Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Chemosphere
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chemosphere

Analysis of power from palm oil solid waste for biomass power plants:
A case study in Aceh Province
Mahidin a, d, e, *, Saifullah a, Erdiwansyah b, d, **, Hamdani c, Hisbullah a, A.P. Hayati a,
M. Zhafran a, M.A. Sidiq a, A. Rinaldi a, B. Fitria a, R. Tarisma a, Y. Bindar f
a
Department of Chemical Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
b
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia
c
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
d
Research Center for Environmental and Natural Resources, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
e
Graduate School of Environmental Management, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
f
Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, 40116, Indonesia

h i g h l i g h t s g r a p h i c a l a b s t r a c t

 Analysis carried out with ASPEN

PLUS using four types of oil palm
biomass.
 Single oil palm biomass can produce
61.05 MW with an 8 kg/s biomass
flow rate.
 The potential for palm oil biomass
fuel production is renewable and
sustainable energy.
 Biomass blend can produce elec-
tricity up 106.15 MW with a flow rate
of 171 kg/s.
 This simulation determines design
electricity generation by utilize oil
palm biomass.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Nowadays, the solid waste produced from palm oil has become one of the essential oils in the world in
Article history:
general and especially in Indonesia. Biomass waste is processed through substantial quantities of palm
Received 6 February 2020
oil extraction. With the reduction in fossil fuels in recent years, it has had an impact on the deterioration
Received in revised form
31 March 2020
of electricity supply at the National and International levels. Biomass is a renewable energy that can
Accepted 3 April 2020 replace conventional energy. Besides, power generation from biomass is environmentally friendly and
Available online 10 April 2020 sustainable. This simulation was conducted to analyze the maximum power from the burning of oil palm
biomass for the electricity generation. The novelty of the article is the performance and behavior of palm
Handling Editor: Veeriah (Jega) Jegatheesan oil biomass-based co-fuel in the power generation process. The biomass wastes used in this simulation
include OPF, EFB, PKS, and OPM. The results of this simulation indicate that the maximum power pro-
duced with OPF can produce 49.54 MW with variations in the flow rate of biomass at 8 kg/s. While at the
Keywords:
time of recycling up to 100% OPM biomass produces 61.05 MW higher than OPF, EFB and PKS. Mean-
Palm oil solid waste
Palm oil biomass
while, the OPF-PKS mixed biomass can produce 106.15 MW of power plants when the airflow rate
Biomass power plant reaches 171 kg/s. The overall results of the simulation for the analysis of the maximum power that can be

