Slowing Palm Oil Land Expansion: Replanting or Biochar ?

The reckless expansion of palm oi plantations is definitely offside sustainability. Instead of palm oil being a blessing due to their highest productivity among other vegetable oil sources (soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed, coconuts, etc.), growing only in tropical regions and contributing 40% of the global vegetable oil supply, they have instead become a natural disaster. The cost of this disaster is no small matter, costing thousands of lives, in addition to other material losses. This issue was particularly highlighted during the recent floods in Sumatra. Are the profits from palm oil worth the loss of life?

Clearing tens or even hundreds of thousands of hectares of oil palm plantations produces valuable timber. It's even possible to generate substantial profits from land clearing alone, even though palm oil plantations and production haven't even begun. This is what drives entrepreneurs to flock to this plantation sector, driven by the sole goal of maximizing profits without considering their own needs, resulting in widespread disasters. Furthermore, the implementation of mandatory B-40 or even B-50 biodiesel, currently being discussed, will undoubtedly create a new market for palm oil/CPO, much easier and more flexible than exporting to Europe, which is subject to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), or to the US, which faces high tariffs.

Moreover, it has already been established that palm oil/CPO consumption for biodiesel has exceeded food demand. The mandatory implementation of the B-50 program also requires a 20% increase in CPO production capacity, or 60 million tons per year. The most profitable and fastest way to do this is through extensive deforestation, as the timber from cleared forests can be sold directly.

When the goal is to increase palm oil production gradually, safely, in a planned, and sustainable manner, adequate consideration is required, not blindly and recklessly clearing forest areas (deforestation) under the guise of land conversion. Besides the use of superior seeds, there are at least two ways to increase palm oil productivity: replanting and biochar application (part of land intensification).

According to Joko Supriyono, former chairman of GAPKI (Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association) for the 2015-2018 and 2018-2023 periods, in his book "Is Indonesian Palm Oil Still Successful?", it is stated that if replanting of palm oil in Indonesia successfully reaches 300 thousand hectares per year, it is estimated that CPO and CPKO production in 2045 will reach 80 million tons. While currently CPO and CPKO production is around 55 million tons. And with the use of biochar, palm oil productivity will increase by an average of 30% in 5-10 years, meaning that by 2035 CPO and CPKO production will reach 71.5 million tons. Moreover, if the two methods are combined, the results should be even better.

Indonesia's current CPO production reaches approximately 50 million tons/year, covering a land area of ​​16.8 million hectares with an average CPO production of 3.55 tons/ha per hectare, or 3.55 million tons per million hectares. If biochar is used and productivity increases by 30%, this means an increase of 15 million tons of CPO (a total of 65 million tons of CPO/year) and this saves approximately 4.2 million hectares of land, or the use of biochar will slow down forest clearing for palm oil plantations. The application of biochar with compost will improve the quality of the compost to become premium compost. For more details, read here. This allows the palm oil industry to operate by utilizing all its biomass waste.

The replanting movement of palm oil plantations must be encouraged to continuously increase palm oil production. The problem of biomass waste from palm oil trees, which cover thousands of hectares, also poses a challenge. With such a large volume of old palm oil trees, utilizing them for value-added products is crucial. With an average hectare of palm oil plantations consisting of 125 trees, each tree having an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, this yields 50 tons of dry weight of biomass per hectare. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this yields 0.5 million tons of dry weight, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million tons of dry weight. An optimistic estimate suggests that Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting (very optimistic) or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million tons of dry weight of biomass per year. Similarly, Malaysia, with 5% replanting or 285,000 hectares, would produce 14.25 million tons of dry weight per year.

Business readiness factors, both technologically and in terms of the market or user base, need to be carefully assessed. 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, biochar, and other bioproducts, such as other biocarbons, biomaterials, biofuels, and biochemicals, are also possible from this old palm oil trunk biomass waste. Old, dead oil palm trunks, often left unattended on land, should be utilized to produce these useful, value-added products. For more details on utilizing trunk waste for fuel pellet production (OPT Pellets), please read here. 

