Continuous Pyrolysis for Palm Oil Mills

A number of regions have been over-supplied with electricity so it is not possible to add or build new power plants. Making a new plant will only be in vain because the electricity production cannot be utilized or absorbed by the user. Based on this, electricity production in a number of areas must be limited and diversified into other products needed. These other products are products whose needs are still not met. Another thing that can be done is to increase the efficiency of a production process. When the efficiency of a production process is improved and produces the products needed, of course the business benefits increase. Besides that, when all the waste can be processed, it becomes a production unit that is zero waste and environmentally friendly.

Palm oil mills are very numerous in Indonesia and Malaysia, the number reaches more than 1000 units, while Thailand also begins to follow the planting of oil palm. At present some of the palm oil mill effluents have not been processed such as empty palm bunches, palm shells and fronds. The palm oil mill that has been operating can be increased efficiency and the production of by-products that provide additional income. This can be done by using a continuous pyrolysis unit for both electrical and heat energy sources and the production of various by-products in the form of charcoal, biooil and biomass vinegar. The three by-products can be sold or marketed and become an additional income for the palm oil mill which is quite attractive.

Conventional Energy System in Palm Oil Mill

Improved Palm Oil Mill with Continous Pyrolysis System

Palm oil mills also do not need to be bothered with the problem of waste, especially solid waste if everything can be processed and very profitable. Meanwhile, from the environmental aspect of a palm oil mill that is zero waste and environmentally friendly, it is certainly the dream of all the palm oil mill owners. The community and the surrounding environment which is not disturbed by the palm oil mill that is because of its pollution is also a condition desired by the palm oil entrepreneurs. By using the continuous pyrolysis, the air pollution generated is very minimal or far from the required threshold, so that the environment and the surrounding community can be accepted. If the palm oil mills have used continuous pyrolysis, it will also be economically attractive.

Charcoal produced also has many benefits. Technically, charcoal is a stable fuel so it is easy to store and does not decay or is eaten by termites. Charcoal can be used for energy sources directly easily, or converted to other fuels, for example converted into liquid or gas fuel. The condition of fossil fuels, especially petroleum which is increasingly depleted, demands the diversification of energy, such as Indonesia which is predicted to run out of oil in 10 years or in 2028. Likewise, biooil can be used immediately, or upgraded to better fuels, such as vehicle fuel. While biomass vinegar can be used for fertilizer, biopesticides and upgraded to biophenol and wood adhesive.

Continuous Pyrolysis Unit for Activated Carbon Production

Production of activated carbon requires charcoal as raw material. Charcoal production will be more effective and efficient by continuous pyrolysis (carbonization). In addition to the high quality charcoal produced can also produce electricity and steam production for the activation process. Of course this makes high efficiency of the production process. Whereas in terms of environmental aspects, it is also very environmentally friendly because of smoke pollution during the process of pyrolysis (carbonisation) can be minimized below the threshold. Methane emissions that are very damaging to the ozone layer also did not occur.

The process of pyrolysis (carbonization) with a temperature of around 400 C with a product in the form of charcoal can immediately proceed with activation. Activation with 700-1000 C operating conditions can be done directly by raising the temperature. If the excess syngas is used for electricity production, then biooil from pyrolysis can be used to fuel in steam production. Excess electricity can also be sold to industries or to electricity companies. Whereas if all sources of energy are used for the production of activated charcoal (activated carbon), the consumption of heating oil can be minimized and even eliminated. Activated carbon production with all the energy can be supplied by itself is certainly very interesting and economical.

The problem with traditional charcoal production is the problem of smoke pollution and the amount of energy lost. Smoke pollution can be directly identified and can be easily felt, but the problem of energy loss is usually not noticed and generally do not know. Of course this is very unfortunate, let alone energy is one component of high costs in a production process. Is there really an energy loss? And how much energy is lost? Of course we need to look in detail at the carbonization process (pyrolysis) to answer these questions.

 Conversion from raw materials to charcoal is only 20-25% in the process of traditional carbonization / pyrolysis. For example, we take a conversion of 25%, with a raw material of 10 tons of coconut shell, 2.5 tons of charcoal are produced. Coconut shell with a heating value of around 4,500 kcal / kg, meaning that 10 tons of raw material is 45,000,000 kcal. While coconut shell charcoal with a heating value of around 8,000 kcal / kg, then 2.5 tons of charcoal will have a heating value of 20,000,000 kcal / kg. Based on these calculations more than 50% of energy is lost or is only wasted, ie 25,000,000 kcal. If the conversion to charcoal is lower or 20%, the energy loss is even greater, namely 29,000,000 kcal or more than 60%. Of course it is very inefficient and should be avoided. This can also happen for carbonization of various other raw materials for activated carbon, such as palm kernel shells, wood, and so on.

