Green chemicals from sustainable Malaysian palm waste

DELFT/KUALA LUMPUR - The Netherlands and Malaysia will work closely to promote the bio-based economy. The BE-Basic consortium – coordinated by TU Delft – and the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak’s innovation unit UNIK are signing a cooperation agreement today in Kuala Lumpur in order to establish a consortium in Malaysia, following the Dutch BE-Basic model. This consortium, the Oil Palm Biomass Consortium (OPBC), will focus on the use of palm waste as a raw material for the chemical industry.

Malaysia is one of the world’s largest exporters of palm oil, an important ingredient in many foods and cosmetics. Current production processes use only the palm fruit. ‘The waste of the palm plant, such as the stem and leaves but also the processed palm fruits, can form an important source of biomass as an alternative raw material used for the production of bio-fuels, and bio-plastics and other products,’ said BE-Basic Director Luuk van der Wielen, Professor of Bioseparation Technology at TU Delft. ‘In the face of rising oil prices, the use of such organic materials as palm waste is becoming much more attractive as a more sustainable source of raw materials for the production of chemicals. By this collaboration Dutch chemical companies can gain access to this resource as well. In addition the significant use of palm biomass will help to improve palmoil as a sustainable food product’.

Macro-economic impact study

A first step in the collaboration will involve the macro-economic impact study of the bio-based economy in Malaysia. Malaysia is considered one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a GDP growth rate of 5.3% per year. In 2020, Malaysia aspires to achieve the status of a developed country, which will require an economic growth of 8-10%. During the climate summit that was held in Copenhagen in December 2009, the Malaysian government also expressed its ambition to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 40% (as compared to 2005) by 2020. The use of palm waste in the production of energy, chemicals and materials could make an important contribution to this effort.

Dutch model

The future Malaysian OPBC consortium will include participation from the Malaysian government, the Institute of Bioproduct Development of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, University Putra Malaysia and other academic parties and actors from the Malaysian palm industry. The OPBC will thus make use of the knowledge and experience that has been developed within the Dutch model of public-private partnerships, such as that reflected in the BE-Basic consortium. The Dutch government supports this international collaboration via the Dutch Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Knowledge exchange

The collaboration between the two consortia will also include a joint research program focused on green (bio)innovations in the chemical and energy sectors. An important place in the knowledge-sharing process will also be reserved for issues of a more social nature, including supply chain management and sustainability criteria for processes based on biomass and waste streams. In the area of education, both consortia will collaborate through the exchange of students and young researchers between the Netherlands and Malaysia.

About UNIK

UNIK is the special Innovation Unit (Unit Inovasi Khas or UNIK) established by the Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak under the Prime Minister's Department, to strengthen the strategy and policy to help promote innovation in the "heart" of Malaysia. For more information:

http://www.pmo.gov.my/?menu=newslist&page=1731&news_id=4111&news_cat=13

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More information

Professor Luuk van der Wielen (Director, BE-Basic)
t.:+31 (0)6 22802800, L.A.M.vanderWielen@tudelft.nl

Professor Patricia Osseweijer (Flagship Manager Society, BE-Basic)
t. +31 (0)6 51033916, P.Osseweijer@tudelft.nl