developed for converting the by-product of palm oil waste into biomass commodity. The prospect of oil palm related biomass energy resource is bright as it has becomes major sustainable energy in Malaysia and world wide market,

December 22, 2012

EFB Pellet or Shredded EFB Fibre

EFB pellet and shredded efb pellet both are classified as biomass commodity; it also belongs to renewable energy commodity. EFB pellet is the compressed pellet from efb pellet machine by using

the palm fibre which distills from oil palm empty fruit bunch. Shredded EFB consider as empty fruit bunch which only go through limited process.

For bio fuel user, which one should we select? Should we choose EFB pellet or Shredded EFB Fibre?

Study the details about EFB Pellet and Shredded EFB Fibre

Shredded EFB Fiber

The oil palm fruit bunch will go through a steam process in order to dismantle the palm fruit from the bunch. The empty fruit bunch (EFB) discarded from the crude palm oil mill is at wet and hot condition. The wet EBF will be delivered to press process in order to squeeze the water out from the empty fruit bunch. Later the pressed EFB will send for shredded process.

Shredded process is similar as a “chopping” process. The purpose for the shredded is to chop the EFB to smaller dimension that easy to transport and act as biomass. The pressed and shredded EFB turn out as fibre form but in larger scale.

Shredded EFB fibre is transferred for biomass boiler for retrieving heat via burning process. Some of the biomass boilers do not requires higher energy heat will directly burn the shredded EFB fiber.

EFB Pellet

EFB pellet resemble to wood pellet, the difference is EFB pellet is the pressed pellet from EFB fibre. The small pellet size is very much suitable for almost any input grate system. Field facility engineer could use this EFB pellet without much consideration of input system.

This dense pellet is a common biomass commodity for furnace and biomass boiler. Because of the dense structure, EFB pellet is easy to retain heat than shredded fibre. EFB pellet and palm fiber briquette are the suitable commodities for biomass power plant.

EFB pellet or Shredded EFB Fiber

For Malaysia local domestic market, because steam boiler may not require high heat energy, shredded EFB fibre is selected because of price concern. However for furnace boiler which require higher heat, EFB pellet is more suitable.

More over, the EFB pellet is dry and dense product which also favourable for packing and longer time storage purpose.

DST is one of the key biomass suppliers for Malaysia market, we also the leading pellet and palm briquette manufacturer for quality biomass product, our EFB pellet and palm fiber briquette has been widely used in many biomass industries. For interest party, please kindly write to DST and talk with us about your needs.

August 12, 2012December 16, 2012

EFB Pellet Moisture vs. Calorific Value

Moisture is one of the intrinsic nature for any of the biomass substance. The EFB pellet moisture is the important parameter affecting the calorific value. Base on difference biomass material, it may consist difference moisture level which eventually affecting the net calorific value. For instance a Shredded EFB fibre always consist moisture around 60%. On the other hand, Mesocarp fibre is lower in moisture level. However, an EFB pellet which process from Grinded-EFB fibre only consist of 10% moisture level, this is 4 times lower than it originate source.

In this article we are going to discuss about the impact between high vs. low moisture level.

Why Moisture Cares?

Calorific value is the main concern for biomass substance. Customer is willing to pay higher for low moisture substance as compare to higher moisture substance.

From our instinct, high moisture level substance is not preferable for burning process. In order to get a clearer picture about the impact for moisture level, we need to compare the net calorific value. By comparing the net calorific value, user will be easier to make appropriate judgment.

Calorific value for high and low moisture Level

EFB pellet is made from shredded EFB fibre. Let us compare EFB pellet together with Shredded

EFB fibre.

A shredded EFB fibre with 60% moisture claimed having a gross calorific value at 3200kcal/kg. After considering the 60% moisture level, the net calorific value for shredded EFB fibre drop to 960kcal/kg.

An EFB pellet which consists of 10% moisture is having a gross calorific value of 4900kcal/kg. The net calorific value for EFB pellet is 4070kcal/kg.

In actual biomass boiler process, we could notice only 960kcal/kg of heat energy will transfer to the heating process, other heat energy 2240kcal/kg has been consumed because of the moisture level. In other words, there is 70% of heat energy lost due to the moisture.

From this example, we know the reason why the biomass boiler or factory owner request lower moisture level. Perhaps the 70% lost is solely from the substance heat energy stand point, it also imply a substantial portion of the transportation cost has been consume by the unwanted moisture.

Calorific value for EFB pellet

An EFB pellet make from shredded EFB fibre. In a standard EFB pellet process, the fibre will send to grind and dry before moving to the pellet process.

The EFB pellet comes with the range of moisture of 8-15%. With low moisture level, it implies that most of the gross calorific value will be bringing to net calorific value. A gross calorific value for an EFB pellet is 4900kcal/kg and the net calorific value is 4070kcal/kg. Around 20% heat energy lost due to moisture concern.

High moisture or Low moisture?

By comparing the EFB pellet and shredded EFB fibre, we are seeing and heat energy ratio of 4.2 times, this means from net calorific value stand point, an EFB pellet should sell 4.2 times higher than the shredded EFB fibre price.

Please bare in mind, this has not consider the shipping cost, storage space as well as other hygiene control through out the transportation process.