Owls, Cobra Snakes or Liquid Smoke to Repel Mice at Palm Oil Plantations?

Mice are animals that disrupt various human activities so they must be expelled or killed. Many stories from farmers who experienced crop failure due to rampant rat pests. Likewise in palm oil plantations, rats will damage the palm fruit. Biological countermeasures are mostly carried out, namely with owls and cobra snakes. While other efforts that can be done is by liquid smoke. Aside from being used for fertilizer, liquid smoke can also be used to repel these mice. A strong aroma and an acidic nature will make the mice away from the palm oil trees that have been given liquid smoke. The longer the effect of liquid smoke on the palm oil tree the longer the mice away from the palm tree.

Liquid smoke does not harm humans and can be produced in large quantities. Besides that liquid smoke also comes from biomass (pyrolysis) so that it is an environmentally friendly chemical and from renewable sources. Empty bunches or EFB which have generally not been utilized by palm oil mills can be used for the production of liquid smoke. In addition to liquid smoke, biochar is also produced which is also very useful in the palm oil plantations, for more details, please read here. Production of liquid smoke and biochar from EFB will also be a solution to handling solid waste in the form of empty bunches. The production of biochar and liquid smoke for large scale can be done only with continuous pyrolysis units, for more details, please read here.

While when biochar and liquid smoke are used in oil palm plantations, the pyrolysis product in the form of syngas and biooil can be used for boiler fuel. When syngas and biooil are used as fuel, palm kernel shells and a number of mesocarp fibers can be sold or exported like CPO. PKS (palm kernel shell) or shell can be exported directly to Japan or Korea. Whereas mesocarp fiber can be made pellets or briquettes before being exported. Production of pellets or briquettes from mesocarp fiber is almost the same as the production of wood pellets or sawdust briquettes, for reference can be read here and here.

Back to the laptop. So the production of liquid smoke from pyrolysis of empty palm bunches is more likely to be a solution to overcome rat pests in addition to various other advantages for palm oil plantations and mills. In addition, liquid smoke can also be used for fertilizers and is not harmful. Even to optimize the control of rodent pests is very possible with a combination of liquid smoke with owls and cobra snakes.

Once Paddle 2 - 3 Islands Surpassed: Overcoming The Problem Of Palm Oil Mill Solid Waste As Well As Charcoal Production As Soil Fertilizers To Plantation And Export Commodities

There are 3 types of solid waste in palm oil mill, namely fiber, palm kernel shell and empty fruit bunch. The average amount of the three waste : 13.5% fiber, 5.5% palm kernel shell (PKS) and 23% EFB. The greater the CPO production capacity or the processing of FFB the greater the waste produced. Fiber and shell are commonly used for fuel by being burned directly for electricity production and steam for the production process of palm oil mill or CPO production. But with this way there is not much to gain except electricity, steam and ash as its residue. While a more beneficial way that is by replacing the usual combustion system (direct combustion) for steam and electricity production with continuous pyrolysis. Why with continuous pyrolysis can give greater benefits ? That is because with continuous pyrolysis besides being able to produce electricity and steam as well as on regular combustion also produced charcoal. Charcoal can be used for soil fertilizer media in palm oil plantation itself and as an export commodity that is palm kernel shell (read the problem of palm kernel shell at this time here).

While EFB can be processed into compost or fuel such as pellets and briquettes, some even use EFB to make paper, or just taken the ashes with burned because it is rich in potassium. Continuous composting is also more efficient, faster and cleaner than composting in batches. The compost can then be used in conjunction with charcoal so that its use to improve soil fertility optimally. Burning the EFB for its potassium-rich ashes is pretty much done by today's palm oil mills. It is chosen because it is easy, cheap and fast. But for use as fuel there is another option that is to make it into pellets or briquettes. One of the EFB processing scenarios can be read here. The choice of EFB processing above depends on the vision of the palm oil company itself, if its vision is more to increase productivity of palm oil plantation and CPO production even to organic plantation then composting is more suitable to choose, moreover EFB also very wet when out of palm oil mill. Whereas if their vision to get more profit or additional income faster by processing it into energy or fuel such as pellets and briquettes would be more suitable.

Why is charcoal preferred for soil fertility improvement? Is charcoal better than burning ash in that case? The process of making charcoal through the process of pyrolysis or carbonization with temperatures ranging from 400-500 C so that a number of ash chemical compounds, such as potassium still in the solid product in the form of charcoal or not lost during the conversion process, so that can still be used for plant nutrition. Charcoal also has a lot of micro pores to hold soil moisture, microbial house and keep the nutrients or fertilizer because the plants washed out ( leaching) due to the flow of water like rain. Rainfall in Indonesia is quite high ie 2700 mm / year or three times higher than the world rainfall ranging around 900 mm / year. Only two of our neighbors are Malaysia (2,875 mm) and Papua New Guinea (3,140) whose rainfall surpasses Indonesia. Charcoal also makes fertilizer or nutrient plants release slowly (slow release fertilizer) to be absorbed by plants. More and more use of charcoal in the palm oil plantation will have a positive impact on the productivity of Palm oil. If every hectare of palm oil plantations requires 20 tons of charcoal then the need for charcoal is also great. We take the example with the area of ​​100,000 hectares of palm oil plantation then the overall need for palm oil plantation reaches 2,000,000 tons. This can only be done gradually as CPO production activities. A number of studies have even stated that with the use of charcoal, the need for fertilizer can be reduced or saved up to 50%. That's because with the use of charcoal, the washed water plant nutrient in the soil can be minimized. Of course a happy thing. Moreover, the charcoal will survive hundreds of years on the ground so that the benefits last long. Such characteristics make charcoal superior to ash. Ash with various ash-chemical compounds such as potassium can be directly absorbed by plants so that it can be used as fertilizer until the nutrients in the ash are exhausted. Therefore conversion of solid waste from palm oil mill to charcoal is preferred.

