Reducing energy intensity and environmental

impacts of palm oil consumed in the UK:

Improvements to the local waste management in

palm oil mills

Yoon Lin Chiew1, Alessandra Fusi1, Mei Fong Chong2, Denny Ng2 and

Adisa Azapagic1

1 The University of Manchester, UK; 2 The University of Nottingham, Malaysia

1

Contents

• Palm oil consumption in UK

• Methodology

• Results

• Conclusions

Palm oil consumption in the UK

• 390-451 kt of palm oil imported to the UK (~1% of global

palm oil production)

• 60% used in the food sector

• 72% (Oil World) or 93% (FEDOIL) of sustainable palm oil

certified by RSPO*

• Definition of sustainable palm oil:

– Conservation of primary forests, ethical conduct,

compliance with laws and regulations, traceable palm oil

(supply chain), etc.

*RSPO- Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

Methodology

• Life cycle assessment

• Goal of the study

• Energy intensity and climate change impact of the palm oil

imported to UK and of different waste management options

• Improvements to the local waste management activities in

the palm oil mills

• Scope

• Crude palm oil production, transportation to palm oil refinery,

storage and handling, waste management, transportation to

UK.

• Functional units (unit of analysis):

– 1 t of crude palm oil

– 1 t of refined palm oil consumed in UK

Palm oil production

1 t Refined Palm Oil (RPO)

Waste outputs

1 t Fresh Fruit

Bunch

Crude palm oil

Palm kernel oil

Palm oil mill effluent

Empty fruit bunch

Fiber

Shell

21~23%

13-19%

6-7%

20-21%

2-3%

51-65%

Waste

Product Palm kernel

Fuel for boiler

Waste management: Conventional

• Pond system and mulching

Crude palm oil

(CPO) production Ponding

system

POME

Mulching Production and

spreading of mineral

fertilizer

EFB

Palm oil sludge

treatment

CPO

• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent

• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch

Waste management: Current trend

• Anaerobic digestion and composting

Biogas

production

Power

generation National grid

Crude palm oil

(CPO)

production

Spreading of

compost EFB

POME

Production and

use of

electricity

Production and

spreading of

mineral fertilizer Composting

EFB

Wastewater

treatment

Final

discharged

BOD < 20 ppm CPO

• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent

• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch

Waste management: Future scenario

Biogas

production

Upgrading

biogas Use of biogas

for transport in

plantation

Crude palm oil

(CPO)

production

• Co-digestion of EFB and POME

EFB +

POME

Production

and use of

diesel

Spreading of

solid

digestate

Production and

spreading of mineral

fertilizer

Dewatering

of solid

digestate

Spreading of

liquid

digestate

Dewatered

EFB fibre

CPO

• POME: Palm Oil Mill Effluent

• EFB: Empty Fruit Bunch

Supply chain of palm oil imported to the UK

35 countries 24 countries

Papua New Guinea

20%

Indonesia 20%

Malaysia 19%

Columbia 11%

Netherlands 10%

2008

Papua New

Guinea 48%

Malaysia 20%

Indonesia 11%

Netherlands 13%

2015

Transportation routes

Crude palm oil

production

Waste

management

system

Palm oil

refining

Handling & storage

at local ports

Palm oil

refining (UK) Palm oil

refining (EU)

Handling & storage

at UK ports

Handling & storage

at EU ports

Handling & storage

at local ports

1 t of palm oil consumed in UK • Black: Malaysia & Indonesia

• Blue: Papua New Guinea

• Orange: Europe

Climate change impact of waste management

options

49

58

1012

21

-52

1258

127

-29

1172

-400

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rren

t

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nven

tio

nal

Papua NewGuinea

Malaysia Indonesia

kg

CO

2 e

q./

t cru

de

palm

oil

Mulching

Composting

Spreading of liq. digestate

Spreading of sol. digestate

Avoided prod and use ofmineral fertilizerAvoided prod and use ofelectricityAvoided prod and use ofdieselCrude palm oil production

Biogas plant + UpgradingplantOpen ponding system

Energy intensity of waste management options

-5935

-758 -1

-6625

-1992 -21

-5954

-1691 70

-10000

-8000

-6000

-4000

-2000

0

2000

4000

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Papua NewGuinea

Malaysia Indonesia

MJ/ t

cru

de p

alm

oil

Spreading of sol. digestate

Open ponding system

Mulching

Composting

Spreading of liq. digestate

Avoided prod and use ofmineral fertilizerAvoided prod and use of diesel

Avoided prod and use ofelectricityCrude palm oil production

Biogas plant + Upgrading plant

Climate change impact of imported palm oil

-400

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600F

utu

re

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Papua New Guinea Malaysia Indonesia Europe

kg

CO

2 e

q./

t r

efi

ned

palm

oil

Crude palm oil production Waste management Transportation mill to port

Transportation port to port Refining palm oil

271 294

1312

207 130

1506

320 156

1418 1389

161 269

Energy intensity of imported palm oil

-8000

-6000

-4000

-2000

0

2000

4000

6000

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Fu

ture

Cu

rre

nt

Co

nv

en

tio

nal

Papua New Guinea Malaysia Indonesia Europe

MJ/

t re

fin

ed

palm

oil

Crude palm oil production Waste management Transportation mill to port

Transportation port to port Refining palm oil

-35

13

1351

3420

-27

81

1695

3015

3523

-36

30

1270

3126

-28

87

2705

Climate change impact of palm oil consumed

in the UK (2015)

Countries GWP [kt CO2 eq.]

Total palm oil [t] 390,450 Conventional Current Future

Papua New Guinea 185,299 47% 243.0 54.5 50.3

Indonesia 44,693 11% 63.4 7.0 14.3

Malaysia 77,280 20% 116.4 10.1 16.0

Australia 13,174 3% 19.3 1.9 3.5

Singapore 4,613 1% 6.7 0.7 1.2

Netherlands 49,934 13% 69.4 8.0 13.4

Germany 11,038 3% 15.3 1.8 3.0

Spain 1,616 0.4% 2.2 0.3 0.4

Sweden 596 0.2% 0.8 0.1 0.2

Total 388,243 99% 536.5 84.3 102.3

Reduction -84% -81%

Energy intensity of palm oil consumed in the

UK (2015)

Countries Energy intensity [TJ]

Total palm oil [t] 390,450 Conventional Current Future

Papua New Guinea 185,299 47% 652.7 501.2 -534.9

Indonesia 44,693 11% 134.8 75.8 -124.3

Malaysia 77,280 20% 264.3 104.4 -271.5

Australia 13,174 3% 42.4 20.1 -41.5

Singapore 4,613 1% 14.8 7.0 -14.5

Netherlands 49,934 13% 156.1 63.4 -181.2

Germany 11,038 3% 34.5 14.0 -40.1

Spain 1,616 0.4% 5.1 2.1 -5.9

Sweden 596 0.2% 1.9 0.8 -2.2

Total 388,243 99% 1306.6 788.7 -1216.0

Reduction -40% -193%

Conclusions

• In 2015, palm oil consumed in the UK used 1.3 PJ of

energy and emitted 536.5 kt CO2 eq.

• Reductions through improved waste management

• Current trend: reduces climate change impact by 84%

and energy use by 40%

• Future scenario: climate change lower by 81% and

energy by ~2 times

• Waste treatment for EFB and POME are vital - contribute

80% of the total impacts

• Transportation: 8% of the total impacts

Acknowledgements

This work is funded by the UK Research Council

as part of the UK Centre for Sustainable Energy

Use in Food Chains (CSEF)