.

MEWC/PTM/DANIDA

Final Report -Activity

Ministry
ofEnergy,

Study

on

Water
and
CommunicarionsMechanism

Sectors

Clean

1.3 (a)

Development

Potential

in the

Waste

in Malaysia

(\
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
(Sub-Component
III: COM Action Plan)

~:tI"

Component

Decem
her2004

MalaY.La Energy Centre

.
()

I~I~II

Eco-Ideal Consulring Sdn Bhd.

Study011
CDM Potentiolin WtZSte
Smor in Mai4Jsia

Deal11ber
2004

Table of Contents
TABLE

OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE
1.

2.

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

11

1.1

THE CONTEXT: CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM

11

1.2

CDM POTENTIAL IN WASTE

12

OBJECTIVES

AND METHODOLOGIES

2.1

OBJECTIVES

2.2

METHODOLOGIES

3.

ASSESSMENT

"

'

'

OF WASTE

13

RESOURCES

SCOPE OF STUDY

3.2

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW)

15
15

3.2.1
3.2.2

Brief description of sector

Regulatory and institutional

3.2.3

Assessment

3.2.4

Cun-ent treatment

3.2.5

Potential

15
,
framework

of waste amount and composition

,
,

15
16

,..,...,.",..,.,.""."

and disposal

",

GHG (Methane) Emission

.."

'..'.'..".'.'.'."

3.5

3_3.2

Regulatory

3_3.3

Cun-ent treatment

3.3.4

Assessment

3.3_5

Potential

22

"""."..'...'..'

25

3.7

4.2

Brief description

3.4.2

Regulatory

3.4_3

Assessment

3.4.4

Cun-ent treatment

3.4.5

..,...,...",.""

".,

",.,

"

30

Potential

33

Emission

34

FARMING

37

of sector

and institutional

:
framework

Brief description

3.5.2

Regulatory

3.5.3

Assessment

41

and disposal
Emission

of sector

,.".,...".,..".,.,..,...,...,..,...44

Cun-ent treatment

3.5.5

Potential

framework

Regulatory

3.6.2

Assessment

and institutional

3.6.3

Cun-ent treatment

3.6-4

Potential

Emission

framework

and disposal
Gas Emission

PROJECTS

INTRODUCTION
Criteria

55
60
64

4_3.1

Preliminary

4.3.2

MSW Landfill

64
64

METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF SCREENING

Sub-component

53

64

SCREENING CRITERIAAND METHODOLOGY

Screening

52
55

SUMMARY OF TOTAL POTENTIAL METHANE EMISSIONS

OF CDM POTENTIAL

49
51

of waste amount and composition

Greenhouse

46
48

Gas (Methane)

WASTEWATER FROM OTHER INDUSffiIES

3.6.1

45
46

and disposal

Greenhouse

45
,

of waste amount and composition

3.5.4

43

Gas (Methane)

and institutional

37
40

of waste amount and composition

Greenhouse

31

PALM OIL PROCESSING: PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT (POME)

4.2.1
4.3

framework

of waste amount and composition

GHG (methane)

3.4.1

SCREENING
4.1

29
29

and disposal

LIVESTOCK WASTE -SWINE

3.5.1

3.6

and institutional

~
~

17

DOMESTIC SEWAGE IN SEPTIC TANKS

3-3.1
Brief description of sector

3.4

4.

"

13

3.1

3.3

13

Screening

67
67
68

III -Implementation

ofCDM

Action Plan

Activity 1.3 (a)

!
,

-1 -i

!
i
i
i

.!
"""'"""',,'

-J

..
/

SlIIdy
o.CDMPote.JioJ
i. Waste
Sedor
i. Mall1J'nQ

Deamber
2004

Ecosecuritiesd

Adopted

for this study

0.12

0.087

0.14

0.1

a Development Bank of Philipines. (n.d.). Cost Estimation of Biogas Plants in Piggeries.

b Based on a standard methane density of 0.72 kg/m
CEli, N., Kasim, A. and Khong, W. (2002). Waste management in livestock farming. Paper presented
2nd Sabah-Sarawak
Environmental
Convention,
d Personal communication
with Mr Jan Willem,

at the

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Ecosecurities,
15 Sept 2004.

Applying the above methane emissions to the population distribution

in Malaysia gives

the following:
Table 20 Estimated

c.