Continuous pyrolysis is the best solution for charcoal production and also the production of energy that can be used for the activated carbon production process itself. The activated carbon factories that have been established can upgrade the technology especially on the side of charcoal production and energy fulfillment. The more efficient of a production will be the more economical the business. While the pyrolysis or carbonization process is also still produced by-products namely biomass vinegar (pyroligneous acid / liquid smoke) which can be used as plant fertilizer, biopesticides to raw materials for chemicals, especially biophenol and wood adhesive.

Production of Biophenol, Bioformaldehyde and Wood Adhesive from Pyrolysis Liquid Products

The byproducts of biomass (slow) pyrolysis are liquid and gas products. The liquid products consist of biooil and biomass vinegar (pyroligneous acid). Biooils can be directly used as fuel with a particular burner, or can also be upgraded to the vehicle fuel. Meanwhile, if used for non-energy products, can be used for the production of green chemical or renewable chemicals such as BioFormaldehyde and wood adhesive. While the aqueous phase of pyrolysis liquid product that is biomass vinegar (pyroligneous acid) can be used for feedstock biophenol production. Previously biomass vinegar has been known for various uses such as latex coagulant, anti-termite and fertilizer. While the biophenol production process scheme of biomass vinegar as follows.

Global consumption for phenol currently reaches 20 million tons or worth 20 billion US dollars (280 trillion rupiah). Renewable phenol or biophenol can substitute phenol which has been produced based on petroleum. Excess heat and excess syngas from the pyrolysis process can be used for the production process of the biophenol as energy sources. An integrated and efficient production unit will produce highly competitive products, such as the pyrolysis process which is primarily charcoal, and from its by-products made derivative products that are desperately needed today.

Biochar and IOT

The availability of nutrients for crops, especially food crops, to always produce maximum productivity is important for farmers. This is where biochar will help provide nutrients for the plant by making the soil microbials homes with pores, then with pores will also retain nutrients or fertilizers from leaching so that fertilization becomes effective and efficient. Biochar will also keep the organic moisture and carbon (C) needed for the plant. Organic farming that is currently widely developed will be in line with the use of biochar. The use of biochar with compost (solid organic fertilizer) is an application commonly used in organic farming and has been proven to give maximum results for the productivity of these plants. While the use of chemical fertilizers on the contrary will kill the soil microbes that will damage the chemical structure of the soil. Good soil should be like a fresh bread that expands with lots of pores in it, instead of like solid, hard bread.

Then what to do with IOT (InternetOf Things)? This IOT can later be used to measure and monitor the availability of nutrients or fertilizers for these plants, as well as various variables that affect plant growth such as air humidity, sunlight availability for photosynthesis, the presence of pests and so on. Parameter parameters will be displayed with the IOT app, which can be viewed with a personal computer (PC) or even with a smartphone or gadget in real time. With this IOT the soil conditions and nutritional availability can be measured and monitored. So the use of biochar can also be known how effective and efficient compared with not using biochar. 

The more measurable the condition and availability of nutrients or fertilizers in the soil, the easier it is for farmers to manage their farms. Fertilizers also need not be added again if known to be sufficient or otherwise. A number of studies with various experiments have shown that the use of biochar in agricultural land can reduce the use of  fertilizer up to 50%. Of course it is very interesting for farmers. With the IOT technology makes the existence of biochar increasingly known benefits so it will also be more widely used. For large biochar requirements, production with continuous pyrolysis technology is the best way.

       

Why Not For Coke Fuel Production?

"... And We sent down the iron upon which there is great power and the benefit of men (that they may use it) ..." (QS al Hadid: 25)

If it were not iron, the earth would not have a magnetic field that holds the atmosphere and hydrosphere and all life forms on its surface. If it were not for the iron derived from the sky, there is no life on earth because iron forms a very important constituent of human hemoglobin and various types of animals. Iron is also a very important constituent of chlorophyll, a vital substance needed in the plant life cycle.

The hard core of the earth (with 90% iron structure, 9% Nickel, 1% other elements) and liquid core (which has the same chemical structure). In addition, three layers of wrapping, in which the ratio of iron decreases from the inside to the outside. Following the next layer is the bottom of the lithosphere, followed by the top of the lithosphere (crust) which contains 5.6% iron. The amount of iron exceeds 1/3 of the earth's estimated mass of 6,000 million million million tonnes.

Very much the use of iron in human life, or almost in all places or areas of human life always utilize materials from iron. The progress of a country is also closely related to the progress of its iron processing industry. By looking at history we know that the progress of the Japanese nation in its various products also starts from the processing of its iron-steel. The iron industry is the basic industry that supports various downstream industries. Steel is an iron-processing product that uses a lot in industry, construction and infrastructure, so it has a strategic role in the physical development of a country.

