Characterization of Total Particulate Emission for Palm Oil Mill Boiler

Abstract

In Malaysia, more than four million hectares of land is used for oil palm cultivation. Malaysia palm oil industry has grown to become a very important biomass-based industry. This study investigates the emission from a palm waste biomass fired boiler of two studied palm oil mill plants – named as Plant A and Plant B. The finding shows that the total particulate emission of Plant A is 4,242 mg/Nm³- exceeding theemission limit specified by the Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE) by 960 %, while the average total particulate emission of Plant B was 851 mg/Nm³ (exceeds the limit by 113 %). This study also performed more detailed measurements on the emissions of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in Plant B. It was found thatthe emitted PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 is not significant compared to the total particulate emission in this plant, since both are less than 20 % of the total particulate emission.