Total Methane
T

Sta

tal

..-0

Emissions

WIne

u:

from Swine Farming

tal

th

and Lagoons

..Total

me

ane

CO2

emIssIon

..equlva
Population

Total Peninsula

I en t per
potential

(mT

I year)

year (T/
m year )

1,399,935

51,100

1,073,100

Sarawak

427,695

15,700

329,700

Sabah

112,224

4,130

86730

1,939,854

70,930

1,489,530

Total

3.5 Palm Oil Processing: Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

3.5.1 Brief description of sector

Malaysia is the largest producer and exporters

of palm oil in the World today.

12,248,000

from

mT of

approximately
0

palm

exported

58% of the total world market.

oil mills in operation

planning

oil was

in Malaysia

or construction.

Malaysia

in

2003,

representing

In 2003, there are approximately

and there are additional

A total of

370 palm

40 mills currently

Thus, based on the on-going trend,

under

the industry is set to

expand further42.
When it comes to potential of COM due to methane avoidance, the Palm Oil Mill Effluent
(POME) will be the main discussion.
using anaerobic

This is due to the fact that POME is managed

ponds which emit methane to the atmosphere.

focus on the potential

of methane

emissions

such as the use of EFB as fuel for co-generation

42Malaysia

This study will only

Biomass

related potential

will not be covered.

Palm Oil Board. (2004). Malaysia Palm Oil Statistic 2003.

Sub-component

III-Implementation

of COM Action Plan

-45-

from POME.

Activity 1.3 (a)

Stlldy 011CDM Potmtial;lI WasteSector;lIM%ysio

Veamber 2004

The discharge from palm oil refinery mills was not assessed in this study.
the industry

has to contend with treating the palm oil refinery

characteristics

of PORE are very much dependent

In the refinery,

effluent (PORE).

The

on the types of refinery process.

It

was reported that a cost effective and common system for treatment of refinery effluent
is the

sequencing

batch

reactor

(SBR)

process.

Such

treatment and thus less attractive for methane avoidance.

recommended.

Based on information

are 47 palm oil refineries

2003.

systems

employ

aerobic

However, further research is

provided by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, there

in operation with a processing

capacity of 16 million mT in

A further 11 is under planning.

3.5.2 Regulatory and institutional framework

The regulation

of palm oil mills in relation to waste discharge

the Environmental

Quality Act 1974.

is mainly government

As early as 1978, a specific regulations

under the EQA was enacted to control palm oil and rubber industries.
potential

impacts

Environment

(DOE)

waterways.
treatment

of the rapid expansion

has

set a specific

Under the regulation,

The palm oil industries

increasingly

organizations
Promotion

(Malaysia

SIRIM

Council,

the impacts

important.
Palm

Malaysia

Realizing

the Department

before

discharging

the
of
to

However,

it is not mandated

under the

to be used and resource recovery is not compulsory.

rapidly over the last 2 decades
of the activities

With the

Oil

Environment

waste related research.

standard

made

it is mandatory for palm oil mills to construct their own

have developed

With this fast expansion,

(PORIM),

discharge

system and submit reports to DOE.

law what kind of technologies

becoming

of palm oil industries,

by

Board,

and Bioprocess

on the environment

increasing

Palm

in Malaysia.

attention,

Oil Research

Technology

several

Institute

Centre,

are also
research

of Malaysia

Malaysia

Palm Oil'

Energy Centre etc.) are indeed very active in palm oil

The research involves finding ways and opportunities

utilizing waste from palm oil industries as resources.

These include 'the use of empty

fruit bunch (EFB) as mulch or as fuel for waste to energy plants.

palm oil kernel cake for animal feed, promotion

of better

Similarly, the use of

of timber products from palm oil tree

trunks etc. are all on-going efforts.

3.5.3 Assessment of waste amount and composition

POME is one of the main by-products
total generation
Table 21
Malaysia

from crude palm oil (CPO) mill operations.

amount and typical composition

Total Amount

of Fresh

The

of POME are tabulated below:

Fruit Bunch

Produced

and POME Generated

in

(2003)

Sub-component III -Implementation

of COM Action Plan

c7,~C!;I}~;,."

-46-

Activity 1.3 (a)

/J

Jllldy on CDM Potentia/in WasteJtdorin Malaysia

Deer1/lbtr2004

Total Fresh Fruit

State

POME generated

% Total

Bunch Processed

(mT)

42,293,805

25,376,283

63%

4,164,855

2,498,913

6%

Sabah

21,151,499

12,690,899

31%

Total

67,610,159

40,566,095

100

Total Peninsula M
Sarawak

(Source: Malaysia Palm Oil Board. (2004). Malaysia palm oil statistics 2003.)

