Badrol bin Ahmad Abdul Halim Shamsudin

1. MIGHT Partnership Exchange EU- Biomass Stakeholders Forum The Potential of Biomass in Malaysia as a Fuel For Electricity GenerationIstana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur27-28 April 2010 Badrol bin Ahmad Abdul Halim Shamsudin

2. Outline • Background • Biomass potential • Biomass for electricity generation • Issues

3. BACKGROUND • Malaysia’s energy resources are dominated by fossil fuels. • Biomass, solar and mini hydro hold great promise as complementary energy resources. • They are plentiful • They provide potential for the reduction of GHG emissions • Successful utilization these resources depends on • Favourable energy policy • Technology availability • Access to supplies • This presentation focuses on biomass and its potential for electricity generation

4. Generation Fuel Mix in Peninsular Malaysia (2008) Gas 64 Coal 29 Hydro 7 Fuel %

5. Malaysia Agricultural • Remains an important sector of Malaysia’s economy • Contributes 12% to national GDP • 3 main crops dominate agricultural export: • Rubber • palm oil • Cocoa • Rice and sugarcane are grown for domestic consumption.

6. Biomass • Biomass are organic matters that are derived from • plants (agriculture and timber industries) • livestock waste • garbage • They represent ‘new energy resources’ that opens up opportunities for economic activities and employment

7. Sources of biomass Animals Waste Plant • manure • municipal • waste • field residues • process residue

8. Biomass: availability and utilization • Biomass are plentiful but their utilization as fuel for electricity generation is currently limited. • In the near term, interest will mainly be on biomass that are associated with the major crops • Oil palm • Rice • Sugar • Cocoa • In the longer term, other sources may be feasible • Banana • Bamboo • Dedicated energy crops • etc

9. Palm oil industry • Malaysia is one of the biggest producers and exporter of palm oil and palm oil products • At present the industry is the most developed among the agricultural industries in Malaysia. • This commodity accounts for: • 41 % of world palm oil production • 47% of world exports • 11% and 25% of the world's total production and exports of oils and fats.

10. Oil Palm Life Cycle Cultivation (Tree trunks Fronds) Pruning Felling (Palm fronds) Harvesting (Fresh fruit bunches) Extraction POME EFB, etc Oil Image:CIRAD

11. Oil Palm Biomass Biomass Qty/ Moisture CV/ Main mil. tonnes content / % kj/kg uses Fibre 9.66 37.00 19 068 Fuel Shell 5.20 12.00 20108 Fuel Empty fruit bunch 17.08 67.00 18838 Mulch Palm kernel 2.11 3.00 18900 Animal feed Expeller Source: A.B. Nasrin et al

12. Paddycultivation and production 1990 1995 2000 Harvested area 680 672 692 (T ha) Yield 2769 3161 2941 (kg/ha) Production 1884 2127 2036 (T t) Import 330 427 - (T t) Source: FAO

14. Paddy biomass • Paddy is harvested and processed in the mill to produce rice. • The residue from the harvests and subsequent processing includes • Straw • Concentrated on farms • Husk • 23 % of the paddy processed • 13 % moisture content • Concentrated in mills

15. Sugarcane cultivation and sugar production • Sugarcane flourishes in dry region of Malaysia. • Its cultivation, therefore, is concentrated mainly in Perlis and Kedah. • Johor and Sarawak are potential states identified as suitable for sugarcane cultivation • Cultivated areas are estimated to be 20 000 to 40 000 hectares producing 1.3 to 1.6 million tonnes annually .

16. Sugar production • Sugar cane are processed to produce raw and refined sugar, exclusively for domestic consumption. • The processing is carried out in facilities located in in the plantations in Kedah &Perlis. • Facilities in Penang and Selangor are refineries that produces refined sugar.