* Corresponding author. Department of Chemical Engineering, Syiah Kuala Uni-

versity, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia.
** Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: mahidin@unsyiah.ac.id (Mahidin), erdi.wansyah@yahoo.co.id
(Erdiwansyah).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126714
0045-6535/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
2 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714
Renewable energy used as a power station show suitability and can apply in rural/remote areas. Besides, the availability of
ASPEN plus oil palm biomass in Aceh Province is also sufficient to overcome electricity shortages and reduce
dependence on conventional energy.
1. Introduction
The recent primary energy source used by industry is petroleum
fuels or fossils. However, global warming and reduced energy have
caused problems with energy needs. The development of renew-
able and sustainable energy is a future alternative to replace fossil
fuels. One of the most promising powers as an alternative to min-
erals is biomass because it is environmentally friendly and sus-
tainable. This biomass produced from palm oil is the most critical
oil in the world and can be used as fat and food-related products
and biodiesel fuel.
Most of the biomass wastes are produced from palm oil mills
such as empty fruit bunches, oil palm shells, oil palm fibers, and oil
palm midrib. The palm oil process is carried out through extraction
in the palm oil industry (Awalludin et al., 2015; Chan et al., 2019;
Nutongkaew et al., 2019; Prapaspongsa et al., 2017). The fuel in the
boiler can be utilized from biomass residues and can be also con-
verted into organic fertilizer. Cogeneration operating systems in
palm oil mills can produce steam and electricity. The process for
producing palm oil is the primary source taken from solid biomass
waste as input and producing energy. Researchers especially
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil and Colombia have given special
attention to renewable and sustainable fuels from biomass
(Bazargan et al., 2014; Oh et al., 2018; Tan and Lim, 2019; Theo et al.,
2017; Yusoff, 2006). The potential for electricity generation from
biomass fuels shows energy and mass balance because availability
at the factory can be surplus electricity compared to the demand
process (Arrieta et al., 2007). Investigations regarding the charac-
teristics of biomass combustion including empty fruit bunches,
mesocarp fibers, and kernel shells can be analyzed using ther-
mogravimetric (TGA) (Idris et al., 2012). The results of an investi-
gation of biomass and coal mixture can reduce demand for coal
consumption. Several researchers have focused explicitly on eco-
nomic, social feasibility, and the conversion of biomass into com-
mercial products and energy consumption production (Bujang
et al., 2016; Hosseini et al., 2014; Loh, 2017; Petinrin and
Shaaban, 2015; Sulaiman et al., 2011; Wu et al., 2017). An evalua-
tion of the environmental impact of using two production systems
for palm oil has been conducted (Archer et al., 2018; Stichnothe and
Schuchardt, 2011). Development of analysis is carried out to inte-
grate costs, save energy, scenario analysis, geographic information
systems (GIS) and reduction of greenhouse gases. This analysis is
carried out comprehensively so that the heat from palm oil waste
can be used as efficiently as possible (Abdul Wahid et al., 2017;
Chiew et al., 2011).
The potential use of biomass produced from oil palm mills must
take into account some of the main characteristics, practices, and
available amounts (Garcia-Nunez et al., 2016). The evolution of
palm oil mills from biomass waste to make bio-refineries requires
very high costs for their development. A similar development has
been carried out in Malaysia recently by analyzing seven technol-
ogies that utilize oil palm residues (Chiew and Shimada, 2013).
Those technologies included ethanol production, briquette pro-
duction, recovery of methane, biofuel as a combination of heat
power, and power generation (CHP). In addition, the technology
also included compost, medium density fiber production (MDFP),
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
and pulp and paper production). The composting and recovery
techniques of methane are more environmentally friendly than
other methods.
In some literature, optimization and analysis are carried out to
study the performance and behavior of combining biomass used as
heat and power for palm oil mills. The optimization method of
power plants using biomass fuel from the waste of the palm oil
industry is interesting to investigate. The simulation was used in
this study using ASPEN PLUS V.9 software. This simulation was
conducted to analyze the maximum power from the burning of oil
palm biomass for the electricity generation. The novelty of the
article is the performance and behavior of palm oil biomass-based
co-fuel in the power generation process. The basic data provided in
this study might be useful for design the power generation system
in Aceh Province.
2. Methodology and material
2.1. Analysis of biomass waste
Based on material mass balance, each palm fresh fruit bunch
(FFB) processed in a palm oil mill produces palm oil and 14e16% of
oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB). In addition, the process pro-
duces oil palm midrib (OPM) and palm kernel shell (PKS) of 12e14%
and 6.8e7.4%, respectively. Fig. 1 shows a palm oil biomass material
used in this study. Mixing 50% of PKS and OPM can be done through
the air entering the biomass boiler which is fuel. PKS has a higher
price that can be sold to cover production costs carried out in the
factory. EFB can be also processed into organic fertilizer through
deflation that can be used for oil palm plantations. Biomass samples
can be obtained from palm oil mills, such as EFB, PKS, OPM, and
OPF. While the content and heating value of biomass such as oxy-
gen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon can be analyzed using Bomb
Calorimeter and Elemental Analyzer 1108. Palm oil mills in Aceh
can generally process around 0.5 tons of POME daily.
2.2. Design for simulations on ASPEN PLUS
In this paper, the burning of oil palm biomass was investigated
in simulation using the ASPEN PLUS V.9 software. This simulation
aims to study the maximum power produced from the combustion
of single oil palm biomass and biomass mix. The burning of oil palm
biomass can be operated at a lower operating cost. Besides, the oil
palm biomass found in the Aceh Province palm oil mill is adequate
for biomass power generation. The oil palm biomass is also envi-
ronmentally friendly and sustainable. The steps of fuel analysis
with simulations using ASPEN PLUS software are shown in Fig. 2.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Effect power generated for different fuel
The previous studies on the combustion of oil palm biomass
both experimentally in fluidized-bed combustors (FBC) and with
simulations have been conducted (Ninduangdee and Kuprianov,
2016; 2014; Zahraee et al., 2019). The conical FBC combustion
 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714 3

Fig. 1. The material from palm oil.

