Wednesday July 28, 2004 - FEDERAL Land Development Authority (Felda) isinvesting RM3mil over three years on joint research and development aimedat maximising the commercial potential of oil palm waste and palm oileffluent (POME).

Felda yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Universiti PutraMalaysia (UPM) and Japan-based Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) forR&D initially aimed at treating oil palm waste and palm oil effluent andreducing the greenhouse effect.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Felda chairman Tan SriDr Mohd Yusof Noor said the R&D programme entailed the execution of threebiogas/biomass utilisation projects over three years.

The researchers have successfully commenced a biogas pilot plant inSerting, Negri Sembilan, aimed at increasing the efficiency of methanefermentation,'' he said.

He added that adopting the process would pave way for downstreamactivities, including the generation of green and renewable electricity.

Yusof said UPM and KIT were also studying the production of organic acidsproduction from POME.

Preliminary results showed that 15 kg of valuable organic acids likeacetic, propionic and butyrics could be extracted from every tonne ofPOME.

In Malaysia, more than 20 million tonnes of POME is generated from thepalm oil mills annually.

POME is currently treated using conventional treatment systems, which arespace consuming and responsible for the emission of nearly 1,000 tonnes ofmethane gas annually.

UPM and KIT have proposed to set up a sugar production test plant to helpconvert cellulose polymer into sugar using local organism.

Last year, the palm oil industry generated a total of 14 million tonnes ofempty fruit bunch and eight million tonnes of fibre.