AI for Palm Oil Mills or New Product Development with New Process Design?

AI applications have penetrated various sectors, including palm oil mills or CPO mills. AI applications for palm oil mills are still relatively new, so few, if any, have implemented them. One palm oil mill that has implemented AI is Minsawi Industries in Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia, with a capacity of 45 tons of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per hour. The use of AI has resulted in annual savings of RM 1.6 million (Rp 6.24 billion) due to reduced oil loss, reduced maintenance costs, and a 33% reduction in labor. However, there are concerns that using AI for palm oil mills could potentially lead to job losses. Even with fewer workers, incomes are higher.

The cost-to-benefit ratio is certainly a crucial consideration for any new technology, including the use of AI. The amount of money spent must yield equivalent or greater benefits. In the case of the AI ​​application in the palm oil mill, the cost of the AI ​​was RM 5 million (~Rp 19.5 billion), meaning that with savings of RM 1.6 million per year, the investment in the AI ​​equipment would be recovered in approximately three years. This is a reasonable return on investment. However, investing that much to improve efficiency in an existing mill, or for example, 15% of the main mill, requires comprehensive consideration.

Several devices, such as sensors, predictive tools, and AI applications, are integrated to improve the efficiency of palm oil (CPO) production. More specifically, the key components of an AI-based palm oil mill include: first, advanced sensors. These sensors are installed throughout the palm oil mill to obtain real-time data on critical parameters such as temperature, pressure, amperage, and machine performance. Second, AI-enabled CCTV cameras. Several cameras are installed at strategic locations to monitor key areas, such as detecting the volume of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and their quality, and providing this information to control the production process. Third, an AI-driven control system. These systems automatically optimize processes, manage equipment operations, and utilize resources based on real-time data analysis.

Meanwhile, developing new products means increasing the added value of existing materials. This increased added value can be far greater than that gained from increasing factory efficiency through AI applications. Raw materials that were previously underutilized or even discarded, polluting the environment, can generate significant benefits from developing new products. While optimizing factory performance is crucial for achieving high efficiency, innovation in new product development is equally crucial.

In the palm oil industry, new product development can be achieved by creating various derivatives from crude palm oil (CPO) and processing various biomass waste from palm oil operations, both from mills and plantations. Numerous products can be produced from these processes. For example, CPO derivatives produce biofuels such as biodiesel, cooking oil, stearin, olein, and so on. Biomass waste can be processed into bioenergy, biocarbons, biofuels, biomaterials, and biochemicals.

 

Designing efficient production processes is crucial for producing competitive products. Likewise, low-emission production, minimizing waste, or even zero waste, is also a key focus. Integrating various production processes, particularly for energy savings, including waste heat recovery, is highly feasible, enabling efficiency and lower production costs. The significant benefits of AI applications in palm oil mills or CPO production include the potential for further use in new product development, including designing the most efficient production processes possible.

Ultimately, if the development of these new products can be carried out and AI is integrated, the need for labor will increase in these business units, even if each business unit is operating efficiently. The production of various derivative products, including specialty chemicals, is highly possible with the development of new products that keep pace with the times. Furthermore, on the plantation side, AI and mechanization can also be utilized to reduce 3D (dirty, dangerous, demeaning) jobs, resulting in more efficient work and increased income. Even mechanization in oil palm plantations is still low, making it more urgent than AI applications. 

Replanting Palm Oil Plantations and Utilizing Old Palm Oil Trunks Waste (Presentation Version)

Aging plants are one factor in declining palm oil productivity. Palm oil trees begin to decline in productivity after 20 years and need to be replaced after 25 years. Therefore, rejuvenation or replanting must be carried out periodically according to the age of the trees.

Furthermore, the demand for palm oil continues to grow in line with global population growth. For the domestic market, biofuel use takes the form of a mandatory 40% palm oil blend in biodiesel (B40) this year, which is being reviewed to increase to 50% (B50) by 2026, and a 3% blend for jet fuel by 2026. Demand for the international market also continues to grow. The main destinations for Indonesian palm oil are India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Egypt, and South Africa.

