To gain maximum environmental benefits, the current biogas harnessing technology in POME ponds must be strategically moved towards achieving zero emissions for the processing of POME. Biogas can be trapped and either used for electricity and steam generation for use in the mill or used in any other viable applications. The solid sludge discharged after the anaerobic digestion can be dried and used as natural fertiliser in the plantation. Many other applications such as recovery of wastewater discharge via reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration as drinking water can also be considered to provide a total solution to the environment.

Oil palm tree is a golden crop that produces oil as food and abundance of bio­mass that can be used for many different applications. A strategic approach to dis­tribute the oil and the biomass available for each possible application is required so that a sustainable palm resource management can be achieved to maximise the use of the resources to benefit the palm oil industry taking into consideration to fulfil the requirement for sustainability.

To ensure sustainable biomass resources management, perhaps government pol — icy/initiative is needed to drive the industry, so as to ensure consistent supply of the feedstock material to support the RE policy. The establishment of a National Biomass Strategy/National Biomass Consortium recently formulated could be of good shape to facilitate economic scale utilisation of oil palm biomass. At the same time, standards development and conformity assessment is an enabler for bioenergy development in the country.

Besides using oil palm biomass for biofuel production, other areas worth pursu­ing beyond oil palm biomass are fine chemicals or minor components that fetch high value although they present in small quantity. MPOB will intensify the R&D in these new growth areas. The chemical components such as C5 and C6 sugar mol­ecules in oil palm biomass can be a promising precursor and building block to construct medium and long chain (higher) hydrocarbon chain chemicals.

1.2 Conclusion

Malaysia (as a whole) and the oil palm industry have huge potential to become pro­ducer for RE besides producing oil to feed the world. The oil palm industry plays an important role in supporting the nation’s energy requirement in transportation, elec­tricity and industrial sectors. To encourage and realise RE deployment especially using palm oil, EFB and POME, the long-awaited attractive incentives and practical framework have been put forward as the drivers for the country to go green. Development of green fuels will contribute significantly to reduction of GHG emis­sions and mitigate climate change.