Fig. 2. Design analysis using ASPEN PLUS.

results show excellent uniformity with radial temperatures and gas mass and heat transfer can be identified intensively. The biomass
concentration profiles at various levels in the reactor (Kuprianov used for the analysis in this study included OPF, EFB, PKS, and OPM.
and Arromdee, 2013). The occurrence of bubbly fluidized regimes This biomass was used as fuel to analyze the maximum power that
in the combustion chamber can result in radial profiles. Besides, can be produced and used as electricity generation. The maximum
4 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714
potential in the simulation found in this article obtained for OPF
biomass with a total of 49.5 MW with a biomass flow rate of 8 kg/s.
Meanwhile, the minimum power of the four fuels used in this
simulation was recorded at 5.5 MW at the EFB when the biomass
flow rate was 13 kg/s. Whereas for PKS and OPM, each maximum
power produced was 24.7 MW with a biomass flow rate of 14 kg/s
for PKS and 18 kg/s for OPM as shown in Fig. 3a.
Furthermore, the analysis in this simulation was carried out for
maximum power to the airflow rate with the same biomass. In
addition, it is carried out to study the power capacity that can be
used for electricity generation with biomass obtained from palm oil
mills located in Aceh Province. The maximum power found in this
simulation was recorded at OPM biomass of 24.7 MW when the
airflow rate was 102 kg/s. Meanwhile, the minimum power ob-
tained in EFB biomass was 5.5 MW with the required airflow rate
was 127 kg/s. The maximum powers produced by OPF and PKS was
12.3 MW and 20.7 MW with an airflow rate of 122 kg/s and 102 kg/
s, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3b. The results of this analysis show
that biomass power generation is very appropriate to be applied in
rural/remote areas because the available material is also very
supportive. Besides, electricity generation from solar energy is
environmentally friendly and sustainable. The heat from palm oil
biomass for electricity generation can replace conventional energy
which has been running low until the last few years (Erdiwansyah
et al., 2019b). In addition, the availability of renewable energy
sources in Southeast Asia in general and especially in Indonesia
until 2040 is very abundant (Erdiwansyah et al., 2019a, 2019c).
However, resources that do not support and the policies of every
government that does not favor the developers such as the devel-
opment of renewable and sustainable energy sources in the future.
This simulation was also carried out for maximum power by
utilizing the exhaust splitter on each fuel used in this analysis. This
analysis utilized a 1%e100% exhaust splitter for each biomass. The
maximum power produced reached 48.26 MW for the MCC when
the exhaust splitter was 100% and the minimum power with this
exhaust splitter was recorded at EFB of 29.94 MW. While for OPF
and OPM, the maximum power produced was 35.57 MW and
48.24 MW when the splitter exhaust was 100% as shown in Fig. 4a.
Data and chemical analysis have also been previously carried out by
Fig. 3. a. Power generated for different fuel as an effect of biomass flow rate. 3b. Power generated for different fuel as an effect of air flow rate.
(Hani et al., 2018; Nasution et al., 2018, 2014). In the simulation
with the exhaust, splitter is needed to heat the water entering from
the boiler into the reactor so that the maximum power can be
obtained.
Besides, the analysis in this article was carried out for maximum
power through the LP-Steam splitter. The report with this simula-
tion needed for the separation of seawater can be used for drinking
water as well as generating electricity. The maximum power
generated in this stage reached 47.13 MW for OPM biomass with a
splitter of up to 100%. For the minimum power at this stage through
the LP-Steam splitter (heating water from the boiler into the
reactor) was recorded at EFB of 28.87 MW with a splitter of up to
100%. Meanwhile, the power produced by OPF and PKS was
29.91 MW and 46.71 MW, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4b.
Fig. 5 shows the maximum and minimum power from the
simulation results after the separation of seawater into the boiler.
The energy in the simulation shown by OPF increased significantly
compared to PKS and OPM. Meanwhile, the power of the results of
the analysis shown by EFB is slightly different from the others. The
highest maximum power after the recycle at this stage reached
71.08 MW for PKS followed by OPM at 61.05 MW. Meanwhile, the
minimum power after the recycle was recorded at EFB of 5.50 MW,
while the OPF the power generated after the recycle reached
16.94 MW. The results of this simulation show that the maximum
potential for the power plant after the recycle can produce elec-
tricity up to 71.08 MW higher than the four previous tests in Figs. 3
and 4.
3.2. Effect power generated for fuel blends
After simulations using a single fuel, the next simulation was
conducted with a mixture of fuels. The procedure performed on the
simulation of this fuel mixture was similar with the procedure
contained at the time of simulation with a single fuel. Fuel blends
used at this simulation stage included EFB-OPF, EFB-PKS, and OPF-
PKS. This analysis aimed to analyze the maximum power that can
be used for electricity generation. The maximum power with a
variety of biomass flow rate for the fuel mixture used is shown in
Fig. 8. The maximum power at this stage was recorded in the OPF-
 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714 5

Fig. 4. a. Power generated for different fuel as an effect of exhaust gas heat utilization. 4b Power generated for different fuel as an effect of LP-Steam recycle.