Replanting palm oil plantations is crucial because it maintains sustainable palm oil productivity and prevents or reduces deforestation for new lands. The potential volume of old palm oil trunk waste generated is enormous, and there are numerous utilization options, including bioenergy, biocarbon, biomaterials, biofuels, and biochemicals.

To read and access the presentation, please download here. 

Competing in Goodness in Lowering the Earth's Temperature

Competing to lower the global temperature is a good thing. Competing in good deeds is highly encouraged in Islam. The negative impacts of global warming can be felt on land and at sea, and therefore must be minimized. This is why various parties involved in this effort should collaborate and synergize to achieve this goal. The business aspect of this activity should be a secondary priority, so that a spirit of good deeds, collaboration, and synergy will be fostered. Technically, strategic sectors that are the main causes of global warming are an important priority to address, although other, more pressing matters must also take precedence.

There is an excess concentration of carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere that causes the earth's temperature to rise due to the greenhouse gas effect, but on the other hand there are billions of hectares of land on earth that need carbon in the form of biochar to increase soil fertility as well as to absorb CO2 in the atmosphere with carbon sequestration / carbon sink. If these two things can be synchronized, it will be an effective solution to reduce the earth's temperature. In 2024, CO2 emissions from fossil fuels were recorded at around 36.3 giga tons (36.3 billion metric tons) and the latest CO2 concentration according to the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii reached 429.25 ppm (on June 24, 2025). Meanwhile, on the land side, globally an estimated 1.66 billion hectares of land have been degraded due to human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mismanaged irrigation, and excessive use of chemicals. 

Biomass fuel, produced by producing wood chips and wood pellets, or biofuel, is a carbon-neutral renewable fuel or source, thus complementing biochar. Wood chips and wood pellets, or biofuel, do not increase CO2 emissions, and biochar absorbs CO2, acting as a carbon sink (carbon sequestration), or carbon-negative. 

Bioeconomy in a Tropical Country “Biomass Heaven”

Indonesia is believed to be a tropical country of biomass heaven so this needs to be translated into a more concrete form so that it can be understood, executed so that it is proven and the potential can be utilized optimally. There is so much potential that should be used to support the welfare of its people. The simple diagram below illustrates so many things that can be done in a tropical country "biomass heaven".

The availability of raw materials is a vital and absolute factor so that various biomass processing can be carried out and sustainable. On the other hand, there is a lot of land potentials that can be utilized for this purpose, the amount of which reaches tens of millions of hectares, namely critical land / marginal land, dry land and post-mining land (coal mines, tin mines, nickel mines, copper mines, gold mines and so on). In more detail, it is estimated that for critical / marginal land it reaches 24.3 million hectares (Times Indonesia, 2017) while dry land reaches 122.1 million ha consisting of dry acid land covering 108.8 million ha and dry climate dry land covering 13.3 million ha and post-mining damaged land reaching 8 million hectares. Energy plantations or biomass plantations need to be created in these land areas and can even be used for various food crops. Even now there are plant species that can only be economically viable on these lands.

Both energy and biomass plantations can be planted with various plants that support sustainable bioeconomy in line with decarbonization, including calliandra, gliricidia, bamboo, calophyllum inophyllum, coconut and even oil palm, including food crops such as rice, corn and soybeans. The selection of plant species will be adjusted to the product to be made, land conditions, and technological and business readiness.

Meanwhile, biomass waste that is currently produced annually, especially from the agricultural and forestry sectors, which also amounts to millions of tons, can be optimized so that in addition to reducing or avoiding environmental pollution, it will also provide added economic value, environmental and social benefits. The utilization of biomass, both from agricultural and forestry waste or from energy plantations and biomass plantations, will be a sustainable bioeconomy activity and in line with the global decarbonization trend that is in line with climate solutions.
 

