Oil Palm as Bioenergy Feedstock

Publisher Summary Increasing concern on energy security and environmental issues such as emission of greenhouse gasses has raised the interest toward the development of renewable bioenergy as an alternative energy to fossil-based fuel. As one of the most productive biomass sources, oil palm offers great potential as bioenergy feedstock. Palm oil, a major product from oil palm, is gaining widespread acceptance across the world as a source for biodiesel. Its utilization as bioenergy feedstock also brings other environmental benefits such as reduced levels of CO2, black smoke of carbon particulates, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, as it is a cleaner energy. The production of palm oil inevitably generates oil palm waste coming from the plantation or the effluent itself, which needs to be addressed in order to avoid additional environmental issues. The feasibility of using these oil palm biomass and Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) as a feedstock for bioenergy production has received overwhelming interests worldwide in the effort to confront the energy crisis. This chapter discusses the availability, demand, and potential and future direction of oil palm resources from oil to biomass waste as the feedstock for bioenergy conversion.