Oil palm biomass: New alternative raw materials for bioethanol production

Abstract

Bioethanol is one of most importantly renewable fuel which the government has a plan for increasing production of bio-ethanol from currently 1.3 million liters per day to 9 million liters per day in year 2021 for replace fossil energy. The supporting policies growth up the production by increased the planted-area and yield per rai of sugarcane and cassava that were main material for produce bioethanol. In addition, the research and development was investigated new material. Oil palm biomass included fronds, trunks, empty fruit bunches and mesocarp fiber that were interesting alternative materials for bioethanol production. When considered to be remaining non utilization quantity and these has also chemical compositions. The juice squeezed from fronds and trunks of oil palm content high values glucose of 58.95 and 85.2 g/liter, respectively. Besides, the cellulose and hemicellulose chemical composition in oil palm biomass were hydrolyzed by acid or enzymes conversed to sugar monomer that used for fermentation to bioethanol. Therefore, oil palm biomass indicated the promising alternative resource for production of bioethanol, if the research and development are continuously supported by the government.