MARKET DEVELOPMENT
M'sian Firm in RMB1B Desert Greening Bid
M'sian Firm in RMB1B Desert Greening Bid
22/09/2015 (Daily Express) - Harnessing the diverse potentials of biomass can result in creative solutions and a win-win situation for stakeholders in the palm oil industry.
The less known methods are seen through the desert greening and soil erosion control, a recent venture by Malaysia's Global Green Synergy Sdn Bhd (GGS).
GGS, which is an SME firm, has secured a RMB1bil desert greening project that utilises EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) to develop fibre mats in China via its partnership with Elion Resources Group, one of the top 100 corporations in the Chinese mainland.
"Erosion control using fibre mat is not new, it has been used for around 20 years, but is not well promoted. Through the "One Belt One Road" collaboration between China and Malaysia, Malaysian entrepreneurs took the opportunity to promote biomass value-added products to China for erosion control," said the Chief Operating Officer Stephen Lim, who is a committee member of Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) and Malaysia Biomass Industries Confederation (MBIC).
According to Lim, desert greening has been going on in China to convert some 6,000sqkm of grim desert into lush, green terrain. However, before fibre mats woven out of Dried Long Fibre of the EFB were used, the conversion was done using straws, which are the dry stalks of cereal plants instead.
"It has been carried out for 25 years, to green more than 6,000sq km desert. Before the collaboration started, straw was used to cover the desert. Fibre mat was only used after collaboration commenced," said Lim, adding that EFB, which is a by-product of crude palm oil mill, was the main ingredient.
"We need plenty of EFB to process it into Dried Long Fibre with moisture content below 20 per cent, to knit 3-5mm thick fibre mats to prevent soil erosion as well as to retain the moisture and fertiliser for plantations," Lim said. "The fibre mats are very efficient and we could see the results. Our target for the project is to green 100sq km of desert per year," he added.
When asked whether similar mechanism could be used to curb landslides in the country, Lim gave an affirmative nod.
"Yes. It can be applied in Malaysia, too, for erosion control. For example, we can see ramp-planting used for erosion control along the highways, therefore the fibre mats can be used as well. However, the fibre mat used in erosion control at desert China is a huge project," he said, in comparing the scale of the possible projects.
Lim also said that foreign companies were turning to Malaysia for supply of processed palm oil product as Indonesia had recently imposed export levy.
Reportedly, the new levy will require exporters to pay US$50 per tonne for crude palm oil and US$30 for processed palm oil products shipments when the export tax is cut to zero.
"All Palm Kernel Shell will be charged for levy of USD10/mt unless it was processed into fine powder," he said.
The less known methods are seen through the desert greening and soil erosion control, a recent venture by Malaysia's Global Green Synergy Sdn Bhd (GGS).
GGS, which is an SME firm, has secured a RMB1bil desert greening project that utilises EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) to develop fibre mats in China via its partnership with Elion Resources Group, one of the top 100 corporations in the Chinese mainland.
"Erosion control using fibre mat is not new, it has been used for around 20 years, but is not well promoted. Through the "One Belt One Road" collaboration between China and Malaysia, Malaysian entrepreneurs took the opportunity to promote biomass value-added products to China for erosion control," said the Chief Operating Officer Stephen Lim, who is a committee member of Pellet Association Malaysia (PAM) and Malaysia Biomass Industries Confederation (MBIC).
According to Lim, desert greening has been going on in China to convert some 6,000sqkm of grim desert into lush, green terrain. However, before fibre mats woven out of Dried Long Fibre of the EFB were used, the conversion was done using straws, which are the dry stalks of cereal plants instead.
"It has been carried out for 25 years, to green more than 6,000sq km desert. Before the collaboration started, straw was used to cover the desert. Fibre mat was only used after collaboration commenced," said Lim, adding that EFB, which is a by-product of crude palm oil mill, was the main ingredient.
"We need plenty of EFB to process it into Dried Long Fibre with moisture content below 20 per cent, to knit 3-5mm thick fibre mats to prevent soil erosion as well as to retain the moisture and fertiliser for plantations," Lim said. "The fibre mats are very efficient and we could see the results. Our target for the project is to green 100sq km of desert per year," he added.
When asked whether similar mechanism could be used to curb landslides in the country, Lim gave an affirmative nod.
"Yes. It can be applied in Malaysia, too, for erosion control. For example, we can see ramp-planting used for erosion control along the highways, therefore the fibre mats can be used as well. However, the fibre mat used in erosion control at desert China is a huge project," he said, in comparing the scale of the possible projects.
Lim also said that foreign companies were turning to Malaysia for supply of processed palm oil product as Indonesia had recently imposed export levy.
Reportedly, the new levy will require exporters to pay US$50 per tonne for crude palm oil and US$30 for processed palm oil products shipments when the export tax is cut to zero.
"All Palm Kernel Shell will be charged for levy of USD10/mt unless it was processed into fine powder," he said.