SUSTAINABLE BIOPLASTICS INDUSTRY

FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES IN MALAYSIA

Professor Mohd Ali Hassan

University Putra Malaysia

Professor Yoshihito Shirai

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Presentation Outline

• Biomass Resources in Malaysia

• Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia

• FELDA-UPM-KIT Biomass Project

• Palm Biomass Bioplastics

• Sustainable Bioplastics Industry in Malaysia

Biomass Resources in Malaysia

• Biomass

– organic matter available on a renewable basis

– includes forest and mill residues, wood wastes, agricultural crops and wastes, animal wastes and MSW

• Abundant in Malaysia

> 70 million tonnes collected / year

• Produced throughout the year

– high sunlight intensity/time and high rainfall

• Main contributor of biomass is the palm oil industry (ligno-cellulosics)

MSW

9.5%

Palm Oil

85.5%

Rice 0.7%

Sugarcane

0.5%

Wood

industry

3.7%

Malaysian Palm Oil Industry

Palm Oil Mill Effluent

50 million tonnes

Fresh Fruit Bunch

70 million tonnes

Oil ExtractionCrude Palm Oil

15 million tonnes

Palm Kernel Oil

2 million tonnes

Empty Fruit Bunches

15 million tonnes

Fiber

9 million tonnes

Shell

4 million tonnes

Renewable Resources

• Methane sinks

– Employs anaerobic treatment for palm oil mill effluent

– Extensive and efficient system

– The largest methane emission

– Methane not utilized

Palm Oil Industry and CDM

Sustainable Business from Palm Biomass

Empty Fruit Bunch

> 15 million t/yrPalm Oil Mill Effluent

> 50 million t/yr

Concentration of biomass

“business as usual”

Sugars

Bioplastic (PLA)

or Bioethanol

Saccharification of

cellulose

Lactic Acid or

Cellulosic Bioethanol

fermentationElectricity

Organic acids

Bioplastic

(PHA)Biogas / Methane Plant

Organic acids from POME

Figure. 50 L anaerobic bioreactor used to produce organic

acids from POME

L-R: treated POME, filtered POME, concentrated POME,

clarified organic acids

7

Fig. Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of

strain EB172 containing P(3HB-co-3HV) granules in

fed-batch cultivation using mixed organic acids from

treated palm oil mill effluent as substrates

Biopolymers open up new options

for an old problem >>> disposal

AGHH! Plastic lasts FOREVER

1950’s Today

Wow! Plastic lasts

FOREVER

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)

Carbon source

PHA in cell wall

Extraction

Bacteria

Fermentation

Polyesters accumulated inside microbial cells

as carbon & energy storage

Produced from natural, renewable resources

Able to be recycled, composted or burned

without producing toxic byproducts

100 % biodegradable

Produced under conditions of:

low limiting nutrients (e.g. N, S, P) and excess carbon

PHA StructurePHA Structure

PHA RPHB - CH3

PHV -CH2CH3

PHBV - CH3 & CH2CH3

PHBHx -CH3 & - CH2CH2CH3

PHBO -CH3 & -(CH2)4CH3

R = Hydrocarbon

x = 100-30000

n = 1-4

Carbon Cycle of Bioplastics

CO2

H2OBiodegradation

CarbohydratesPlastic Products

Fermentation PHA Polymer

Photosynthesis

Recycle

Applications

$$$$$$$$ factor factor

• The major drawbacks in commercialisation of PHA are

1) high cost of production and recovery

2) price

• Raw material ~ 40-50% of the total production cost

• Current price with natural producer like Ralstonia eutropha is

US $6-10 per kg, about 3-5 times more expensive than PP

• To be commercially viable, PHA price ~ US $3-5 per kg

• Therefore, various carbon sources are being explored in order to reduce the price of bioplastics

• Our work focuses on producing organic acids and sugarsas cheap carbon sources for bioplastics (PHA and PLA)

UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS & BIOMASS UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS & BIOMASS

FOR NEW BIOPRODUCTSFOR NEW BIOPRODUCTS

JOINT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTJOINT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIAUNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA

FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD.FELDA PALM INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD.

KYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYKYUSHU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PALM OIL INDUSTRY: NEW BIOPRODUCTS

PROJECT #1 - Improved Methane Fermentation from Palm Oil Mill Effluent

for Electric Power Generation for CDM

PROJECT #2 - Organic Acids Production

from Palm Oil Mill Effluent >>> Bioplastics

PROJECT #3 - Production of Sugars and Other Valued Products from Empty Fruit

Bunch and Fruit Fiber

Bioplastics from Palm Biomass

Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Concentrationof biomass

Oil Extraction

Bio-acids PlantBioplastic

(PHA)

Consumer

products

Bioconversion of organic acids from

POME into PHA (PHBV)

Feasibility study

(Suitability of substrate)

Optimization studies

(Lab scale)

Pilot scale

production

Optimization studies

(Production & recovery)

Process & engineering

design for upstream &

downstream productionPHA analysis &

characterizationDevelopment of polymer

for potential applications

Organic acids

production

(FELDA pilot plant)

New Business Using Biomass Energy from Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia

CDM provides profitable

area for bioplastic business

to which biomass energy

can be supplied from

palm oil industry with a

reasonable price

CDM provides a complete methane

fermentation system and change

lagoon area into a profitable area.

CDM provides electricity using the methane

fermentation system for bioplastic business

with a competitive price.

1. CDM can reduce GHG by

sealing the lagoons.

2. Prevention of undesirable

smell by modern treatment.

3. Local employment can be

encouraged from new business.

for new business

Based on the economic growth in Malaysia, the development of new oil palm

plantations in the tropical rainforest will soon be no longer economically viable.

In order to meet the increasing demand for palm oil in the future, palm oil industry

must cooperatively stay with other industries and people >>> 3P (Profit, People, Planet)