17. Sugarcane biomass • Sugarcane biomass • Bagasse • Residue of sugarcane processing • 300 kg of bagasse /100 000 kg sugarcane • Annual bagasse production is estimated at 300 million. • Leaves and cane tops • From sugarcane harvesting • About 0.7 of the dry weight of cane

18. Rubber biomass • Rubber biomass • Rubberwood • Available during replanting • Estimated at 3.4 million kg / year • Utilization • Materials for furniture • Energy

19. Cocoa cultivation • Once a major commercial crop in Malaysia. • Cultivated areas show definite decline • Peninsular and Sabah • However, bean production continue to increase in tonnage. • Cocoa biomass • Pruning activities • 25 000 kg dry organic matter/ 10 000 m2/year.

20. Cocoa: Cultivated Areas Source: Cocoa Board, Malaysia

21. Coconut Planted areas and coconut production Source: Department of Agriculture, Malaysia

22. Biomass as fuel for electricity generation • Green energy is becoming an important feature of electricity supply industry. • This trend is supported by favourable climate • energy policies • incentives • continued supply of biomass • technology

23. Biomass electricity generation potential in Malaysia • The available biomass has an equivalent generation capacity of more than 3 000 MW of electricity. • Oil palm biomass has practical advantage • Concentrated in large plantations • A number of plants are already in operations • Active research activities • MPOB • Universities • Research institutions

25. Biomass energy potential (Halim, 2010)

26. Fuel Properties Calorific Values of Biomass Source EFB Fruit Shell Bagasse Thrash Husk Straw Fibre 14.6 14.8 19.0 1 19.7 20.7 18.8 17.9 18.1 15.4 15.2 2 1. Shamsuddin (1985) & (1995), Hussain (2006): dry basis 2. Turn et al (1997): HHV

27. Biomass electricity generation projects • Co-gen in the mills • EC-ASEAN Co-gen(1990,s) • 5 full-scale demonstration projects using wood wastes • Approved Small RE Projects (SREP) • EFB : 165.9 MW • Wood wastes: 6.6 MW • Rice Husk : 12.0 MW • MSW : 5.0 MW • Mixed fuels : 19.2 MW • FELDA-J-Power-TNB Biomass Power Plant • 10 MW • Jana Landfill Sdn. Bhd • 2 MW

28. Biomass electricity generation projects • TSH Bioenergy Sdn. Bhd. (Sabah) • Grid connected with 14 MW capacity • 2 MW : internal consumption • 10 MW : supplied to grid • BioGen FSM Projects • MHES Asia Sdn. Bhd. (10 MW) • EFB • FELDA Serting Hilir (1.0 MW) • Biogas

29. Experience

30. Issues and Challenges • Resource availability • Long term supply • Operational optimisation • Technology management

31. Resource availability • Resources are available within the plantations and mills • But not all are available for electricity generation • Biomass to be returned to soil policy • Competing use • Product manufacture • Furniture • Mattress • Composite materials • Fertilizers • Etc • Policy on biomass utilizations is required??

32. Long term supply • Power plants are designed for a service life of more than 25 years. • Supply must be assured over this period of time • Supply agreement • Quantity • Quality • Ability of supplier to meet power operators • Production capacity • Raw biomass • Pelletised biomass

33. Biomass supply chain transportation Processed biomass e.g pellets Storage Quality Quantity Delivery Plantation Smallholders Power plant transporta- tion Mills, refineries, etc Storage transportation transportation

34. Operational optimization • Storage capacity • Combustion efficiency • Characteristics of fuel • Energy content • Compositions • Heat transfer efficiency • Plant availability • Scheduled outage • Forced outage • Maintenance & inspection practices • Effective • Meets regulatory requirements

35. Technology Management • Design requirements • Technical specifications • Selection of appropriate technology • Economics • Reliability • Long term performance • Skills and expertise • In-house • Out-source

36. Technology • Conventional steam plant • Maximum theoretical thermal efficiency is limited by max and min temperatures of the cycle. • Better cycle efficiency is possible with combined cycle • Biomass converted to gas • Gas power gas turbine • Gas turbine exhaust is recovered to generate steam in boiler and power in steam turbine.

37. Thank you