PKS (Palm Kernel Shell) Export Business and New Varieties of Superior Palm Oil Seeds

PKS loading for export

The demand for biomass fuels as renewable energy, including PKS (palm kernel shells), is growing in line with the global decarbonization trend. Likewise, the use of biofuels such as biodiesel is also increasing. Biomass fuels like PKS and biofuels like biodiesel are both carbon-neutral bioenergy products. Both can be produced from palm oil trees. Biofuels like biodiesel are primarily used in the transportation sector, while biomass fuels like PKS are used for power generation or industrial boiler fuel. Palm oil produces its primary product namely crude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil (CPO and CPKO), while the PKS are byproducts or waste, such as EFB (empty fruit bunches) and mesocarp fiber.

Over time, the demand for palm oil has also increased, commensurate with population growth, and its use in the energy sector (biofuel) is even greater than in the food sector. To stabilize prices and avoid sharp fluctuations in palm oil prices, the Indonesian government launched the B-50 program, which uses 50% biodiesel from palm oil and 50% diesel from petroleum. With the B-50 program, palm oil demand has increased by approximately 20% over current average production.

This necessitates increasing palm oil productivity. One such effort is the use of superior seeds. By maximizing CPO production from mesocarp fiber, these superior seeds have thick fiber, thin shells (even shellless), and small kernels. The Psifera variety, with its various unique names by seed producers, is an option for this purpose. These superior seeds are even certified to assure consumers of their quality.

The initially thick PKS of the dura variety, which are favored and most sought after by PKS exporters for use in power plants, will gradually decline. However, considering the slow pace of replanting programs and minimal extensification efforts, the transition from dura to psifera PKS will be lengthy. PKS exporters can still safely export thick dura PKS. The less thin tenera PKS, as a transition to psifera, will likely become more common.

If very thin psifera PKS become commonplace, their calorific value will be low and they will be less desirable for energy applications. If this occurs, special treatment is required to make the psifera PKS more technically and economically viable for energy use. This can be achieved through compaction/densification or processing through torrefaction or pyrolysis to produce higher fixed carbon and calorific value. Furthermore, they can be compacted/densified into pellets or briquettes. 

Biochar Needs for the Iron and Steel Industry

As awareness of climate change and global warming grows, along with the Paris Agreement and Net Zero Emissions (NZE) 2050 targets for decarbonization, the use of biomass to produce biocarbon products is increasing. The iron and steel industry, in particular, faces significant demand, while supply remains limited. This has prompted several large companies to invest in large-scale biocarbon production, particularly biochar/biocoke.

Such large-scale production naturally requires abundant biomass feedstock. Specifically, in Indonesia, biocoke/biochar production from palm kernel shells (PKS) reportedly began last year. PKS was chosen because it is a readily available biomass waste product from palm oil mills. PKS and palm oil mill production in Indonesia is estimated to be around 12.5 million tons/year, but because some of the PKS is used as boiler fuel, the estimated usable PKS or remaining boiler fuel is around 6.25 million tons/year. To increase the supply of PKS from palm oil mills, cogeneration of empty fruit bunches (EFB) can be used. For more details, read here.

In addition to the PKS, biocoke/biochar and even black pellets (torrified pellets) are also produced using wood from energy plantations. Energy plantations with short-rotating crops like calliandra and gliricidia have great potential to produce this wood. Currently, wood pellets (white pellets) are being produced from these wood plantations. For more details on whether wood from energy plantations is better for wood pellets (white pellets) or biocoke/biochar/charcoal, read here.

Biocoke, biochar, and charcoal are used in the iron and steel industry as a substitute for coal-based coke in blast furnaces, while wood pellets (white pellets) and torrified pellets (black pellets) are used in power plants using both cofiring and fulfiring. In addition to their higher calorific value (around 20% higher than wood pellets (white pellets)), torrefied pellets (black pellets) are also hydrophobic, allowing them to be stored outdoors, like coal.

In today's era, the use of biocoke / biochar / charcoal to replace coal coke in blast furnaces is becoming important. Biocoke / biochar / charcoal derived from biomass is a renewable material that is sustainable as a reducing agent or fuel in blast furnaces. The chemical reaction will separate oxygen atoms from iron atoms and this will emit CO2. This will convert iron ore (Fe2O3) into crude (pig) iron.