Fig. 5. The power generated for different fuel as an effect of condensate recycle.

PKS biomass mixture of 67.65 MW with a variation of the biomass
flow rate of 31 kg/s. Whereas, EFB-PKS biomass mixture had the
lowest power of 4.26 MW and EFB-OPS had 13.05 MW at the same
biomass rate. Maximum capability with OPF-PKS biomass mixture
was 18.15 MW higher than when using a single fuel for biomass
flow rate. However, the power produced the EFB-PKS biomass
mixture was 1.23 MW lower than the EFB individual biomass for
the biomass air rate. For the overall results of a simulation of mixed
fuel with biomass air velocity variations are shown in Fig. 6a.
Power analysis for fuel mixtures with variations in air flow rate
that can be used as biomass power plants is shown in Fig. 6b. This
analysis was carried out for the three fuel mixes used in the pre-
vious simulation. The maximum power that can be produced with
this variation in air flow rate was 106.17 MW for the OPF-PKS
mixture. The electricity generated using the OPF-PKS biomass
fuel mixture increased significantly compared to when using a
single biomass material of 24.7 MW. However, for a single EFB, it
was slightly higher than the EFB-PKS biomass mixture of 5.5 MW
and 4.95 MW, respectively, when the airflow rate variations were
127 kg/s and 171 kg/s.
Combustion of mixed biomass by adding water that is inserted
and heated from the boiler into the reactor was carried out to
determine the maximum power produced to be used as electricity
generation. This experiment was carried out using three different
biomass fuel mixtures. The maximum power generated from
combustion by heating water from the boiler to the reactor reached
64.33 MW for the OPF-PKS mixture with a variation of the exhaust
splitter reaching 100%. Meanwhile, the maximum EFB-OPF power
was lower than the 25.98 MW and 29.56 MW EFB-PKS as shown in
Fig. 7a. The electricity produced using mixed fuels increased
significantly compared to the energy generated when using a single
fuel. It indicates that blended fuels used as biomass power plants
can replace electricity shortages, especially in rural/remote areas.
Besides, biomass power plants are more environmentally friendly
6 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714

Fig. 6. a. Power generated for different fuel blend as an effect of biomass flow rate. 6b. Power generated for different fuel blend as an effect of air flow rate.

Fig. 7. a. Power generated for different fuel blend as an effect of exhaust gas heat utilization. 7b. Power generated for different fuel blend as an effect of LP-Steam recycle utilization.

and sustainable. stakeholders or the government.

Fig. 7b shows the simulation results with mixed fuels as the
previous results. At this stage, the simulation was carried out by
separating seawater when heating in the boiler into the reactor. The
maximum power generated at this stage reached
26.71 MWe62.01 MW when the LP-Steam splitter reached 100%.
The highest maximum power was obtained in the OPF-PKS
mixture, while the lowest energy was recorded in the EFB-OPF
mix, and EFB-PKS produced 30.19 MW of power. The process car-
ried out for simulation at this stage is similar with the process
carried out when burning a single fuel. The simulation results show
that the availability of biomass fuels in Aceh Province is possible for
the construction of biomass power plants. Besides, biomass from
palm oil mills can be reused and makes a secondary economic
addition to the community. However, to be able to implement or
build biomass power plants, it needs a variety of policies from the
Finally, the simulation in this research was conducted to study
the maximum power that can benefit from the burning of oil palm
biomass by recycling exhaust after heating seawater from the boiler
into the reactor. Maximum power results obtained by recycling
exhaust after heating water in the boiler to the reactor can produce
power up to 71.09 MW for the OPF-PKS biomass fuel mixture.
However, the maximum power from the combustion results of the
EFB-OPF and EFB-PKS combination only produced 4.94 MW. This
result decreased slightly from the power generated when burning
single biomass. Recycle after heating seawater in the boiler into the
reactor with a mixture of EFB-OPF and EFB-PKS fuel significantly
decreased from 4.94 MW to 4.83 MW as shown in Fig. 8.
The overall results of the simulations carried out in this paper
are the initial foundation for a real experiment. This analysis aims
to determine the maximum power that can produce from oil palm
 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714 7

Fig. 8. The power generated for different fuel blend as an effect of condensate recycle.