It can be noted that the distribution

Malaysia and East Malaysia.

in Sarawak

(based

is on-going

on Fresh

is almost equally distributed

between

Peninsula

Sabah is the largest producer today but the development

while Sabah has reached

Fruit Bunch

Produced)

its capacity.

according

to States

Detailed distribution
can be found

in

.
C

Sub-component III -Implementation

of COM Action Plan

-47-

"

Activity 1.3 (a)

Stlldy on CDM Potential in WasteSedor-inMaioylill

Appendix

D. The distribution

Deamber 2004

in 2003 is approximately

60% in Peninsular

and 40% in

Sabah and Sarawak.

POME is a high-strength
Table 22 Average

pollutant with the following typical characteristics:

Composition

of Raw POME
,.,

-Parameter*

Mean

~H

4.0

Biochemical

Oxygen Demand (rng/l)

Chemical O~en

25000

Demand~m--9ill

Total Solids (mg/l)

40000

Suspended

18000"J

Solids (mg/l)

Oil and Grease (mgn)

Ammoniacal

,~

51000

6000

Nitrogen (mgn)

.35

Total Nitrogen (mg/l)

750

(Source: Ma. A.N. (1999). Management of palm oil industrial waste in Malaysia. Paper presented at the
Seminar on integrated waste management in Sarawak. Kuching, 28-29 July 1999.)

3.5.4 Current treatment and disposal

There are several methods used in managing POME today. The most common and less
costly solution
retention.

used by palm oil millers

The principle

is the use of a series of lagoons/ponds

is exactly the same as for the swine waste.

A typical

as

lagoon

system used for POME is shown in Figure 4.

f'

(Source: MPOB)

Figure

4 Typical

Anaerobic

Ponds for Treating

POME

.
Sub-component III-Implementation

of COM Action Plan

Activity 1.3 (a)

-48-

I-.
I
I

""'--

Study011CDM Potentia/in Warte Sectorilllvfa~'na

December2004

In 1999, it was estimated that around 85% of the mills in Malaysia adopted the ponding
system43.

The situation today is estimated to be the similar.

tank digesters

with extended

recovery were also introduced.

more advantage

aeration

as well as closed tank digesters

system with biogas recovery

in Johor, etc.)44. The Tennamaram

power.

is not very common.

at Batang Berjuntai, Selangor,

Keck Seng

mill for example, has 4 digester tanks and produces

10,000 m3 of biogas per digester each day45. The biogas is used to generate
For the case of Keck Seng, the biogas is mainly utilized for heat recovery: steam

generation.

Other new packaged systems utilizing the closed digesters with extended

after treatment
introduced

with biogas

However, the extent of digesters usage, especially the

closed digester

There are only a few reported (Tennamaram

average

Apart from ponds, open

concepts

such as "Zero Ponding"

by a local private companies,

POME treatment

Sustainable Wastewater

system was also

Engineering Sdn Bhd.

3.5.5 Potential Greenhouse Gas (Methane) Emission

The

potential

established

methane

key figures.

methane emission

emission

from

POME

can

be estimated

based

There are many researches and experiences

rate per POME production and a comparison

on some

in estimating the

of the various sources

is shown below:
Table 23 Comparison
Sources

of Biogas

Production

Based on POME

.Methane
of Information

Malaysia Energy Centre

Emission Rate (m3

biogas/m3 PO ME)
28

Malaysia Palm Oil Board

0
)

Golden Hope Plantation

25

Forest Research Institute Malaysia

28

SMART Research Institute

28

,,',:,..

43Ma. A.N. (1999). Management of palm oil industrial waste in Malaysia. Paper presented at the
Seminar on integrated waste management in Sarawak, Kuching, 28-29 July 1999
44Yeoh, B.G. (2004). A Technical and Economic Analysis of Heat and Power Generation from
Biomethanation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent. Paper presented at the Electricity supply industry in
.transition:
issues and prospect for Asia conference.
45Malaysia Energy Centre (PTM). (2000). Feasibility Study on Grid Connected Power Generation
Using Biomass Co-Generation Technology.
Sub-component III-Implementation

of COM Action Plan

-49-

\C"i

Activity 1.3 (a)