Why choose the process of pyrolysis to process solid waste of palm oil mill ie palm kernel shell and fiber by replacing direct combustion process? Why not choose gasification to process the waste? In the gasification only produced a little charcoal so it is not sufficient. Technically, the palm kernel shell and fiber can be mixed as well as when fed as fuel in direct combustion, then fed to pyrolyser or carboniser, then charcoal is separated, ie charcoal from fiber and charcoal from palm shells based on material size difference. Small-sized charcoal from fiber like powder so it is suitable and can be directly used for plantations, while the larger-sized palm kernel shell charcoal such as granules. The palm kernel shell charcoal can then be used for fuel or other industrial raw materials such as activated charcoal.

The processing of solid waste of palm oil mill namely, palm kernel shell and fiber will give more benefit if using continuous pyrolysis technology. While EFB can be made compost or solid fuel such as pellets and briquettes. The charcoal applied to the plantation will improve soil fertility, as nutrients are more available and are not easily discharged or washed out due to water flow. There are more than 600 palm oil mills in Indonesia and nearly half of the world's CPO demand is supplied from Indonesia (23 million tons of CPO annually) and palm oil plantation area around 9 million hectares, so efforts to maintain the sustainability of the business are essential. Solid waste processing of palm oil mill in the form of palm kernel shell and fiber with pyrolysis and EFB for compost production and compacted (densification) into pellets and briquettes, necessary and important for various benefits as mentioned above.

The Urgency Palm Oil Waste Processing Plant

Production process of palm oil mills generate large amounts of waste every day. Untreated palm oil waste will only cause environmental problems. Orientation of the waste processing in addition to overcome the environment problem should also provide great added value for the oil palm business. Commonly palm oil mill waste is a dilemma between palm oil mill division with the palm oil plantation division, it is because the current practice of waste particularly empty fruit bunches (EFB) will generally be returned to the palm oil plantation to increase the soil fertility by composting. It means that palm oil waste is generated by the palm oil mill division, while the use of compost  is palm oil plantation division. Prior to use in plantation the waste also needs to be processed separately.

 

Judging from the process, biological composting process will take longer time and considerable a huge investment. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process that is the best process for processing the empty fruit bunch. The main product of biochar can be applied as a medium to improve soil fertility and conserve the use of subsidized urea fertilizer in palm oil plantations, while biooil and syngas for energy applications. Application of pyrolysis system can also revolutionize the energy system in palm oil mill, so become more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Palm oil waste processing company that will become a stand-alone as alternative solution of the problem. Palm oil mill division will not be bothered for waste treatment especially empty fruit bunch while palm oil plantation division can directly get the product ready and apply for palm plantations as their responsibilty. The company is like a bridge between the two divisions and could be set up a separately or joint ventures with palm oil mill and palm oil plantations are best for the benefit of optimization.

Effective Torrefaction Technology from JF BioCarbon

Basically there are two torrefaction technology in use today, namely the direct heating and indirect heating. Direct heating is torrefaction technology with direct heating by using the unit operation (process equipment), among others, with non-oxygen gas loop with exchanger using a moving bed, drum, vibrating belt, multiple heart furnace or using a low-oxygen gas loop linked to the burner using a tunnel or moving bed.  While the indirect heating included using advanced drying technology and retort heating as did JF BioCarbon.  A number of technology providers are competing to design an effective and efficient process so that meet benefit greatly. The use of indirect heating such as JF BioCarbon uses a vacuum process and operating conditions are easier to control.

Huge market potential, because the excellence of the biomass torrefaction products (torrified wood pellet and briquette), also made ​​a number of technology providers to increase their production capacity. Currently the average manufacturer produces less than 5 tons / hour torrefied wood products. Production capacity to 5 tons / hour is one of the parameters of success of this technology. Torrefied wood products is predicted to replace the wood pellets, because of its superiority, among others, as follows:

-Hydrophobic characteristically, good to be stored for a long time without experiencing degradation of its physical properties
-Moisture content below 3%
-Easy to be crushed or pulverized to coal plant process
-The properties of torrified wood are very homogeneous
-Burned without causing smoke and smell because of all volatile material had been removed during manufacture.
-Ideal for gasification and Fisher-Tropsch process for conversion to chemicals.

-Can be made ​​from many biomass, while wood pellet can be made only from narrow feedstocks.