biomass. This result can also be used as reference material for op- Table 2
erations on Fluidized-bed combustor furnaces with different Ultimate analysis of palm oil biomass (Hani et al., 2018; Nasution et al., 2014).

biomass fuels. These results of this experiment can be used for Type of Biomass Analysis Ultimate (%)
biomass power plants in rural/remote areas. An analysis of the C H N S O
availability of oil palm biomass found in Aceh Province has also
EFB 48.79 7.33 3.02 0.68 40.18
been reviewed by (Hani et al., 2018; Mahidin et al., 2020). While
PKS 53.78 7.2 2.21 0.51 36.3
combustion experiments using oil palm biomass were also carried OPM 42.55 5.48 2.18 0.11 50.32
out by several previous researchers (Ninduangdee and Kuprianov, OPF 50.27 7.07 0.42 0.63 38.28
2016, 2014). Besides, we have conducted experiments on burning
oil palm biomass in a fluidized-bed combustor in some of our
previous works (on the process). We have previously carried out Table 3
simulations and we have reported them in the previous articles (on Conditions for simulation on ASPEN PLUS.
the process). Stream/Block Operational Condition Stream/Block Operational Condition
In general, there are several conditions used to support simu-
Air Flow Temperature: 25  C Biomass Flow Temperature: 25  C
lations in this study as shown in Table 3(see Tables 1 and 2) This Pressure: 1 bar Pressure: 2 bar
component is the main procedure used in this simulation. This Feed flow: 201.5 kg/s Feed flow: 17.5 kg/s
component is a continuation of the simulation in our previous Phase: Vapor-Liquid Phase: Vapor-Liquid
works. Overall, the results of the analysis using single or mixed oil Stream/Block Operational Condition Stream/Block Operational Condition
Splitter 1 Split In: 0.7 Splitter 2 To Mixer 2: 0.8
palm biomass fuels were carried out in the simulation using the
Split Out: 0.8 To HE: 0.2
same procedures and components. However, what distinguishes
from each test carried out lies in the variations performed. Besides,
the maximum and minimum power generated in this simulation is
shown in Table 4. interconnection system covers the East coast of Aceh Province and
The electric power system in Aceh consists of a 150 kV Sumatra Meulaboh and its surroundings. Whereas the other west and cen-
Utara-Aceh (Sumut-Aceh) interconnection system and an isolated tral coast regions of Aceh and their islands are still supplied by PLTD
system with a distribution voltage of 20 kV. Most of Aceh’s elec- through a 20 kV network. The map of the Aceh Province electricity
tricity system is supplied by the Sumbagut (Sumatra Utara) 150 kV system is shown in Fig. 9. Besides, there are also coal, hydro and gas
interconnection system and a small portion is in isolated areas. power plants. While the production costs and selling prices of
Nowadays, the area that has been supplied by a 150 kV electricity production are still higher than palm oil biomass.
The production price of a 150 kV interconnected system and an
isolated 20 kV with petroleum fuel requires a very large initial
Table 1 production cost. This product can be done by the intervention of
Proximate analysis of palm oil biomass (Hani et al., 2018). the government and also private companies that have a sizable
Type of Biomass Analysis Proximate (%) capital cost. The selling price of electricity with petroleum fuels is
also higher than the price of electricity from coal, hydropower, gas
Water content Volatile Matter Ash Fixed Carbon
and biomass. The selling price of electricity for petroleum (fossil)
EFB 8.75 79.67 3.02 8.65 Rp. 2.000/kWh in 2019. While the selling price of electricity from
PKS 5.73 73.74 2,21 18.37
OPM 9.89 53.00 6.00 41.00
hydropower plants is Rp. 669/kWh, coal power plant Rp. 680/kWh,
OPF 6.56 75.99 5.33 12.39 and power plants using gas Rp. 1.300/kWh. The selling price of
8 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714

Table 4
Compared value of power generated single and blend palm oil biomass.