Coke fuel from coal

Coke is a fuel commonly used for iron processing. This coke is made from coal through pyrolysis process of carbonization. With coke made the quality of coal is enhanced by the increase in calorific value due to higher fixed carbon and reduced volatile materials. The value of the coke calorie ranges from 8,000 kcal / kg so that it is hot enough to melt or melt iron in the process. By-products such as benzol (liquid product) and syngas (gas product) will also be produced from the coke production process, so it will give interesting benefits. With continuous pyrolysis technology, the solid product of coke can be maximized, different when using gasification technology used to maximize its gas product (syngas). Cokes fuel are used for the production of steel with blast furnaces and with iron ore for raw materials. The steel quality produced by blast furnace is also better, compared to using induction furnace. 

Indonesia's coal exports are currently at 300 million tons annually and some of them are for power plants with steam turbine and industries. Almost all of the coal being exported is raw coal, which does not undergo processing, so the added value is also small. What if coal exports are processed coal that adds great value? Of course it is better. Coke making from coal is one such option. If during this coke production is usually only done by large companies, then with JF continuous pyrolysis unit then coke production can be done for medium scale. Middle class coal entrepreneurs are very likely to also produce this coke.

JF Pyrolysis Unit

As a hydrocarbon compound such as petroleum, so the side products of coal or coke production, both gas and liquid products, can also be utilized by various chemical industries, such as petrochemical industry, polymer industry (plastic) and so on. When a lot of coke production in a number of coal mining centers, the side products produced are also large. It will be able to replace hydrocarbons as raw materials of various petrochemical industries in Indonesia today. When raw materials for the petrochemical industry are produced domestically then the price can also be cheap. Moreover, Indonesia is currently a net importer for petroleum, so that the various products that can be produced from coal that can substitute the products of the petroleum oil in addition to reducing imports also grow the coal industry.

Syngas Cleaning And Operation Time For Private/Independent Power Providers (IPP)

The continuity and stability of the electricity supply to the buyer is the most important thing for the private power provider or the Independent Power Producer (IPP). Electrical buyers in general are government through PLN or industry. To be able to provide such a continuous and stable electricity supply, IPP strives in such a way in a variety of ways including its various process engineering and also the operational. Biomass is a renewable energy source for electricity production that has many advantages especially in Indonesia, for example when wind and water (hydro) power plants are severely affected by weather conditions, the biomass power plant is not affected. Even high rainfall and tropical climate will increase the production of biomass as a source of energy. Related to the use of gas from biomass there are two routes to produce gas that is biology route and thermochemical route. The biological route is by fermentation in the digester, while the thermal route with gasification and pyrolysis. The characteristics of the raw material will determine the choice of technology, whether by biological route or thermochemical. Liquid waste or high water content and easy rot, such as livestock manure and palm oil mill effluent (POME) will use biological route, whereas biomass which is not easy to decompose such as woody biomass thermochemical route becomes the choice.

Why need to extract gas from the biomass? This is in addition to improving efficiency, also facilitate the utilization. Even by extracting the gas will also produce a number of economic value-added byproducts, for example with pyrolysis technology in addition to generating electricity, by-products such as charcoal, biooil, and biomass vinegar (liquid smoke). The economic value of these byproducts are bigger than the electricity production. The gas composition of the various biomasses also varies, depending on the biomass and the technology used, for example in biogas of large methane gas composition (55-75%), gasification of methane gas composition 0.5-3% while in pyrolysis gas composition methane 4-11%. Gas engine is a equipment or device commonly used to convert the combustible gas into electricity. Gas turbine although efficiency is higher but rarely used because of operational and maintenance factors are more difficult. Steam turbine is also rarely used and commonly used in large capacity power plants (> 20 MW). While Stirling engine and ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) technology can also use gas from the biomass, but it is not specific because both Stirling engine and ORC only require heat for its operation and it does not have to be from gas. Practically both technologies above are using a lot of combustion to obtain the required heat.

Stirling Engine

ORC Technology

Gas Turbine

Gas Engine

The problem of purity or cleanliness of the gas that resulted in the operation of private power plants (IPP) received serious attention. The cleaner the gas and the stable the gas supply so the more stable the operation of the power plant and the opposite. The purchaser or user of electricity also requires the amount of electricity supply and tolerance to the breaking or shutting down of electricity at a certain time which must be fulfilled by the provider or private power producer. Various gas cleaning technologies have been used to obtain clean and stable gas supply to the converting equipments used. Gas cleaning technology in addition must be cheap and also easy to use so that electricity providers remain profitable. In general, the gas cleaning technology is to clean the gas from its impurities including also reduce or eliminate the gases that potentially disrupt the operation of such conversion equipments. For example CO2 and H2S gases in biogas process or tar in gasification and pyrolysis. 