PAO and UCO Become Bio-Jet Fuel

Decarbonization has entered all lines including the air transportation sector. Aviation fuel must also gradually shift from fossil fuels to sustainable renewable fuels. However, decarbonization in this sector is still slow, namely currently only around 0.01% of the use of sustainable renewable fuels or SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) globally for these aircraft. These barriers include technological maturity or technological readiness, certification for SAF conversion or production process routes, scale up and commercialization, price gaps with fossil fuels, and competition with biofuels in the land transportation sector. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) has initiated a reduction in GHG emissions for global aviation. Using the 2019 baseline, it is estimated that around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions need to be offset / reduced in the 2021-2035 period to achieve carbon neutral growth. CORSIA also plans its implementation in three phases, namely the pilot phase in 2021-2023, the first phase in 2024-2026 and the second phase in 2027-2035. Participation of member countries is voluntary in the first two phases (2021-2026) and mandatory in the 2027 phase and beyond, except for the least developed countries, small developing countries and landlocked countries.

Until now, HVO / HEFA - SPK (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids-Synthesized paraffinic kerosene) technology using vegetable oil including waste oil is the only technology that is most ready for the conversion or production of SAF. Currently, the technology readiness level (TRL) and feedstock readiness level (FRL) are at level 9, meaning that it is the most ready among other conversion technology routes. One of the advantages of HVO technology is the flexibility of using various feedstocks / raw materials so that waste oil such as PAO or mico from palm oil mill ponds and also used cooking oil or used cooking oil or UCO are also very potential to be converted into SAF with HVO technology. But in fact, even though HVO technology can directly produce SAF, most of the HVO technology is used for the production of diesel engine fuel for land transportation or commonly called green diesel or renewable diesel. Green diesel or renewable diesel is different from biodiesel or FAME-based biodiesel which is produced by the transesterification process. And green diesel or renewable diesel from HVO also has a number of advantages compared to FAME based biodiesel.

HVO production is also not a new technology. Globally, there are a number of large-capacity commercial HVO plants that use vegetable oil as raw material. The largest plants are Neste in Rotterdam and Singapore with a capacity of 1.28 billion liters per year and Diamond Green Diesel in Louisiana with a capacity of 1.04 billion liters per year. HVO production is closer to petroleum refining technology than conventional diesel production. This is why oil and gas companies may be more interested in developing it than palm oil companies or conventional biodiesel companies. Palm oil mills have raw materials / feedstock, while oil and gas companies may be more relevant to downstream development because of the readiness to adapt technology and develop end products.

HVO is produced by hydrogenation and hydrocracking of vegetable oils and animal fats using hydrogen and catalysts at high temperature and pressure. In this hydrotreating process, oxygen is released from the feedstock consisting of triglycerides and / or fatty acids. This will produce straight chain hydrocarbons (paraffins) with various properties and molecular sizes depending on the characteristics of the raw materials and the operating conditions of the process being carried out. This conversion usually goes through two stages, namely hydrotreatment followed by hydrocracking / isomerization. This hydrotreatment process is usually carried out at a temperature of 300 -390 C and for triglyceride treatment, propane is usually produced as a by-product. The final product of straight chain hydrocarbons can be adjusted according to certain fuel types such as bio jet fuel or SAF. Currently HVO is the third most common biofuel in the world after ethanol and FAME based biodiesel.

PAO is produced as waste or by-product of palm oil mills. PAO will always be produced because palm oil mills cannot have an efficiency level of 100% and the less efficient the palm oil mill, the more oil becomes waste or by-product in the form of PAO. It is estimated that there are currently 1 million tons of PAO in Indonesia and 0.5 million liters in Malaysia or a total of 1.5 million tons. As for UCO or used cooking oil with the use of cooking oil reaching 1.55 million tons/year assuming 10% can be recovered as used cooking oil or UCO, 155 thousand tons/year are produced. In addition to being part of the effort to overcome waste both in palm oil mills and households that pollute the environment, the production of SAF or bio-jet fuel has also contributed to the decarbonization of the air transportation sector. With HVO / HEFA technology that is able to process waste oil such as PAO and UCO, the more PAO and UCO that can be processed, the better.

