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25th November, 2008
PETALING JAYA: The world’s first oil palm-based pulp and paper mill is expected to start operations in Tawau by the third quarter of next year.
Using technology researched by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), the mill will produce pulp and paper from empty fruit bunches, oil palm bunches where the fruits have been removed.
FRIM director-general Datuk Dr Abd Latif Mohmod said the mill would be capable of producing high quality A4 paper for export and local use. The paper would be produced by a private company.
Dr Abd Latif said it was an industry with a potential earnings of RM2bil annually.
“It will not only allow us to save hardwood trees from being cut down for paper but also on foreign exchange as Malaysia imports a lot of its paper from overseas.
“It is a perfect example of waste to wealth,” he was reported as saying.
It is understood that five tonnes of empty fruit bunches would produce one tonne of pulp. Some 30 million tonnes of empty fruit bunches are generated annually.
Dr Abd Latif said oil millers would be paid RM30 per tonne for the bunches whereas the current market rate of pulp is between US$600 (RM2,160) and US$700 (RM2,520).
FRIM forest products division senior director Dr Mohd Nor Mohd Yusoff said the Government had invested about RM35mil for the project that was supposed to have taken off in 2005.
“There were some technical delays but now everything has been sorted out. The factory will have all operations under one roof — from shredding the empty fruit bunches, pulping and producing paper,” he said.
Dr Abd Latif said this particular project was one example of the potential available in commercialising FRIM’s research.
He has invited stakeholders and clients to come to FRIM so they could learn about its research findings during a Technology Transfer Forum on Nov 25 and 26. Check http://www.frim.gov.my/ for further details on the forum.
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