Strong demand for green and environment-friendly fuels in recent years has led to worldwide development of the biodiesel industry. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has responded to the global need and emerged as one of the leading technology providers for the production of biodiesel from palm oil. Research on palm biodiesel in MPOB started way back in 1982, followed by the setting up of a 3000 t yr-1 palm biodiesel pilot plant (together with PETRONAS) in 1985. Basic understanding of the characteristics of indigenous minor components in palm oil and transesterification of palm oil is the key factor for the successful commercialization of the MPOB palm biodiesel technology in 2005. Quality monitoring and control is an important element in a commercial biodiesel plant. To ensure that only good quality biodiesel is sold, the European Union and United States have established their own fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) specifications – EN 14214 and ASTM D6751-07a, respectively. Both the EN 14214 and ASTM D6751-07a standards for neat biodiesel are internationally recognized and cover almost every aspect of fuel quality which must be continuously maintained by the producer in order to sell his product.

Main Research: Harrison Lau Lik Nang