However, the difference lies in the fact that the carbon source used as a reducing agent or fuel in a blast furnace comes from renewable and sustainable sources, making it a carbon-neutral process. Conversely, using coke from coal, as it comes from a fossil source, makes it a carbon-positive process. Similarly, using natural gas, a fossil fuel, as a carbon source for the reducing agent or fuel in a blast furnace, despite its lower carbon intensity, is considered less carbon intensive. 

The Role of Biochar in Increasing Palm Oil Productivity, Among the Use of Superior Seeds and Replanting

Palm oil productivity continues to be pushed to its most optimal point. This is because it is to meet the increasing needs, especially the mandatory B-50 biodiesel program. Of course, efforts to optimize productivity are not easy and instant. Although the key points for its realization have also been mapped, namely by replanting old palm oils, using superior seeds and intensification, the practice also requires the right method or approach and takes time. Replanting old palm oils is still very slow and has many obstacles, while the use of superior seeds has received more attention and continues to be encouraged. The analogy of using superior seeds is like comparing local cattle and superior breeds. So no matter how well the Javanese cow is cared for, its weight will not match that of the Limousin cow. Likewise with palm oil seeds.

Land intensification efforts through optimizing inputs, technology and modern cultivation methods also still need to be developed. Meanwhile, extensification or land expansion should be avoided or slowed down as much as possible, for more details, read here. Biochar can have an important role in this area of ​​intensification. Apart from the application of biochar it will improve soil health, which is an important prerequisite for plants to be able to produce optimally, it is also very environmentally friendly because the raw material for biochar is from renewable sources, namely biomass and increases fertilization efficiency (NUE = Nutrient Use Efficiency). And even the application of biochar is also a climate solution, namely as carbon sequestration. Optimizing productivity can be done by applying biochar plus using superior seeds using modern and environmentally friendly agricultural methods. So basically optimization is a comprehensive and measurable effort.

Indonesia contributes 25% to the world's vegetable oil supply, making it a key actor in the stability of the world's vegetable oil supply. With this position, any changes in production, export policies and Indonesia's domestic dynamics will directly impact prices and international market balance. Indonesia is currently the largest or number one producer of palm oil in the world, but it is not the best or most productive because its productivity is not yet optimal. Compared to neighboring countries, namely Malaysia, it is still inferior and slightly superior to Thailand, even though geographical factors, namely the climate in Indonesia, are much more supportive. Currently, Indonesia's CPO productivity is around 3.3 tons/hectare, while Malaysia's is around 3.8 tons/hectare, while Thailand's is around 3 tons/hectare.

Yield gap, namely the difference or gap between actual production and maximum production potential, is sometimes quite large. Several main factors that trigger yield gaps include non-optimal environmental factors such as drought conditions, to errors in cultivation practices such as errors in land clearing and planting, as well as inaccuracies in diagnosis and fertilizer recommendations. This yield gap must be minimized so that palm oil productivity can be maximized.

Sometimes the role of biochar cannot be found or seen directly in various efforts to increase palm oil productivity, but the application of biochar is very much in line with this goal. For example, the success of an palm oil replanting program depends, among other things, on the quality of seeds, fertilization, plant population and soil health. Soil health and fertilization factors can be closely related to biochar. And related to biofungicides to treat ganoderma fungus disorders, biochar can be used as a carrier formulated with other elements such as humus, amino acids, humates, hormones and so on. And because the only effective way to control the ganoderma fungus is to introduce its natural enemies in the form of biofungicides based on Trichoderma spp and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi into the soil. However, there are still many parties who do not have adequate knowledge regarding the application of biochar.

Apart from boosting production, implementing best management practices is also important to meet sustainability standards amidst increasing pressure from environmental issues. And the application of biochar is very much in line with that point. In fact, regarding low carbon palm oil technology in the application of biochar, it is very relevant to the CECC (Controlled Emission Composting Chamber) and for more details on the application of biochar for composting, read here. Meanwhile, the trend of fertilization in palm oil plantations with the application of slow release fertilizer is also very relevant to biochar, for more details, read here. 

