Saturday, 13 December 2025

Career Projects & Major Achievements (2004–2025)

Palm Oil Milling, Engineering, Operations & Sustainability

Career Overview

Since 2004, I have built more than 20 years of progressive experience in the palm oil industry, covering plant design exposure, commissioning, operation, maintenance, utilities, effluent treatment, compliance, people leadership, and sustainability initiatives.
My career spans multiple mills, cross-functional teams, and international exposure, with hands-on responsibility for improving operational reliability, cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and extraction performance (OER & KER).

Major Projects & Achievements

1. Palm Oil Mill Operations Leadership

(2004–2025)

  • Full operational responsibility for:

    • Sterilisation systems (conventional & automated)

    • Threshing systems (single & double thresher)

    • Pressing & clarification

    • Kernel recovery plant

    • Boiler, turbine & power generation

    • Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)

    • Product dispatch (CPO & PK)

  • Successfully achieved and sustained:

    • High OER & KER

    • Stable throughput

    • Minimal unplanned downtime

  • Planned and executed annual shutdowns, major overhauls, and commissioning activities.

Achievement:
Developed strong reputation as a hands-on mill operations leader with deep process mastery from FFB reception to final product dispatch.

2. Effluent Treatment & Environmental Compliance

ETP – Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR)

  • Operation & maintenance of SBR-based ETP

  • Consistently achieved final discharge BOD < 20 mg/L

  • Ensured full compliance with DOE regulations

Geotube Desludging System

  • Commissioned and operated Geotube system for ETP desludging

  • Reduced:

    • Sludge handling issues

    • Downtime during desludging

    • Environmental risk

Achievement:
Strengthened mill environmental performance while improving operational efficiency and sustainability credibility.

3. Boiler, Turbine & Energy Reliability

Boiler & Pressure Vessel

  • Annual servicing, inspection, and compliance with DOSH

  • Managed mills operating with single boiler dependency

Steam Turbine & Alternator

  • Annual servicing and reliability improvement

  • Maintained stable internal power generation

Boiler Working Floor Fuel System (Innovation)

  • Implemented boiler working floor fuel system

  • Enabled:

    • Up to 3 hours continuous boiler feeding

    • Reduced diesel usage during mill start-up

    • Optimised use of fiber & palm kernel shell

Achievement:
Improved energy security, fuel efficiency, and cost savings, particularly critical in mills with single boiler configuration.

4. Water Management & Raw Water Security

Raw Water Reservoir Pond Expansion

  • Identified undersized reservoir pond issue at:

    • few palm oil mills

  • Initiated and led:

    • Engineering review

    • Bund raising by 1 meter

    • Increased retention volume

Achievement:
Improved water reliability during dry seasons, ensuring uninterrupted milling operations and reduced operational risk.

5. Milling Process Optimisation

Double Thresher System Installation

  • Installed double thresher system

  • Improved:

    • Loose fruit recovery from EFB

    • Oil extraction efficiency

Indexer System – Sterilisation Station

  • Operation & maintenance of cage indexer system

  • Improved sterilisation throughput and consistency

Steriliser Automation System

  • Exposure to:

    • Design principles

    • Commissioning

    • Operation & maintenance

  • Reduced manual intervention and improved process repeatability

Achievement:
Direct contribution to OER improvement, reduced losses, and modernisation of milling operations.

6. Plant Design & Engineering Exposure

  • Worked closely with engineering teams

  • Gained in-depth exposure to:

    • Palm oil mill layout design

    • Equipment selection

    • Process reliability considerations

  • Focused learning on:

    • Steriliser system design

    • Cage indexer mechanics

    • Automation philosophy

Achievement:
Bridged the gap between design intent and operational reality, strengthening ability to optimise plants from both perspectives.

7. Maintenance Strategy & Reliability Engineering

  • Planned and executed:

    • Preventive maintenance

    • Corrective maintenance

    • Major overhauls

  • Improved equipment lifespan and availability

  • Reduced breakdown frequency through structured planning

Achievement:
Enhanced plant reliability while optimising maintenance cost and spare parts management.

8. People, Leadership & Industrial Relations

  • Led:

    • Engineers

    • Supervisors

    • Operators

    • General workers

  • Responsibilities included:

    • Manpower planning

    • Training & competency development

    • Safety culture enforcement

    • Conflict resolution & morale building

Achievement:
Developed strong people leadership skills, creating stable teams capable of sustaining mill performance.

9. Financial & Cost Control

  • Controlled operational expenditure:

    • Fuel

    • Chemicals

    • Spare parts

    • Maintenance costs

  • Delivered:

    • Cost savings through fuel optimisation

    • Reduced diesel consumption

    • Improved resource utilisation

Achievement:
Balanced technical excellence with financial discipline.

10. Compliance, Certification & Auditing

  • Ensured compliance with:

    • DOE

    • DOSH

    • MPOB

  • Actively involved in:

    • ISO 9001

    • RSPO

    • MSPO certifications

  • Exposure to:

    • Audits

    • Documentation

    • Corrective actions

Achievement:
This experience inspired pursuit of Lead Auditor qualification, later applying audit principles as operational improvement tools, not merely compliance exercises.

11. Supply Chain & Logistics Exposure

  • Coordinated:

    • FFB supply with plantations

    • CPO & PK dispatch to refineries

  • Balanced production planning with crop availability

Achievement:
Strengthened understanding of end-to-end palm oil value chain.

12. Sustainability & Innovation Initiatives

  • Biomass utilization:

    • Fiber

    • Shell

    • EFB

  • Exposure to:

    • Waste-to-energy concepts

    • Composting

    • Carbon reduction initiatives

Achievement:
Aligned operational decisions with long-term sustainability goals.

13. Infrastructure & Staff Welfare Projects

  • Supervised staff housing projects

  • Ensured:

    • Quality

    • Cost control

    • Timely completion

Achievement:
Improved workforce welfare and retention, supporting stable operations.

Overall Career Impact (2004–2025)

✔ Deep technical mastery of palm oil milling
✔ Proven operational leadership
✔ Strong compliance & sustainability record
✔ Practical engineering innovation
✔ Cost optimization & energy efficiency
✔ People development & leadership
✔ Design-to-operation integration mindset

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