Biomass Categories Max. Power (MW) Min. Power (MW) Biomass Blend Max. Power (MW) Min. Power (MW)

OPF Biomass flow rate 49.54 46.79 EFB-OPF 13.05 9.66

Airflow rate 12.38 5.74 18.42 10.22
Splitter Exhaust 35.57 12.38 25.98 9.62
Splitter LP-Steam 29.91 5.24 26.71 4.27
Recycle 16.94 7.39 25.98 9.62
EFB Biomass flow rate 5.50 4.24
Airflow rate 5.50 2.49 EFB-PKS 4.26 2.80
Splitter Exhaust 29.94 13.17 4.94 2.18
Splitter LP-Steam 28.87 5.47 29.56 12.60
Recycle 5.57 5.47 30.19 5.14
PKS Biomass flow rate 24.76 22.68 4.94 0.75
Airflow rate 20.74 11.78
Splitter Exhaust 48.26 24.75 OPF-PKS 67.65 58.95
Splitter LP-Steam 46.71 5.50 106.17 60.63
Recycle 71.08 52.33 64.33 42.35
OPM Biomass flow rate 24.77 19.31 62.01 14.15
Airflow rate 24.77 10.91 71.09 52.33
Splitter Exhaust 48.24 24.68
Splitter LP-Steam 47.13 14.15
Recycle 61.05 38.59

Fig. 9. Map of the aceh province electric power system (Energi and Mineral, 2017).
 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714
Table 5
Comparison of initial production prices and electricity prices in Aceh Province.
Type of Fuel Production Cost (US$/MW) Selling price (US$/kWh)
Biomass Oil Palm 1 million 0.053
Hydro 2 million 0.044
Solar 1.9 million 0.081
Coal 1.5 million 0.045
Gas 2.1 million 0.086
Diesel 750 thousand 0.13
electricity if using palm oil biomass fuel proposed in this study is
Rp. 864/kWh is shown in Table 5. The initial production price for
the construction of a power plant from palm oil biomass to produce
electricity of 1 MW is around US$1 million. To produce 1 MW of
electricity requires 1 ton of palm oil biomass. The total oil palm
biomass (such as; OPF, EFB, PKS and OPM) in Aceh Province reaches
93,730.59 tons/year so that it can generate electricity around
12.406 MW. For a comparison of the initial production and selling
prices of power plants in Aceh Province today as shown in Table 5.
Based on Table 5 shows that the cost of producing power plants
with diesel fuel is more than US$750 thousand lower than the
others. However, the availability of diesel fuel in the last few years is
running low. Also, the selling price to consumers showed the
highest compared to biomass power plants, water power, coal,
diesel and gas. Greenhouse gas emissions produced by diesel plants
are also higher. Hydropower plants are the lowest (US$0.044/kWh)
for the sale value compared to diesel (US$0.13/kWh). Furthermore,
the price of electricity using coal is (US$0.045/kWh) lower than
palm oil biomass (US$0.053/kWh). However, the use of palm oil
biomass is better in terms of emissions and has more availability
and has lower costs compared to coal, diesel, gas and diesel. The
cost of producing palm oil biomass power plants is lower than
water, solar, coal and gas power. For the availability of palm oil
biomass material is also more than coal, gas, diesel and diesel. Thus
biomass has several advantages such as the cost and availability of
raw materials and has lower emission.
4. Conclusion
The simulation with ASPEN PLUS conducted in this study has
completed with excellent results. All biomass fuels from the palm
oil mills used show maximum results from each experiment. The
maximum power for single biomass was recorded at OPF of
49.54 MW for the variation of biomass flow rate. The experiments
with the highest flow rate variations were obtained at OPM
24.77 MW with an airflow rate of 103 kg/s. As for changes with
exhaust splitters, it was recorded at PKS of 48.26 MW when the
exhaust splitter variations reached 100%. For the maximum power
varied with LP-Steam splitters was recorded at 47.13 MW when the
change reached 100%. Combustion experiments with simulations
using mixed fuels show better results compared to single fuels.
Where the maximum power which is the different biomass flow
rate for blended fuels reached 67.65 MW compared to individual
biomass of 49.54 MW when the biomass flow rate was 30 kg/s. For
variations in air flow rate, exhaust splitter, LP-Steam splitter and
maximum recycle power were 106.17 MW, 64.33 MW, 62.01 MW,
and 71.09 MW, respectively. The overall results of experiments
using mixed biomass fuels showed a significant increase compared
to single fuels. The availability of oil palm biomass in Aceh Province
which is adequate can cover the electricity shortages that have
occurred so far, especially in rural/remote areas or outer islands.
Declaration of competing interest
There are no conflicts to declare.
9
Acknowledgement
This research supported by PNBP Universitas Syiah Kuala,
Research institutions and community service with the contract
number of (32/UN11.2.1/PT.01.03/PNBP/2020).
References
Abdul Wahid, F.R.A., Saleh, S., Abdul Samad, N.A.F., 2017. Estimation of higher
heating value of torrefied palm oil wastes from proximate analysis. Energy
Procedia 138, 307e312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.10.102.
Archer, S.A., Murphy, R.J., Steinberger-Wilckens, R., 2018. Methodological analysis of
palm oil biodiesel life cycle studies. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 94, 694e704.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.05.066.

