The government of Malaysia announced its National Biomass Strategy (NBS) in November 2011. The theme of the NBS is “Biomass to Wealth,” and with this strategy Malaysia is aiming to create an innovative, world-leading bio-industry and has declared that it will strive to enhance its competitive edge in biomass.

Forests account for 60% of Malaysia’s national territory, with 40% of its agricultural land consisting of growing regions for oil palms and 30% growing regions for rubber. It produces and exports enormous amounts of primary products such as palm oil, rubber, and lumber. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry industries constitute 11% as a share of GDP and occupy an important position within the national economy. The palm industry makes up 8% of this (50 billion RM = 1.23 trillion yen), and the country boasts the second greatest production output in the world, with palm oil making up 50% of Malaysia’s agricultural exports.

With respect to the biomass emitted by the palm industry in 2010, 80 million tons (on a dried basis) of solid biomass (empty fruit bunches, fibers, palm kernel lees, trunks, and branches) were generated, as were 60 million tons of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Preliminary calculations by the government show that by 2020 solid biomass will rise to 85 - 110 million tons and POME will reach 70 - 110 million tons.

The NBS plans to use the biomass that is discarded by the palm industry. Solid biomass is used for woody fuel (pellets), power generation, and as biofuels, while with POME efforts are being made to recover methane from it and expand its use as energy. It is forecasted that by 2020 the revenue from this will rise to 30 billion ringgit (738 billion yen) and it will create employment for 70,000 people.

Fig.  Amount of solid biomass generated by the palm oil industry
Source: National Biomass Strategy 2020
(http://innovation.my/wp-content/downloadables/National%20Biomass%20Strategy%20Nov%202011%20FINAL.pdf)

Fig.  Amount of POME generated by the palm oil industry
Source: National Biomass Strategy 2020
(http://innovation.my/wp-content/downloadables/National%20Biomass%20Strategy%20Nov%202011%20FINAL.pdf)

Source:
• Homepage of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Overview of Malaysia’s Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries)
  (http://www.maff.go.jp/j/kokusai/kokusei/kaigai_nogyo/k_gaikyo/mas.html)
• National Biomass Strategy 2020
  (http://innovation.my/wp-content/downloadables/National%20Biomass%20Strategy%20Nov%202011%20FINAL.pdf)
• MIDA e-News
  (http://www.mida.gov.my/env3/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=1461&cntnt01origid=144&cntnt01returnid=107)