Indonesia's 2026 Palm Oil Replanting Target and Solutions for Utilizing Palm Oil Trunk Waste

Indonesia's stagnant national palm oil productivity requires an immediate solution. If this situation is not addressed promptly, Indonesian palm oil productivity will decline in the future. This is undesirable given the increasing demand for palm oil as a vegetable oil, including its use in biofuel, namely biodiesel. The launch of the B50 biodiesel program demands increased palm oil productivity. However, the question remains: why palm oil? Aren't there other crops that can produce oil with a comparable yield for biodiesel production? Nyamplung is a strong candidate for this; read more details here.

In palm oil, productivity can be increased through the use of superior seeds, replanting, and land intensification. In terms of land area, replanting palm oil plantations, with an ideal target of 5% per year, is very significant. With Indonesia's current 16.8 million hectares of oil palm plantations, that translates to 0.84 million hectares per year. Besides the high costs, the resulting biomass waste, or palm oil trunks, is also substantial. This clearly holds potential for an environmentally friendly bioeconomy-based industry, or circular economy.

With an area of Indonesia's palm oil plantations of around 16.8 million hectares, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550 thousand hectares are owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares belong to people's plantations or small farmers and the rest have not been verified. And based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (2024), recorded 10 provinces in Indonesia with the largest oil palm plantations in sequence, namely Riau province with 3.49 million ha, Central Kalimantan province with 2.03 million ha, North Sumatra province with 2.01 million ha, West Kalimantan province with 1.82 million ha, South Sumatra province with 1.40 million ha, East Kalimantan province with 1.32 million ha, Jambi province with 1.19 million ha, South Kalimantan province with 497.2 thousand ha, Aceh province with 487.5 thousand ha, and West Sumatra province with 379.6 thousand ha. And a total of 26 provinces in Indonesia as centers of palm oil plantations.

The palm oil industry, as one of the national strategic industries, receives significant government support, including the People's Palm Oil Replanting (PSR), which remains a national strategic program, although its realization has not yet reached the target. South Sumatra, as one of the national palm oil plantation centers, also recorded the highest PSR realization. PSR realization in 2025 is approximately 40,000 hectares, or 33% (one-third) of the target of 120,000 ha. This represents a slight increase compared to 2024, which was only 31% of that year's target. Specifically, South Sumatra has replanted approximately 75,000 ha of smallholder palm oil plantations from 2017 to 2025.

The government is targeting a national PSR of 50,000 ha for 2026, a much more realistic figure than in previous years, with South Sumatra province targeting 5,750 ha. However, given Indonesia's oil palm plantation area, the 2024 and 2025 targets of 120,000 ha are very low, especially for 2026, which is only 50,000 ha. Under these conditions, efforts that can be accelerated to increase national palm oil productivity are through the use of superior seeds and land intensification.

Furthermore, ganoderma can lead to the death of palm oil trees. Ganoderma, caused by the fungus Ganoderma boninense, attacks the palm oil's root system, disrupting nutrient and water transport. The process is very slow and is only detected when the infection is severe, resulting in yellowing leaves, drooping crowns, and even plant death. Waste from ganoderma-infected trunks must be removed or destroyed from the plantation to prevent further spread. Like waste from palm oil trunks from replanting, this waste must also be properly managed.

The issue of biomass waste from palm oil trees, which covers thousands of hectares, also presents a challenge. With such a large volume of old palm oil trees, utilizing them to create value-added products is crucial. With such a large volume, biomass processing plants or industries can be established and operate optimally, without worrying about raw material shortages. Products such as pellets, briquettes, and biochar are made from this waste biomass from old palm oil trunks. Old, dead palm oil trunks, often left unattended on land, should be utilized to create these useful, value-added products.

As shown in the diagram above, the potential for utilizing biomass waste, particularly oil palm trunks, is enormous. In the future, industrializing bioeconomics into various products is highly feasible. Palm oil trunk waste should not only pollute the environment and increase costs for palm oil farmers, but instead, it should become a profitable industrial raw material.

Washed PKS for Decarbonization of Iron and Steel Plants

The steel industry contributes 8% of global CO2 emissions, with each ton of steel produced producing an average of 1.85 tons of CO2 emissions. Compared to iron ore mining, iron and steel production contributes significantly more to CO2 emissions. Decarbonization efforts in the steel industry begin with the use of renewable energy for smelting. Biomass-based fuels, such as charcoal, which has a high carbon value, can replace the use of coke derived from coal. The use of hydrogen from renewable energy sources is the ultimate decarbonization target for the steel industry.

