AOMG at PIPOC 2017
Category: News
Published: Monday, 20 November 2017
AOMG and its members played an active role during the recent PIPOC 2017 that celebrated 100 Years of commercial oil palm planting.
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Ir Qua Kiat Seng |
Mr Suresh Gunaratnam |
Our advisor Ir Qua Kiat Seng presented a paper “Oleochemicals: Process engineering and innovation – past, present and future” which abstract is given below.
Malaysia leads a highly successful agricultural industry that has nutured equally successful downstream processing sectors. The first commercial planting of oil palm was in 1917 in Tennamaran Estate in Selangor. In the 1960s the pace of cultivation of oil palms was accelerated. The Malaysian government encouraged technological improvements to further add value to its exports and palm oil has remained a top tier export (4th in 2016).
The beginning of oleochemicals is said to be in 1825. ASEAN oleochemical manufacturing started in Malaysia in 1980 but the changes in the region in the last 37 years has been dramatic for the industry globally. The paper will review process engineering and innovation in this short time ranging from technology and capacity to raw materials, process safety and sustainability. Going forward it will look at bio-products and bio-processes, what the next generation oleochemical complex could look like and new technology that blurs the demarcation between oleochemicals and petrochemicals.
The Chairman of MOMG, Mr Suresh Gunaratnam from Wilmar Singapore presented a paper “Asia’s Palm Market Outlook & Trends” which abstract is given below.
The emphasis on oleochemicals in this region has never been more glaring. Its economic importance in the development and as a value addition to the palm oil industry has been the main highlight in this region. It has seen a wave of new capacities coming on stream and through this, new players coming into the mix but also consolidation where smaller players are being pushed out and made part of a larger, and more complex oleochemical unit, or being part of a larger supply chain with their origins from a plantation business. We have also seen new technologies coming online to replace old ones. This in turn has given us enhanced product performance at lower cost. Palm oleochemicals and the petrochemical industry has been symbiotic in one way or the other. Reliance on palm oleochemicals will be more, as people endeavour green and renewable resources. This paper examines the above trends, by tuning with downstream activities and the cohesiveness of the whole palm industry for a new user’s approach.
Another AOMG member, Emery Oleochemical (M) Sdn. Bhd, represented by Mr Carsten Mondrup Larsen, VP Special Projects also presented a paper, titled “Trend & Outlook for Malaysian Oleochemical & its derivatives market”.
