MALAYSIA GETS SECOND BIOGAS UNIT FOR POWER GENERATION

uascor Energy has delivered a second biogas unit for power generation in Malaysia.

Kapilit Palm Oil Mill´s core business is timber and oil palm milling and woodchip production. Palm oil mills generate substantial amounts of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), which is a byproduct of the oil extraction process. This mill is equipped with a biodigester system. Biogas production from POME uses the waste as a fuel resource in the power generation plant and reduces its environmental footprint. This gas is treated before being used in generating sets through an H2S scrubber.

In 2014, the mill was equipped with its first unit Guascor Energy soundproof containing a Guascor Energy biogas 1 MWe genset, to fulfill the energy needs of the plant and the estate housing area. Over time, the company saw its power generation needs increase and decided to expand the power generation plant. The second unit is a Guascor Energy genset, G-36SL model providing 610 kWe and is also containerized.

The palm oil industry is one of the leading agricultural industries in Malaysia with average crude palm oil production of more than 13 million tonne per year. However, production of such huge amount of crude palm oil has consequently resulted in an even larger amount of palm oil mill effluent (POME) being available. POME is a highly polluting wastewater with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in which can caused severe pollution to the environment, typically pollution to water resources. On the other hand, POME was identified as a potential source to generate renewable bioenergies such as biomethane and biohydrogen through anaerobic digestion. In other words, a combination of wastewater treatment and renewable bioenergies production has proved to be an added advantage to the palm oil industry. In line with the world's focus on sustainability concept, it is generally accepted that such strategy should be implemented immediately to ensure palm oil is produced in an environmental-friendly and sustainable manner.