Currently, the steel industry largely uses coal as an energy source or reducing agent. This coal is processed into coke and used in blast furnaces. It is estimated that approximately 70% of global steel production uses the blast furnace or BF-BO process, and in China, over 90% of steel production uses the BF-BOF process. To reduce carbon intensity, natural gas is used as the fuel. The use of natural gas as a gaseous fuel also acts as a transition medium and, because it is derived from fossil fuels, is also a carbon-positive fuel.

Nearly all CO2 emissions in the steel production sector come from blast furnaces (BFs), which refine iron ore into crude iron or pig iron. The challenge is significant: there are approximately 1,850 steel mills worldwide, with approximately 1,000 using blast furnaces, producing approximately 1.5 billion tons of pig iron annually.

The use of charcoal in a blast furnace not only reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions but also sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions due to its very low sulfur content (approximately 100 times lower) than coke. Likewise, the use of limestone is reduced, thereby automatically reducing slag production. This also makes the blast furnace's operation acidic.

The use of biomass-based carbon fuel (biocarbon) in the form of charcoal has a better climate impact because it is carbon-neutral. Furthermore, technically, because it is a solid fuel, similar to coke derived from coal, it requires little or no changes or modifications to the smelting furnace. However, the availability of high-quality charcoal, large volumes, and a continuous supply remain major constraints.

This makes the use of charcoal to replace coal-based coke in blast furnaces crucial. Charcoal, derived from biomass, is a renewable, sustainable material used as a reducing agent or fuel in blast furnaces. The chemical reaction separates oxygen atoms from iron atoms, emitting CO2. This converts iron ore (Fe2O3) into crude (pig) iron.

However, the difference lies in the fact that the carbon source used as a reducing agent or fuel in a blast furnace comes from renewable and sustainable sources, making it a carbon-neutral process. Conversely, using coke from coal, as it comes from a fossil fuel, is a carbon-positive process. Similarly, using natural gas as a carbon source for reducing agents or fuel in a blast furnace, although it is said to have lower carbon intensity, is also considered a carbon-neutral process.

The use of charcoal or biocarbon materials for metallurgy or steelmaking has actually been commonplace for some time. In the early 1900s, global charcoal production reached its peak, exceeding 500,000 tons. In the 1940s, charcoal production declined to nearly half its early 1900s levels due to the replacement of other carbon materials, such as coke from coal, in the manufacture of steel and other metals.

Charcoal is a fuel and reducing agent derived from biomass that has significant potential for use during this transition phase. Palm kernel shells (PKS) are a potential biomass raw material for charcoal production. Palm kernel shells (PKS) are available in the millions of tons, ensuring a reliable supply. Charcoal, a product of biomass carbonization or pyrolysis, has a high calorific value, high fixed carbon content, and stability. However, another factor, ash chemistry, influences the quality of the resulting steel. This is somewhat similar to the ash chemistry of wood pellets from calliandra or gliricidia energy plantations.

When used as a reducing agent in blast furnaces, charcoal must have a low phosphorus content, while wood pellets from calliandra or gliricidia energy plantations must have low potassium, sodium, and chlorine content. The potassium, sodium, and chlorine content of wood pellets affects the quality of the wood pellets and their use in power generation. Pulverized combustion power plants, widely used worldwide, will reject wood pellets with this quality. Similarly, blast furnaces will reject charcoal with a high phosphorus content.

To achieve this quality, low-phosphorus content, the palm kernel shells (PKS) must first be washed. After washing, the phosphorus content decreases, and they are then dried and pyrolyzed, or carbonized, to produce palm kernel shell charcoal (PKSC). The same applies to wood pellets. The only difference is that wood pellet production doesn't involve pyrolysis or carbonization; instead, after drying and achieving the desired particle size, the pellets undergo biomass densification in a pelletizer.

Steel production requires an average of 6,000 MJ of energy per ton (equivalent to 50 kg of hydrogen) or 200 kg of charcoal, and requires approximately 600-800 kg of woody biomass as raw material. With a calorific value nearly identical to woody biomass, this is equivalent to using palm oil mills (PKS), which are plantation or agro-industrial waste.