Biofuel or Electric Vehicle First?

The decarbonization trend continues and has penetrated almost all lines, including the transportation sector. In the transportation sector, there are 2 things that can be done, namely the use of fuel from renewable energy or biofuel and the use of emission-free vehicles such as electric vehicles. In vehicles with 100% renewable energy or biofuel, the emissions produced are carbon neutral (even though the emissions contain CO2) while electric vehicles produce no emissions at all because there is no combustion process in the operation of the electric vehicle.

Currently, the majority of vehicles are vehicles with internal combustion engine technology, so they use fuel for their operations and the most widely used fuel is fossil fuel, especially in liquid form or liquid fuel. To achieve carbon neutral conditions, this fuel must be replaced with 100% biofuel. But currently, even though the use of biofuel has been carried out, the portion is not yet 100%. Indeed, technically there are restrictions on the use of biofuel so that it cannot be 100% like bioethanol, so this is also a concern. However, of course efforts to use 100% biofuel will also be the main target, apart from the emissions factor to achieve carbon neutral conditions, internal combustion engine technology is also the majority so it only needs minor modifications or even no modifications at all.

Another fact is that currently most electric vehicles still use electrical energy sources from fossil fuel power plants, especially coal. Even though these electric vehicles are non-emissions, basically the energy source is fossil energy, only the locations are far apart. Electric cars as a new product are also generally more expensive, even double or more than cars in general. This condition also affects the amount of use of the cars or electric vehicles themselves.

Indonesia as a tropical country has enormous potential as a biofuel producer because various plants or trees can grow well. Even though palm oil is currently the largest vegetable oil producing crop and Indonesia is ranked first in the world with an area of palm oil plantations reaching around 15 million hectares, the oil from palm oil competes with edible oil and the maintenance costs are high. not cheap. Meanwhile, vegetable oil from energy trees such as nyamplung (calophyllum inophyllum), apart from its oil productivity, is not inferior to palm oil, and the oil does not compete with edible oil, read more details here. Apart from that, the nyamplung tree, which grows well in areas near the coast, also provides its own advantages, namely because Indonesia has the second longest coastline in the world after Canada, namely 99,093 km and the nyamplung tree is also a multi-purpose tree. Meanwhile, biofuel from biomass waste can also be done, but because production costs are still expensive, it still requires a number of stages for implementation.

Under these conditions, the development of biofuel, especially from trees such as nyamplung, should be prioritized. Meanwhile, even though electric vehicles are emission free, their electricity source still uses fossil fuels. Efforts to reduce fossil fuels in power plants by cofiring have been carried out but the portion is still very small, so the climate benefits are not yet significant. If the source of electrical energy can be 100% renewable energy, then the use of electric vehicles can also be said to be like the use of 100% biofuel in internal combustion engines.

2nd Generation Biofuel with Biodiesel Production from Calophyllum Inophyllum and the Like

Biodiesel production from CPO is a 1st generation biofuel where the raw material competes with food products, which of course is not good. Biodiesel production from oils that do not compete with food products will be much better. The image of producers and even their country will also be improved if the program can be carried out on a massive scale. There are a number of trees that produce oil for biodiesel production. The selectivity of plant types related to productivity, climatic conditions and so on is certainly a serious consideration if production is on an industrial scale. Nyamplung oil (calophyllum inophyllum oil) is one of the best solutions because apart from high oil productivity, the productive period is long, and the logs after the productive period are also economical or have high selling value.

The productivity of calophyllum inophyllum oil competes with palm oil, whose productivity is around 6 tons/hectare/year, but caring for calophyllum inophyllum trees is easier and cheaper. Meanwhile, jathropha has lower productivity so it is less attractive and profitable to develop. Calophyllum inophyllum trees that grow well in the lowlands or on the coast will be very suitable for Indonesia as an archipelagic country. Indonesia has a coastline of 99,093 km or the second longest in the world after Canada. And it would be even better if the calophyllum inophyllum plantations on the coast also coincided with coconut planting. Indonesia is famous for its land of coconut islands, which generally grow well in coastal areas. Coconut trees also have many benefits from almost all their parts. If this happens, optimization of renewable energy production, namely biofuel in the form of biodiesel from calophyllum inophyllum oil and food products, especially those based on coconuts.

