Oil palm biomass as feedstock for biofuel production

Abstract

Palm oil is currently the cheapest vegetable oil on the world's international market. The oil palm in general is found to be the most productive crop in terms of oil yield per cultivated area. The palm oil industry in the world generates over 190 million tons of wastes in the form of solid and liquid residues. Out of this only about 10% are utilized commercially for value-added bioproducts like biofertilizers. Oil palm biomass is found to possess unique characteristics which make them suitable for the production of biofuels. This chapter discusses into detail the various forms of oil palm biomass, their characteristics, and potential applications in the biofuels industry. © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2013.