Meanwhile, demand for low-carbon steel is growing rapidly as steel industries and governments worldwide commit to reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels. The use of charcoal or biocarbon in blast furnaces is a key component of low-carbon steel production, as 100% of the steel is not yet produced using renewable energy. 

Maximizing Palm Oil Mill Profits with Cogeneration Utilization of EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) and Export of PKS (Palm Kernel Shells)

As a profit-oriented company, maximizing profits is a natural and ongoing endeavor. Besides increasing efficiency, innovation can also be pursued, creating or developing new businesses. This is especially true if the innovations involved in creating new businesses also address environmental issues, such as utilizing palm oil mill biomass waste. In palm oil mills, empty fruit bunch (EFB) waste is generally underutilized, or if utilized, it is still suboptimal or inadequate, such as composting empty fruit bunches (EFB).

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) are a significant biomass waste product from palm oil mills, accounting for approximately 22% of the total production, but are generally underutilized and pollute the environment. Utilizing EFB through cogeneration will not only address the problem of EFB, but also generate heat or energy to replace the use of palm kernel shells (PKS) as boiler fuel, and also produce high-quality organic potassium ash fertilizer.

If the PKS used for boiler fuel reaches 50%, then using this technology means that 50% of the PKS can be recovered, or 100% of the PKS can be sold or exported. For example, a palm oil mill normally sells 3,000 tons of PKS per month. With this technology, the mill can sell 6,000 tons of PKS per month. This would certainly increase the supply of PKS significantly.

Even if applied on a larger/macro scale, namely in Indonesia with CPO production of around 50 million tons/year, the actual production of PKS is around 12.5 million tons/year. However, with the current practice of utilizing PKS as boiler fuel, say reaching 50% of PKS production, the actual amount of PKS that can be sold/exported by palm oil mills is 6.25 million tons/year. Now, with the use of this technology or the installation of equipment (EFB furnace cogeneration), the amount of PKS that can be sold/exported will be close to or equal to the PKS production in the mass balance or diagram above (not subtracting the amount burned in the palm oil mill boiler).

The demand for palm kernel shells (PKS) is increasing in line with the global decarbonization trend. In fact, PKS is a major competitor for wood pellets in the global biomass fuel market. Large PKS users come from Japan and Europe. PKS exports to Japan typically reach around 10,000 tons per shipment, while those to Europe typically reach a minimum of 30,000 tons per shipment due to the longer distances and the use of handymax or even panamax vessels. Cogeneration of empty fruit bunch (EFB) furnaces with palm oil mill boilers will increase the volume of PKS that can be sold or exported. Implementing this technological innovation, besides being the fastest and most practical, also offers multiple benefits, making it worthy of consideration. It could even become a trend and even a standard operating procedure in Indonesia's approximately 1,000 palm oil mills.

Water Related Problems in Cooling Towers

The constant trickle of water can hollow out rocks. Furthermore, a continuous flow of water will gradually erode everything in its path. A more dramatic and spectacular example is the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Furthermore, if the flowing water is hot, it will erode or dissolve the solids it passes through (leaching) more quickly than cold water. By the time the hot water returns to the cooling tower, it is already full of suspended solids. The cooling tower, as a means of dissipating heat, flows hot water from the top of the tower, and cool air from the surrounding environment that comes into contact with the warm water absorbs the heat. As a result, the water becomes cooler and the air becomes warmer.

Hot water also tends to be corrosive and form deposits. This is why the materials used to construct cooling towers must be durable and able to withstand large temperature differences. Certain types of wood and plastic can be used for cooling tower construction. If the materials are of poor quality, the cooling tower construction will be short-lived and even dangerous. When hot water enters the cooling tower and mixes with suspended solids, some of the water evaporates, leaving the suspended solids behind. This suspended solids-rich liquid concentrates in the sump at the bottom of the cooling tower. Over time, the concentration of these suspended solids increases until it reaches a level that must be controlled by removing it from the system, known as blowdown.

The outside air that comes into contact with the water from the cooling tower contains dust or small particles, as well as microorganisms such as various bacteria, fungal spores, and algae. These dust or small particles become suspended and accumulate/concentrate, forming deposits in the form of mud or crust. In the presence of sunlight, these microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae, photosynthesize, multiplying and increasing in number. Pathogenic bacteria like Legionella can even cause Legionnaires' disease. This mud and algae contaminate and clog heat exchanger tubes, accelerating their corrosion.