The transportation sector itself contributes 14% of CO2 emissions globally or 27% in Indonesia. Biodiesel produced by transesterfication reaction (C6-C22 chain) has very similar properties to diesel oil so it can be used 100% in diesel engines without the need for modification or mixing/blending with certain portions. Biodiesel contains 10% oxygen and zero sulfur, which makes engine combustion more complete and efficient. Liquid fuel also has its own advantages over gas fuel, including easy use and storage, and most existing vehicles use liquid fuel, so they can be used straight away. The development of biofuel as a carbon neutral fuel needs to be prioritized as part of decarbonization, especially for 2nd Generation Biofuel because it does not conflict or compete with food.

For 2nd generation biofuel from biomass or lignocelullosic biomass (such as wood waste), biodiesel production is still high cost. There are two process routes for biodiesel production from lignocelullosic biomass, namely gasification for syngas production followed by the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process and fast pyrolysis for biooil production followed by hydrotreating and catalytic cracking processes. This is what makes biodiesel production in this way not possible even though it is technically possible. The raw materials for lignocellulosic biomass are much cheaper because they are generally categorized as biomass waste. However, the complexity of the production process makes production costs expensive, so it is not yet an option.

Meanwhile, for 3rd generation biofuel, namely from microalgae, even though the potential is huge, the productivity can even be more than 16 times the productivity of palm oil or calophyllum inophyllum oil (6 tons/hectare/year for palm oil and calophyllum inophyllum, while oil from microalgae reaches 100 tons/hectare/year ) but it seems that it still takes time to enter the commercialization stage. Problems related to cultivation, harvesting and oil extraction also still require extensive research. By producing biodiesel from calophyllum inophyllum oil, biodiesel production from CPO can be gradually reduced. The larger the calophyllum inophyllum plantation, the greater the biodiesel product produced, so that palm oil or CPO can be specialized as edible oil or specifically a food product. Likewise, it is hoped that oil from coconut will increase along with the growth and development of biodiesel production from calophyllum inophyllum oil.

Calophyllum Tree and Coconut Tree

Calophyllum trees and coconut trees have something in common, namely that they can grow well in coastal areas, all parts of the tree can be used and bear fruit throughout the year. With the length of the coastline of Indonesia reaching 99,093 km, it is very potential to develop these two plants. The calophyllum tree has non-edible oil but its productivity is almost the same as palm oil or crude palm oil (CPO), so it is very potential for biodiesel production. Whereas palm oil trees are the largest producer of vegetable oil. Why not biodiesel production from Jatropha ? For more detailed answers, read here. Meanwhile, coconut trees which are well known as multi-benefit plants are certainly very strategic and have the potential to be developed, especially now that the coconut tree population continues to decline due to the lack of replanting of old coconut plantations. Unlike the calophyllum tree, all the results are not food products, many processed coconut products are in the form of food products. The need for processed coconut food products continues to increase along with the increasing population. Issues of food and energy can also be overcome at the same time with these two plants.

The productivity of calophyllum is around 30 years, while coconut is longer, reaching around 80 years. Calophyllum tree wood has a high economic value as well as coconut trees. When the productive period of the two plants continues to produce fruit and when productivity decreases or stops, the wood becomes the ultimate product of high economic value. When compared to palm oil trees when their productive age runs out, the wood or trunk in general is still a problem, not even a few are just left in the plantation because it is not economical to process further, more details can be read here. Meanwhile, other forestry woods usually take decades before they can be harvested and there are no other products besides the wood. Of course, this is quite economically difficult and sometimes even not feasible.

