SIAK – Not only palm oil, palm shells also have a high economic value. The biomass has been increasingly gaining worldwide recognition as an alternative green energy.
It was revealed recently during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on palm shell trading by Jatmiko K Sentosa, CEO of the state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara V (PTPN V) and Yoshiyuki Kawamura, President Director of PT.Sinergi Kharisma Yuda in Tanjung Buton port of Siak regency in Riau province on Tuesday, 14 June 2022.
PT Sinergi Kharisma Yuda (SKY) is a joint venture company between Hayashiroku Co Ltd (Osaka, Japan) and The Sakura Green Ltd (Osaka, Japan). The two companies have agreed to process and export palm shells to Japan, where the biomass will be used to generate power plants or to meet the need of other industries in the country.
Yoshiyuki said that he had dreamed of making palm shell business since he first visited Buton. He thought it was a promising business and he wanted to be successful in doing the palm biomass business.
He pointed out that he started the business since early 2021 by developing a stockpile in Tanjung Buton. “Previously, we’ve exported the palm shells three times to Japan and a number of other countries. We once failed, but then we made it. We’ve got experience and expertise in doing the business. Now, we’re going to export it for the fourth times so that PT SKY will be exporting at least 44,000 metric tons of palm kernel shells,” Yoshiyuki said during the signing ceremony.
According to him, the global demand for palm shells have now drastically increased if compared to that of last few years, causing its price to continually rise.
He said that considering the global rising demand, Indonesia has a big potential to increase the exports of palm shells. “Besides, the palm shells have been globally recognized as an alternative energy to replace coal, amid the global need for de-carbonization and reduction of carbon emissions,” he added.
“Currently, all activities are very dependent on energy. But on the other hand, the world has been increasingly committed to supporting the sustainability principles. It can only be realized by reducing the use of fossil fuels, including oil and coal,” he asserted.
He pointed out that by considering the global tendency, he has decided to focus on palm shells as biomass energy which can significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Separately, Yamashina Masami, vice president of Hayashiroku Co Ltd, said that biomass-based power plants will be increasing in Japan during the next 10 years. “We plan to make long term investment in Tanjung Buton and export the palm shells to Japan for long term period. We hope bilateral relations between Japan and Indonesia will be continually getting better and support the business,” he said.
Currently, PT SKY is also developing a new pilot project to produce black pellet, which is expected to grow as an energy industry like the palm shells.
During the occasion, PT Sinergi Kharisma Yuda and PTPN V also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide the raw material for the black pellet pilot project in Tanjung Buton, Riau province. (*)
Source: sindonews.com
