Palm Oil Empty Bunch

1. Malaysia is the largest producer and exporter of palm oil in the world. Currently,Malaysia have oil palm plantation of around 4.48 million hectares in 2008 and produce an average of 88.5 million tonnes of fresh fruits bunches.
2. The oil palm industry produces wastes in huge quantities such as empty fruit bunches (17.9 million tonnes),fibre (11 million tonnes), shell (4.5 million tonnes) and palm oil mill effluent (50.6million tonnes).
3. It is estimated that as a percentage of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), EFB account for 21% -22%, mesocarp fibre 12% - 16 % and shells 5% - 7% of the wastes generated from the mills. Other wastes such as the decanter solids and effluent treatment sludge, but in relatively smaller quantities also are generated from the mill.
4. The extraction rate of EFB from FFB is about 22%. The EFB contains 65% of water, 30% dry matter and 2% of residual oil. The EFB comprises of 20% - 25% stalk and 75% - 80% spikelets. Almost 54% fibre can be extracted from the EFB wastes.It shows that the EFB has the inherent properties of high moisture content and its dry weight is important to be taken into consideration.