1.

6 PALM OIL
MILL EFFLUENT
(POME)
CHAPTER 1
 Introduction
• The palm oil industry has been expanding rapidly in the
last three decades in Malaysia, with the planted area
increasing by more than 11 fold from 291,000 ha in 1970
to 3,313,000 ha in 1999.
• Concomitantly, the number of palm oil mills has also
grown from 122 in 1977 to 334 in 1999, having a total
processing capacity of 69 million tonnes fresh fruit
bunches (FFB) per year.
• Currently, Malaysia produces about 57 million tonnes of
FFB annually, from which 10.6 million tonnes of crude
palm oil and
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 2
 Introduction…
• 1.3 million tonnes of palm kernel oil are extracted.
• In 1999, Malaysia exported 8.9 million tonnes of palm
oil, and is currently ranked as the largest producer of
palm oil in the world, accounting for 52% of the total
world production.
• These figures put into perspective the importance of the
palm oil industry in the overall industrial development of
Malaysia

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 3

 Introduction…
• The process to extract oil from the FFB requires
voluminous amount of water, mainly for sterilizing the
fruits and for oil clarification, resulting in the discharge of
about 2.5 m3 of effluent per tonne of crude oil
processed.
• Thus in 1999, a total of about 26.5 million m3 of effluent
was generated from the Malaysian palm oil industry.
• Fresh palm oil mill effluent, or POME as it is popularly
known, is an acidic brownish colloidal suspension
characterized by high contents of organics and solids, and
is discharged at a temperature of 80-90°C (Table 1).
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 4
 FFB

STERILISATION Steriliser Condensate

STRIPPING
Empty Bunches

DIGESTION

Fibre

PRESSING

Nuts

CLARIFICATION

Sludge Palm Oil NUT

CRACKING

Oil
Recycle CENTRIFUGATION PURIFICATION SHELL/KERNEL
SEPARATION WASTEWATER

DRYING

KERNEL SHELL
Oil WASTEWATER

STORAGE
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 5
 Introduction…

• It has been estimated that POME contributes to

about 30% of the total biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) load exerted on the Malaysian aquatic
environment .
• As one of the major sources of pollution, POME
was among the first waste types to be singled out for
statutory control.
• Table (1) also shows the regulatory discharge
standards currently in force
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 6
 7

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018)

 Collection pond/tank

• This area basically to collect any oil escaped from

process area and collect and put at one side as oil low
quality. Most of this tank were build using concrete
and open loop steam piping for heating purpose. The
oil was skimmed due to density difference.

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 8

 Ponding system
• The raw effluent is treated using a ponding system comprising
of three phases:
• anaerobic,
• facultative,
• algae processes.
• Although the system takes a longer retention time of 90 days,
it is:
• less sensitive to environment changes,
• stable,
• Efficient
• could guarantee excellent pollutant biodegradation efficiency of above
95%.

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 9

 Anaerobic pond

• This pond basically by practices consists in series of

two to four ponds depends on mill effluent flowrate.
• Anaerobic process involves breakdown of almost
kinds of organic matters by rigorous action of wide
range of microorganism such as methanobacteriales,
methanobreivibacter and others in the absence of
oxygen or any high oxidation chemicals.

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 10

 Anaerobic pond….

• This process can be classified into three stages:

• Hydrolysis: protein, carbohydrates or lipids converted into
amino acid, sugar or fatty acid by action of extra cellular
from hydrolytic microorganisms
• Acidogenesis: Hydrolysed products form in 1st stage are
fermented, forming simpler organics compound,
preodiminantly volatile fatty acids(VFA)
• Methanogenisis. VFA converted into methane and CO2
during this process.
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 11
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 12
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 13
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 14
 Advantages of Anaerobic Digestion
System
• The two phase system allows greater control of
digester environmental conditions.
• Long solid retention times allow better
biodegradation efficiencies.
• Additional settling of liquor ensures minimum
loading to the aerobic process.
• There is capability to cope with full effluent load,
regardless of fluctuation.
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 15
 Disadvantages
of Anaerobic Pond
• Long hydraulic retention time of 45–60 days
• Solids accumulation that disactivate the activated sludge
• Large land requirement

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 16

 Aerobic pond

• The principle of aerobic process for POME is that in

pond a community by microorganism is constantly
supplied with organic matter(pollutants)and oxygen.
• The microorganism consume the matter and
transforms by means of aerobic metabolism, partly
new microbial biomass and partly into CO2, waters
and minerals

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 17

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 18
 Aerobic pond…

• The flow of the feedwater brings about constant,

wash out of microorganism from the 1st pond to the
settler.
• Here, the microorganisms which grow in flocs and
have acquired a density to decant, are retained and
then removed with the underflow.
• Part of this sludge is the recycled to provide biomass
to treat the new influent. The surplus amount is
discarded.
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 19
 Flow chart for process treatment of the
effluent water

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 20

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 21
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 22
 POME Sludge Management

• Composting Technology:
Using microbial such as aerobic microorganism
decompose the substrate(sludge) broken down
compounds to gas methane, humic acid and etc
• VermicompistingTechnology
Composting using earthworm to convert organic
materials to humus like material known as
vermicompost.
CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 23
Zero Discharge Treatment Technology

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 24

Biogas Treatment Plant

CPB 30303 (JuLy 2018) 25