Water scrubber (absorber) and stripper unit for biogas refinery

JF BioCarbon continuous pyrolysis technology is the best choice of electricity production from biomass with thermal route. This is in addition to generated electricity, also produced side products that are not less profitable, namely charcoal, biooil, and biomass vinegar. Then how about cleaning the gas so that the power supply electricity continuously? With a number of line cleaning units that work alternately, the continuity of the supply of clean gas can continue to run so also with the supply of electricity. A number of sensors are installed to ensure the cleanliness of the gas. Downtime or power outages will be reduced or even eliminated. Sufficient gas cleaning will ensure the continuous operation of the gas engine generator as a conversion unit from pyrolysis gas (chemical energy) to heat and mechanical energy (reciprocating engine in gas engine) and generate electricity. It is time for private power companies (IPP) to consider slowpyrolysis technology to continue as a wise and best choice for the production of electricity from biomass and a number of byproducts that are very profitable.

Palm Kernel Shell Continuous Pyrolysis For Multipurpose Production

Production of palm kernel shells (PKS) which is palm oil mill waste in Indonesia approximately 9 million tons. Current utilization of 20% (1.8 million tons) for export, 15% (1.35 million tons) for internal use, 10% (0.9 million tons) for domestic (local) use, and the remaining 55% (4.95 million tons) yet used or become waste. Meanwhile, Indonesia's CPO production currently reaches 35.2 million tons, or 20% of FFB (Fresh Fruit Bunch), so the number of FFB (Fresh Fruit Bunch) produced in Indonesia currently ranges from 176 million tons. With an average productivity of 20 tons / hectare of FFB, so the FFB is generated from 8.8 million hectares. While the total area of ​​oil palm plantations in Indonesia is currently estimated to have almost 12 million hectares including unfruitful and unproductive age or need to be replanting. Another influential factor is the low level of productivity of oil palm plantations. Palm kernel shells are only about 6% of the FFB produced, and after is used for the internal CPO production process in the mill  with mesocarp, only about 4.5% of the palm kernel shell is the waste of the palm factory. From there it can also be calculated that every hectare of oil palm plantation will produce 1.2 tons or three quarters namely 0.9 tons of waste. With the current expansion of oil palm plantations up to 12 million hectares, the potential of palm kernel shells that become waste in the palm oil plant around 10.8 million tons or the amount of 10.8 million tons that can be used for export, fuel and production of various other products or external use.

Currently, there are a number of parties who have utilized the palm kernel shells for electricity production and boilers of some industries that are estimated to be less than 10% of the total produced palm shells. Some converting technologies into heat and electricity are used for processing such palm kernel shells. Combustion and gasification are technologies commonly used to convert or extract palm kernel shells into heat and electricity. Combustion technology in the furnace then combined ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) and Stirling engine to convert it into electricity. While the gas from gasification is then used as fuel in gas engine to generate electricity. Are there any other options for processing the palm kernel shell so that it has bigger added value or more profitable?

Palm kernel shells are not suitable for biogas production because the lignoselulose material or rich lignin content material making it difficult to biologically decompose. The choice is pyrolysis or thermal decomposition with absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis is a technology that can to produce charcoal, biooil, pyro acid and syngas. This is what makes it possible for multipurpose production. Palm kernel shells such as rice husks, sawdust and the like are bulk materials also so will be suitable for continuous pyrolysis. How come? The answer is because there are several options for using the continuous pyrolysis:

1. Production of electricity and charcoal 

2. Production of electricity and activated charcoal

3. Production of electricity and charcoal briquettes

4. Production of charcoal and bio-chemicals

5. Production of charcoal and biofuel

6. Production of Charcoal and heat

At the production of electricity and charcoal, the process of excess syngas is used for electricity production, and charcoal is also produced as a solid product of pyrolysis. The charcoal can also be made briquette so it will be efficient during transportation and its use. As for the production of electricity and activated carbon, then excess syngas is used for the process of activation of the charcoal produced, with a more detailed explanation can be read here. In addition to charcoal, bio-chemicals such as acetic acid, methanol and phenol can also be produced by processing further byproducts namely pyro acid and syngas. Biofuels namely, biooil and syngas can also be additional products besides charcoal. Syngas can also be packed in a tube for ease of distribution and usage. Meanwhile, if syngas and biooil are burned it will generate heat, so if the business of charcoal production in combination with agriculture such as the use of green house or also farms that require a warm certain temperature the continuous pyrolysis unit becomes also very effective to be used. 

Charcoal production from palm kernel shells can also be a solution to the high export tax of palm kernel shells. By processing it into finished product then the tax should be decreased even eliminated because there has been industrialization which also absorb labor and encourage economic growth. In private power producers or IPP (Independent Power Producer), the additional product namely of charcoal will provide an increase business revenue, so that their business becomes more attractive business. In addition to charcoal production, if you want the production of high quality solid fuel (solid biomass fuel) namely by upgrading or processing it with torrefaction, can be done also with pyrolysis technology.