In the heat exchanger, if the scale thickness is 0.3 mm, it is estimated that there will be a heat/energy loss of 10% and if the scale thickness is 0.6 mm, it is estimated that there will be a heat/energy loss of 23%. And in general, fouling causes an annual energy/heat loss of around 15%, so it requires maintenance and pipe replacement every 3–5 years. If not handled properly, heat/energy loss due to fouling can reach up to 70% after five years. Fungi and bacteria will cause wood to rot/decompose, making it brittle and destroyed. Likewise, oxidation reactions on metal surfaces, because these metals release electrons or capture oxygen, causing corrosion on the metal. Corrosion on metal causes the metal to become increasingly eroded, brittle and damaged.

Maintaining water quality from various contaminants in a cooling tower, which volume thousands of tons per hour and operates 24 hours a day, is certainly not simple. Only by maintaining this water quality can the cooling tower's performance and lifespan meet its design targets. Using effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly technology is the best option. Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) technology is an innovation to address these issues. This technological approach effectively, efficiently, and environmentally friendly addresses various water issues in cooling towers. For example, in algae cells, ions from the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) attack the sulfide groups contained in amino acids in the remaining proteins involved in photosynthesis. As a result, photosynthesis is inhibited, and the cells dissolve or disintegrate. If algae and microbial cells remain, their regrowth is inhibited by the AOP ions in the water, thus preventing algae growth. During this process, bacteria are also killed or rendered inactive.

The second example is the rust prevention mechanism of pipes. Iron (Fe) loses electrons according to the oxidation reaction and forms rust. However, when the AOP material participates in this reaction and releases electrons first, the iron is prevented from releasing electrons, thus suppressing rust formation. The rusted iron is converted to black rust through the AOP reaction, forming a dense oxide film that prevents further corrosion and protects the pipe and structure.

And the third example is the scale prevention mechanism. When water passes through the AOP system, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) ions—the components that cause hardness—are removed through crystallization in the liquid phase, thus softening the water. The resulting calcium carbonate particles cannot adhere to pipes. In hard water containing calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) ions, needle-like scale structures typically form and adhere to pipe walls. Through AOP treatment, scale-forming ions undergo particle growth in the liquid phase, forming spherical particles ranging in size from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers.

According to the Gibbs–Kelvin formula, the volumetric free energy is reduced and the adhesive force is lost, thus preventing it from sticking to the pipe walls. Scale will accumulate at the bottom of the basin and be removed by a blowdown mechanism. In addition, this AOP technology will also remove scale that has already stuck to the pipes (scale removal existing pipes) and also the sterilization effect which is also very important for the quality of the cooling tower water such as preventing wood rot/decaying and killing pathogenic bacteria, both of these aspects will be explained on another occasion, Insha Allah.

To measure cooling tower performance based on the problems encountered and the solutions implemented, several parameters are used. These parameters include:
• Water pH
• Total dissolved solids (TDS)
• Tower equipment checklist
• Filters and strainers
• Wet bulb temperature and humidity

Meanwhile, safety in cooling towers is also important and needs to be considered. These include:
• Chemical additives (if used and not yet using AOP technology)
• Rotating equipment
• Dangers of hot water
• Working at heights
• Working safely on the cooling tower.
• Equipment failures
• Metal corrosion and wood rot/decay

The use of cooling towers can be said to be an important and fundamental equipment for industrial operations in general. Starting from power plants that still use fossil energy, cofiring or biomass power plants to geothermal power plants, data centers, chemical industries, biorefinery industries, petrochemical industries, iron and steel industries, food industries, pharmaceutical industries, textile industries, pulp and paper industries and so on. Related to the era of decarbonization and sustainability / sustainability of the use of renewable energy such as biomass including wood pellets and palm kernel shells / PKS as part of carbon neutral fuels or carbon negative such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) to biochar, of course environmentally friendly technology, especially easy to operate, affordable investment costs to repair-maintenance, will be an option for these industries, such as AOP technology for water conditioning in cooling towers so as to provide significant savings.