BRIN Turns Palm Oil Waste Into Renewable Energy

RRI.CO.ID, South Tangerang - Indonesia is one of the world’s largest palm oil producers, yet this production creates environmental challenges through the accumulation of empty oil palm fruit bunch waste. If left untreated, this waste continues accumulating and requires a long period to naturally decompose.

Responding to this waste challenge, a research team from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) utilized pyrolysis technology to convert empty oil palm fruit bunch waste into value-added products. The initiative demonstrates efforts to transform agricultural waste into resources with economic and environmental benefits.

Head of the biomass oil pyrolysis research team at the BRIN's Molecular Chemistry Research Center, Dieni Mansur, explained that utilizing biomass waste for energy and bio-based chemicals is an important measure. According to her, this approach contributes to reducing national energy dependence on fossil fuels.

“Pyrolysis oil is used to support fuel diversification in Indonesia. On the other hand, empty oil palm fruit bunches are waste generated in very large quantities and therefore must be managed optimally,” Dieni stated as quoted by BRIN's website on Friday, June 26, 2026.

She further said that the pyrolysis process can be carried out through slow, fast, and very fast heating methods. The reactor facilities currently operated by BRIN enable processing of empty oil palm fruit bunches through slow pyrolysis with processing durations ranging from approximately two to four hours.

This technology produces three main products consisting of liquid smoke, biomass oil or bio-oil, and bio-char. Liquid smoke also offers various application possibilities and can be formulated as a natural coating to extend fruit shelf life and potentially developed into film materials supporting wound healing inside the oral cavity.

Meanwhile, biomass oil and liquid smoke generated from pyrolysis of empty oil palm fruit bunches contain various organic compounds including phenol, acetic acid, ketones, and methanol. These compounds are widely utilized across the chemical industry for different industrial applications.

“Currently, biomass oil from empty oil palm fruit bunches can be utilized as fuel for industrial boilers. Although it cannot yet be directly used as a single fuel for motor vehicles, biomass oil contains chemical compounds with potential as additives for liquid fuels such as gasoline,” she said.

Dieni mentioned these research findings are important because they provide solutions for agricultural waste management while supporting renewable energy availability simultaneously. By transforming waste into economically valuable products, this approach supports circular economy implementation that promotes more efficient and sustainable resource utilization.

She added that the team expects pyrolysis of empty oil palm fruit bunches to help address palm waste problems while becoming one alternative for energy diversification to meet domestic needs. The development of biomass pyrolysis technology by BRIN demonstrates that agricultural waste can become a strategic resource supporting national energy resilience and advancing transition toward a greener and more sustainable economy.