StIIdy on CDM Potentialin Wastt Sedorin },.{a~'Jio

Derember2004

I Adopted for this Study

.28

This key figure is used in estimating methane emissions from POME:

Table 24 Estimated

Total Methane

Emissions

from POME in Malaysia

;;

;;;

";!State;

;;

POME46;(m3/yr)

~IO~AS47 (m3/yr)

CI:i4 (m3/yr)~

CH4(mT/yr)49

equivJyro

25,376,283

710,535,924

426,321,554

306,952

6,445,982

Sabah

2,498,913

69.969,564

41,981,738

30,227

634,764

Sarawak

12,690,899

355,345,172

213,207,103

153,509

3,223,691

Peninsula

;";;;

'.';;;

"

mTCO2

..
c;;;

MALAYSIA
41 mil
Total

3,100 mil

682 mil

0.5 mil

10.3 mil

(rounded)

The total methane emission from PO ME of 500,000 mT is relatively higher compared

the estimates

to

by Yeoh51 (2004), which only amounts to 225,000 mT per year in 1999.

However, the difference can be explained considering the fast development

rate over the

last five years (almost 50% increases in 2003 as compared to 1999 level).

The basis of

calculating
emission

methane emissions

is also slightly different.

based on m3 methane per kg of BOD.

Yeoh (2004) used an average

An average yield of 0.5 m3/kg BOD

added to the anaerobic pond was used and a density of 0.6 kg/m3 (compared to 0.72
used in this study).
It is believed that these figures are on the conservative and low

side.

..
46Using an average 0.6 m3 POME produced per FFB processed
47Using an average potential production of 28 m3, m3 POME

--

46Using an average methane composition of 60% volume

49Using an average density of 0.72 kg/m3 for methane
50Using a GWP of 21
51Yeoh, B.G. (2004). A Technical and Economic Analysis of Heat and Power Generation from
Biomethanation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent. Paper presented at the Electricity supply industry in
transition: issues and prospect for Asia conference.

-50-

,""',

Sbtdy on CDM Potential in WasteSectorin Malaysia

A

quick

check

emissions

estimation

done.

baseline

The

sewage

CH4

POME

an

Approved

lagoon

Methodology

wastewater

on IPCC

guidelines

COD

x Bo X MCF

= Total

generation
is estimated.

0.25

kg

IPCC

this

to

(compared

within

Entering

AM013

systems

used

(refer

earlier

to

in methane

for

methane

3.3.3)

can

estimation

be
from

and

the

the

a total
IPCC

Bo, methane

total

3.3.5

mg/L

and

COD

loading

method,

conversion

POME

study)

and

by this

study

magnitude,

Section

for

a total

details)

of 41

of 2050

using

a default

factor

(MCF)

million
million

IPPC

m3 of
kg

per

value

of 1 gives

of

a total

mT per year.

million

in this

24),

into

in this

to 682

derived

same

for

(see

of 50,000

Table

the

41

guidelines

the

COD

estimated

compared

results

(see

of 512,500

source52

m3 (as

concentration

year

kg

emissions

Another

COD
per

methan7/

methane

the

open

is based

average

year

The

UNFCCC

from

emissions

By using

m3/yr

the

where:

Total

using

December2004

are

the

in Malaysia

total

methane

is around

emissions

is

39

million

707

million

study).

well

estimates
the

production

comparable

made

estimate

to the

in report

estimates

by Hashim

of 500,000

made

both

et al (2004).

mT methane

is used

using

Since

for

rest

it is

of this

study.

3.6 Wastewater
The

industrial

Statistics
()

sector

J
)

Department
can

RM310.8

be
billion.

Appendix
base

sector

categories

in Malaysia
and

the

referred

to as

The

enormity

F provides
within

from Other Industries

the
the

was

defined

Malaysian
the

Industrial

manufacturin

of the

Statistics

by survey

sector

manufacturing

results

and

value

A reduced

List

from

Authority

in an equivalent

Industry

sector.

obtained

Development

g sector

Departments

data

of sales
amount

summarized

version

the

National

(MIDA).
in 2003

The
were

of data.

to reveal

of is then

.
the

presented

as

.
52Hashim,
JunJtera

M. et al. (2004). Palm Oil Biomass for Electricity Generation

-The

Sub-component

Monthly Bulletin of the Institution

III -Implementation

in Malaysia. Feature in

of Engineers Malaysia. No. 11 November 2004.

of COM Action Plan

-51-

Activity 1.3 (a)