During the past three decades, Malaysia witnessed a 23% increase in its processing facilities from 352 mills in 1984 to 432 mills in 2014 to produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK). But the rapid expansion of the Indonesian palm oil production seem to trigger an unhealthy supply and demand relationship in the global oil market for palm oil. Now, with the descending prices of palm products coupled with the rising cost of production, this has thrown the spotlight on the processing operation to ensure that the process losses are well under control. Palm-based products, being mechanically extracted, can operate in a wide range of milling efficiencies. Losses in certain areas of processing can easily escape detection as mills do not conduct certain time processing tests like oil losses in empty fruit bunches (EFB). In addition, some oil losses involving oil particles below 15 microns cannot be separated in a clarifier or separator and find its way into the effluent stream. The industry appears to be keen to reduce the existing oil losses so that the mill extraction efficiency can be improved. There are few technologies being tried in different areas in the processing line. This technology recovers the oil that is otherwise lost in the effluent and will eventually result in an increase of the mill oil extraction rate (OER).

Main Research: Yahaya Hawari