In addition to wood pellet market is already global oversupply, also encourages the use of better fuel economy in both the torrefied wood briquettes or pellets.

Among a number of technology providers, JF BioCarbon using the process easier, simpler and faster. If the average of the production process torrefied pellets through 10 stages as follows:

a. Pre-Torrefaction

1.Prepare feedstock particle size 

2. Pre-dry feedstock

b. Torrefaction

3. Evaporate Residual Moisture

4. Heat Feedstock to 250-280 C

5. De-polimerize hemicellulose

c. Post-Torrefaction

6. Cool & re-polymerize product

7. Crush to Size

8. Condition

9. Densify (pelletizing)

10. Cool & Screen

 (Adapted from Wood Pellet Association of Canada)

 

So JF BioCarbon production process is shorter, ie :

1-      Prepare feedstock size

2 &3 Pre-dry feedstock & evaporate moisture.. This is all done in one process.

4 & 5- are one combined process

6-       Torrefied is cooled while being moved from reactor to char bin via a cold water cooled jacketed auger system (40 ft. long)

7.  Fine particles ready for pelletizing if necessary.

8.  Pelletizing

9. Cool and Screen

For more details please click here.

You want to produce large-scale wood pellet? I think biochar would be better and wiser

It is a problem as old as commerce. When supply exceeds demand, prices fall. When supply is increased even further, weak prices fall further and take out the higher cost producers.

This is exactly what is happening in the pellet market in Europe, especially to utility companies. Ostensibly, total demand for wood pellets from power companies across Europe is close to 5 million tonnes. However, supply for this market from

Europe (including Scandinavia) and North America alone is well in excess of this number.

To put this in context, global demand for wood pellets is approximately 12 million tonnes, of which 5 million tonnes is from the commercial sector and 7 million tonnes from the residential sector. The most current data is for 2009, and sourced

from Hawkins Wright and RISI.

To make matter worse, various pellet suppliers are announcing with glee that they are about to build the biggest, fastest or most efficient pellet manufacturing plants. Yet prices are seriously low. If these mills cannot turn a profit at the very low industrial pellet prices in Europe (+/-EURCif118.10/t), then the investments to build them will be risky.

Combined commercial and residential demand in Europe accounts for just over 75 per cent of the global market for wood pellets. North America follows with close to 20 per cent and the other regions make up less than 5 per cent. Therefore, the overwhelming demand is in Europe and North America. Both regions are facing extreme financial challenges.

While global demand for wood pellets in 2009 was close to 12 million tonnes, supply capacity is currently more than 14.5 million tonnes, meaning that more than 17 per cent is under utilised.

The forecast figures for 2015 do not make pragmatists joyful. Demand is projected to increase by almost 28 per cent per annum, to reach 32 million tonnes. Production in 2015 is estimated to be 35 million tonnes with a capacity of 41 million tonnes. Therefore, production is going to be in the region of 9 per cent higher than demand, and around15 per cent of capacity is going to be under-utilised. (Report of Carbon Edge, Australia December 2010).

So if you still want to force yourself to produce wood pellets a large scale? Think with logic and realistic, then decide it.

Biochar is a wise choice, for several reasons:

1. Environmental problems of organic wastes pollution that need immediate treatment and global environmental problems of climate change and global warming so that the required real solution to this. Biochar as one of the best choices by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere or carbon-negative strategy to prevent global warming.

2. Food security. Declining soil quality will have an impact in declining crop productivity. Biochar as a carbon-rich material that will improve soil quality and increase crop production. For this case so that the needs of biochar is large and ever-increasing.

The world’s total agricultural area is about 5 billion hectares, one billion more than for forests. Of this, about 1.5 billion ha (30 percent) is arable land and land under permanent crops,and the remaining 3.5 billion ha is permanent pasture. In addition, there are also up to 2.5 billion ha of rangelands.

Soils naturally contain large amounts of carbon, derived primarily from decayed vegetation. But the last few decades have seen a dramatic loss of top soil, soil carbon and inherent soil fertility due to the spread of unecological farming methods, and the one-way traic of food supplies from rural areas to cities without the return of carbon back to the farmland where the food was grown. A recent report by the FAO states: “Most agricultural soils have lost anything between 30 and 75 percent of their antecedent soil organic carbon pool, or a total of 30 to 40 tC/ha. Carbon loss from soils is mainly associated with soil degradation . . . and has amounted to 78 +/- 12 Gt since 1850. Thus, the present organic carbon pool in agricultural soils is much lower than their potential capacity.

3. Renewable energy. Our pyrolysis plant will produce biooil and syngas as side products. Both can be used for energy and green chemical applications. Excess syngas for energy applications for the capacity of 200 TPD INPUT plant will produce at least 5 MW of electricity.

4. Activated carbon. Biochar or charcoal can be improved quality into activated carbon. The high water pollution in major cities and around mining areas increase the need for activated carbon. Many purification industries also require large of the activated carbon to improve the quality of their products.

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Jfbc new plant

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Armed with the practical, realistic and reliable technology, we are ready to become your partner for changing your biomass waste into money.