Photo is taken from here

Calophyllum trees and coconut trees are also easy and inexpensive to care for, unlike palm oil trees which require a lot of water and fertilizer. Both also support agroforestry on the coast, as well as being a wind breaker. This encourages faster economic growth in coastal areas, and even becomes a tourist destination. Furthermore, for agroforestry systems, one of them can be distinguished based on its function, namely into a production function and a protection function. Production functions such as food production, feed, fuel such as biodiesel, fiber, wood and others. Meanwhile, protection functions such as prevention from damage to environmental resources as well as maintenance of production system such as hedges, water retention, fire prevention, soil and water conservation. 

The choice of plant species is very important in making agroforestry patterns, because mistakes that occur will have a long and detrimental impact. Species that are suitable not only in terms of growth, economic value and adaptability to a particular environment, but also their ability to form an ideal growth structure when growing together with other species on the same land. The choice of this type is very dependent on the wishes of the land owner, the conditions of the place to grow, the economic value and the ease of cultivation.

Calophyllum Inophyllum Plantation Don't Lose With Palm Oil Plantation

Calophyllum inophyllum has high commercial value wood. Forests in Indonesia contain around 4000 species of trees, with 267 of them being traded. Wood from trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae is the most important group such as meranti, keruing, kapur and mersawa. In addition, a number of tree species are also quite important, namely koompasia, palaquium, dyera, callophyllum inophyllum, octomeles sumatrana and gonystylus bancanus (ramin). Callophyllum inophyllum wood is rather light to medium and soft, but dense, wrinkled, to the point of not being able to split. Callophyllum inophyllum wood has two colors, namely gray or pseudo-yellow and brick red with finer veins and straighter fibers. Callophyllum inophyllum wood is classified as durable class II and very durable in sea water. Callophyllum inophyllum wood including commercial wood is often used as boards, beams, poles, flooring, boats, canoes, crates and tables, shipbuilding, railway sleepers, household furniture and so on. Fishing communities on the coast usually use the wood to make boats.

Until now, the potential for callophyllum inophyllum in Indonesia is still not known with certainty, but from the interpretation of Landsat7 ETM satellite imagery in 2003 on all coasts in Indonesia it is estimated that the natural stands of callophyllum inophyllum reach a total area of 480,000 hectares and most of it (about 60%) is in forest areas. Callophyllum inophyllum stands generally grow in mixed forest types, in natural forests with types of ketapang, malapari, waru laut, keben, pandan laut and others. While in planted forests, callophyllum inophyllum grows with acacia, mahogany, eucalyptus, melinjo, jackfruit, duku, durian and others. Callophyllum inophyllum grows closest at a position of 50-1000 meters from the shoreline with very variable tree densities. Nyamplung tree height can reach 25 meters and a trunk diameter of 1.5 meters.

Calophyllum inophyllum oil production, especially for biofuel production, can be done while waiting for wood production. This biofuel production has even become the main activity of this callophyllum inophyllum cultivation because it can be done for decades until finally the productivity of plants decreases, trees are cut down and replaced by new plants. The yield of calophyllum inophyllum oil, which is almost the same as crude palm oil or CPO, which is 5 tons/hectare and does not compete with edible oil, makes calophyllum inophyllum oil very potential to be developed. Biodiesel from calophyllum inophyllum oil also provides an answer to the failure of the jatropha biodiesel program some time ago, for more details read here. With Indonesia's coastline reaching 99,093 km, the production of biofuel from calophyllum inophyllum will be very large as will wood and its processed products. If we compare it with palm oil plantation, when their productive period is over, logging and utilization of palm oil trunks cause many problems, even many are just left in the plantation. Leaving oil palm trunks in the plantation until they are rotten turns out to also cause its own problems, namely as a place for growing larvae that damage coconut trees, read in more detail here. This is of course very different from the calophyllum inophyllum tree, which when the tree is old, the quality of the wood gets better, as well as the selling price. 