n
Arrieta, F.R.P., Teixeira, F.N., Ya ~ez, E., Lora, E., Castillo, E., 2007. Cogeneration po-
tential in the Columbian palm oil industry: three case studies. Biomass Bio-
energy 31, 503e511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.01.016.
Awalludin, M.F., Sulaiman, O., Hashim, R., Nadhari, W.N.A.W., 2015. An overview of
the oil palm industry in Malaysia and its waste utilization through thermo-
chemical conversion, specifically via liquefaction. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev.
50, 1469e1484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.05.085.
Bazargan, A., Rough, S.L., McKay, G., 2014. Compaction of palm kernel shell biochars
for application as solid fuel. Biomass Bioenergy 70, 489e497. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.08.015.
Bujang, A.S., Bern, C.J., Brumm, T.J., 2016. Summary of energy demand and
renewable energy policies in Malaysia. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 53,
1459e1467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.09.047.
Chan, Y.H., Cheah, K.W., How, B.S., Loy, A.C.M., Shahbaz, M., Singh, H.K.G.,
Yusuf, N.R., Shuhaili, A.F.A., Yusup, S., Ghani, W.A.W.A.K., Rambli, J., Kansha, Y.,
Lam, H.L., Hong, B.H., Ngan, S.L., 2019. An overview of biomass thermochemical
conversion technologies in Malaysia. Sci. Total Environ. 680, 105e123. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.211.
Chiew, Y.L., Iwata, T., Shimada, S., 2011. System analysis for effective use of palm oil
waste as energy resources. Biomass Bioenergy 35, 2925e2935. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.biombioe.2011.03.027.
Chiew, Y.L., Shimada, S., 2013. Current state and environmental impact assessment
for utilizing oil palm empty fruit bunches for fuel, fiber and fertilizer e a case
study of Malaysia. Biomass Bioenergy 51, 109e124. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.biombioe.2013.01.012.
Energi, K., Mineral, S.D., 2017. Rencana Usaha Penyediaan Tenaga Listrik PT Peru-
sahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) Tahun 2017 Sd 2026. Kementerian Energi Dan
Sumber Daya Mineral. Jakarta (ID).
Erdiwansyah, Mahidin, Mamat, R., Sani, M.S.M., Khoerunnisa, F., Kadarohman, A.,
2019a. Target and demand for renewable energy across 10 ASEAN countries by
2040. Electr. J. 32, 106670. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TEJ.2019.106670.
Erdiwansyah Mamat, R., Sani, M.S.M., Sudhakar, K., 2019b. Renewable energy in
Southeast Asia: policies and recommendations. Sci. Total Environ. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.273.
Erdiwansyah Mamat, R., Sani, M.S.M., Sudhakar, K., Kadarohman, A., Sardjono, R.E.,
2019c. An overview of Higher alcohol and biodiesel as alternative fuels in en-
gines. Energy Rep. 5, 467e479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2019.04.009.
Garcia-Nunez, J.A., Ramirez-Contreras, N.E., Rodriguez, D.T., Silva-Lora, E., Frear, C.S.,
Stockle, C., Garcia-Perez, M., 2016. Evolution of palm oil mills into bio-
refineries: literature review on current and potential uses of residual biomass
and effluents. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 110, 99e114. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.resconrec.2016.03.022.
Hani, M.R., Mahidin, M., Husin, H., Hamdani, H., Khairil, K., 2018. Oil palm biomass
utilization as an energy source and its possibility use for polygeneration sce-
narios in Langsa City, Aceh Province, Indonesia. IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng.
334 https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/334/1/012003.
Hosseini, S.E., Bagheri, G., Wahid, M.A., 2014. Numerical investigation of biogas
flameless combustion. Energy Convers. Manag. 81, 41e50. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.enconman.2014.02.006.
Idris, S.S., Rahman, N.A., Ismail, K., 2012. Combustion characteristics of Malaysian oil
palm biomass, sub-bituminous coal and their respective blends via thermog-
ravimetric analysis (TGA). Bioresour. Technol. 123, 581e591. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.biortech.2012.07.065.
Kuprianov, V.I., Arromdee, P., 2013. Combustion of peanut and tamarind shells in a
conical fluidized-bed combustor: a comparative study. Bioresour. Technol. 140,
199e210.
Loh, S.K., 2017. The potential of the Malaysian oil palm biomass as a renewable
energy source. Energy Convers. Manag. 141, 285e298. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.enconman.2016.08.081.
