UKM-YSD Chair Develops Zero Waste Palm Oil Processing Plant

BANGI (Selangor, Malaysia), July 21 (Bernama) -- The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – Sime Darby Foundation (UKM-YSD) Chair for Sustainable Development has successfully developed a ‘green’ processing plant for palm oil with zero waste. One of the chair co-holders, Professor Dr Mohd Sobri Takriff said the 'green' concept of the processing plant in Tennamaram, Batang Berjuntai, Selangor, was proof against those who rejected palm oil on the grounds that it was not environmentally friendly. “It is hoped that the newly developed plant will make Malaysia’s palm oil acceptable as an environmentally friendly oil, and this plant is 95 per cent ready to be fully operational,” he told reporters at UKM (The National University of Malaysia) here Thursday. He added that the negative perception of some parties about palm oil should be refuted as the industry was generating US$11.66 billion (RM50 billion) a year, giving employment to half a million Malaysians and serves as a driving force to economic activities in the rural areas. (US$1 = RM4.28) Mohd Sobri said under normal procedure, to produce one tonne of palm oil, three tonnes of water was needed and the water was later channeled into sewage. However, with the new plant, it was capable of recycling the water until it was as clear as mineral water and the oil palm fruit bunches could be converted into fertilisers within three weeks compared to 40 days previously, he said. Meanwhile, chair co-holder Professor Dr Shu Yii Wu ,from Feng Chia University, Taiwan, said the new plant with zero waste technology solved traditional pollution problems in the palm oil industry. The UKM-YSD for Sustainable Development chair was launched in 2011 and has received US$4.9 million (RM21 million) worth of endowment, research grants and scholarships. Its objective was to find innovative zero-waste solutions for the palm oil industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to increase to revenue and productivity. -- BERNAMA