INGENIEUR
‟“Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing
wholes rather than parts, for seeing patterns
of change rather than static snapshots, and for
understanding the subtle interconnectedness
that gives living systems their unique
character” – Peter Senge author of The Fifth
Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning
Organization
was shifted to the huge energy inefficiencies at
the mills, which have led to greater than necessary
amounts of the biomass residue being recycled
into boiler furnaces - a practice that till today
continues unaware and unrecognised. Meanwhile,
money is slipping through the fingers.
Owing to the ready supply of large amounts
of waste oil palm MF and PKS right within the
mill, without having to incur additional costs
to transport and handle these resources, mill
operators have enjoyed the luxury of generating
copious amounts of steam while blatantly running
their energy systems in an inefficient manner. This
generous and ample steam supply has afforded
a highly wasteful management of process steam.
Systems thinking has helped in realising
and understanding the various levels of energy
inefficiencies present in palm oil mills. The
exercise was useful in developing improved
and new engineering designs and methods that
are capable of significantly improving EE and
reducing energy consumption at the mills. The
innovation is capable of saving large amounts of
biomass residue to improve profitability of palm oil
production with a corresponding reduction in the
carbon footprint of palm oil production, thereby
improving its environmental sustainability – the
target of palm oil’s harshest critics.
Presently, palm oil mills are operating at
extremely low EE levels, estimated at about
35-38%. This is a concern because it is tied
to losses in valuable resource efficiency, an
opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in
the country and release RE potential. Energy
consumption produces carbon dioxide (CO 2
), which
contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Unlocking potential EE and CO 2
savings requires
projects that identify and eliminate energy waste.
When and if this is achieved, a major
portion (60%) of the biomass that is presently
being consumed at the mill can be saved, thus
maximising the economic value creation out of
waste at the mills.
Analysing energy and steam mass balance of
palm oil mill processes systematically along with
applying the principles of systems thinking has
revealed several sources of energy waste that
were initially invisible at the mills. Most significant
was the inefficient use of process steam.
Most of the energy used in palm oil milling is in
the form of process heat supplied through process
steam. A significant problem arises in practice
because of a dichotomy - steam supply is regular
whereas steam demand is irregular. In addition,
the present sterilisation process design at the mill
is such that it is difficult to avoid inefficient use
of process steam due to ineffective evacuation of
residual air from steriliser vessels. These factors
lead to two negative outcomes: (1) large steam
losses and (2) Combined heat and power (CHP)
generation at the mill operating at far below its
optimum potential.
72 VOL 82 APRIL-JUNE 2020