Mahidin, Erdiwansyah, Husin, H., Hisbullah, A.P., Hayati, M., Zhafran, M.A., Sidiq, A.,
Rinaldi, B., Fitria, R., Tarisma, Hamdani, M.R., Hani, M.M., Y B, 2020. Utilization
of oil palm biomass as a renewable and sustainable energy source in Aceh
Province. J. Adv. Res. Fluid Mech. Therm. Sci. 67 (2), 97e108. EID: 2-s2.0-
85082445527.
Nasution, M.A., Herawan, T., Rivani, M., 2014. Analysis of palm biomass as electricity
from palm oil mills in north sumatera. Energy Procedia 47, 166e172. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.01.210.
Nasution, M.A., Wibawa, D.S., Ahamed, T., Noguchi, R., 2018. Comparative
10 Mahidin et al. / Chemosphere 253 (2020) 126714
environmental impact evaluation of palm oil mill effluent treatment using a life
cycle assessment approach: a case study based on composting and a combi-
nation for biogas technologies in North Sumatera of Indonesia. J. Clean. Prod.
184, 1028e1040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.299.
Ninduangdee, P., Kuprianov, V.I., 2016. A study on combustion of oil palm empty
fruit bunch in a fluidized bed using alternative bed materials: performance,
emissions, and time-domain changes in the bed condition. Appl. Energy 176,
34e48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.05.063.
Ninduangdee, P., Kuprianov, V.I., 2014. Combustion of oil palm shells in a fluidized-
bed combustor using dolomite as the bed material to prevent bed agglomera-
tion. Energy Procedia 52, 399e409. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.egypro.2014.07.092.
Nutongkaew, P., Waewsak, J., Riansut, W., Kongruang, C., Gagnon, Y., 2019. The
potential of palm oil production as a pathway to energy security in Thailand.
Sustain. Energy Technol. Assessments 35, 189e203. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.seta.2019.07.002.
Oh, T.H., Hasanuzzaman, M., Selvaraj, J., Teo, S.C., Chua, S.C., 2018. Energy policy and
alternative energy in Malaysia: issues and challenges for sustainable growth e
an update. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 81, 3021e3031. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.rser.2017.06.112.
Petinrin, J.O., Shaaban, M., 2015. Renewable energy for continuous energy sus-
tainability in Malaysia. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 50, 967e981. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.04.146.
Prapaspongsa, T., Musikavong, C., Gheewala, S.H., 2017. Life cycle assessment of
palm biodiesel production in Thailand: impacts from modelling choices, co-
product utilisation, improvement technologies, and land use change. J. Clean.
Prod. 153, 435e447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.03.130.
Stichnothe, H., Schuchardt, F., 2011. Life cycle assessment of two palm oil produc-
tion systems. Biomass Bioenergy 35, 3976e3984. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.biombioe.2011.06.001.
Sulaiman, F., Abdullah, N., Gerhauser, H., Shariff, A., 2011. An outlook of Malaysian
energy, oil palm industry and its utilization of wastes as useful resources.
Biomass Bioenergy 35, 3775e3786. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.biombioe.2011.06.018.
Tan, Y.D., Lim, J.S., 2019. Feasibility of palm oil mill effluent elimination towards
sustainable Malaysian palm oil industry. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 111,
507e522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.05.043.
Theo, W.L., Lim, J.S., Ho, W.S., Hashim, H., Lee, C.T., Muis, Z.A., 2017. Optimisation of
oil palm biomass and palm oil mill effluent (POME) utilisation pathway for
palm oil mill cluster with consideration of BioCNG distribution network. Energy
121, 865e883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.01.021.
Wu, Q., Qiang, T.C., Zeng, G., Zhang, H., Huang, Y., Wang, Y., 2017. Sustainable and
renewable energy from biomass wastes in palm oil industry: a case study in
Malaysia. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 42, 23871e23877. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.ijhydene.2017.03.147.
Yusoff, S., 2006. Renewable energy from palm oileinnovation on effective utiliza-
tion of waste. J. Clean. Prod. 14, 87e93.
Zahraee, S.M., Golroudbary, S.R., Shiwakoti, N., Kraslawski, A., Stasinopoulos, P.,
2019. An investigation of the environmental sustainability of palm biomass
supply chains via dynamic simulation modeling: a case of Malaysia. J. Clean.
Prod. 237, 117740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117740.