In addition, various agroforestry practices can be carried out on the calophyllum inophyllum plantation because it can be mixed-culture and other functions as wind breaker so that other plants will also be protected. The practice of mixed plantation or mixed culture can hardly be done on palm oil plantations so that the output is only one kind, namely fresh fruit bunches (FFB). Meanwhile, with mixed plantations, the output can also vary from food crops such as fruits, tubers and so on. The maintenance costs, especially fertilization, are also very large in palm oil plantations and this is the highest cost component in palm oil plantation operations. To continue to maintain its level of performance, of course, the need for fertilizer for oil palm plantations is very large, while in calophyllum inophyllum plantations it is smaller. The need for water for palm oil plantations is also very large, while in calophyllum inophyllum plantations it can even remain productive on dry soils. 

Of course all efforts depend on the goals to be achieved. Likewise with this calophyllum inophyllum cultivation. In addition to having many advantages compared to palm oil plantations as described above, the calophyllum inophyllum tree also has a number of advantages compared to other wood-producing trees. For wood-producing trees, such as teak, it takes a minimum of 20 years and during that time there is almost no income, so it is economically difficult. While in calophyllum inophyllum seeds are produced throughout the year as the raw material for the biofuel. Palm oil plantations are currently estimated to have reached around 15 million hectares with one of the oil being allocated for biofuel or especially biodiesel, so that if the calophyllum inophyllum plantation is developed, all biodiesel from calophyllum inophyllum oil can be made so that the palm oil plantation does not need to be expanded anymore. The existing calophyllum inophyllum plantations were developed and intensified so that they were sufficient for the required biodiesel production. In addition, the need for wood for various purposes can also be met from the calophyllum inophyllum plantation.

The Failure of Jatropha Biodiesel and the Opportunity of Calophyllum

Experience is the best teacher as the saying goes. And this also applies to biofuels. Don't let failures in the past happen again, because only fools fall into the same hole twice. The production of biodiesel from Jatropha (jatropha curcas) has been widely campaigned to become a national trending topic at that time, but in fact biodiesel from Jatropha is not economical or is still too expensive so the program stops automatically. One of these factors is the low oil yield from Jatropha seeds which is only around 25%, while calophyllum (Calophyllum inophyllum L) reaches an average of 50%. Moreover, the average productivity per hectare of Jatropha curcas is on average less than 10 tons/hectare, while calophyllum averages 10 tons/hectare. With the 50% yield with a productivity per hectare of more than 10 tons/hectare, the resulting calophyllum oil 5 tons of oil per hectare is more or less the same as crude palm oil CPO, making it more economical to produce. With a yield of about 25% with an average productivity of 20 tons/hectare of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), 5 tons of CPO will be produced, the same as calophyllum. Whereas palm oil is also the largest vegetable oil producing plant, so calophyllum oil is also not far from this condition.

 

Biofuel and especially biofuel from vegetable oils are classified as carbon neutral fuels, because they come from plants as a product of photosynthesis that requires CO2, so when burned it will also return the same amount of CO2 to the atmosphere. The use of carbon neutral fuels is very beneficial for the earth's atmosphere, thereby increasing greenhouse gases that increase the earth's temperature. Judging from the oil composition between jatropha oil, calophyllum oil and palm oil, it is also almost the same as the table above. Indeed, the two sources of biodiesel, both Jatropha and calophyllum, will both be carbon neutral fuels or more correctly carbon neutral liquid fuels, but the economic factor will ultimately determine the commercial production. Meanwhile, from the carbon neutral solid fuel group, we can find for example in wood chips, wood pellets, and palm kernel shells (PKS).

The advantages of calophyllum specifically as biodiesel raw material are first, calophyllum oil does not compete with food oil, secondly, this calophyllum plant grows and spreads evenly naturally in Indonesia, regenerates easily, bears fruit throughout the year and shows high survival power to the environment including with high-salinity soils along the coast. Third, the plant are relatively easy to cultivate, either monoculture or mixed culture, this makes a number of agroforestry practices possible. In palm oil plantation this is very difficult to do, so that we find today almost all palm oil plantations are monoculture or plantation of similar plant. Fourth, almost all parts of the plant can be utilized and have economic value, and fifth, the calophyllum plant stand can be useful as a wind breaker and conservation along the coast. Under these conditions, the opportunity for the development of calophyllum for biofuel is getting bigger.