Efficient Use of Empty Fruit Bunch in Palm Oil Mills: Anaerobic Co-digestion with Pome vs Pyrolysis into Biochar and Thermal Energy

In the palm oil mill, fresh fruit bunches are processed to generate crude palm oil. In this process several residues and wastes are produced. Palm pressed mesocarp fiber, empty fruit bunch and palm oil mill effluent are considered underutilized and their disposal can even cause environmental pollutions and GHG emissions. In this study, two alternative palm oil mills, with a more efficient use of residues, are designed and evaluated. The analysis shows that both alternative palm oil mill set-ups could be economically feasible by using low value residues for energy generation and exporting higher value residues, despite significant investment costs for the required equipment. Both digestate and biochar could be valorised as soil amendment in the oil palm plantation.