Studies on Suitability of Palm-Fronds for Biomass Gas Production

The contribution of biomass energy is still insignificant as compared to the conventional sources of energy, and there has been little increase in recent years. In Malaysia, despite the abundant supply of oil-palm fronds due to the large plantation areas in the country, such resource has never been used for biomass gasification. Oil-palm fronds are pruned regularly but only wasted in a huge quantity for natural decomposition. Hence, considering its large and consistent supply, oil-palm fronds could be a promising source of biomass energy. This paper investigates the suitability of oil-palm fronds for biomass gasification by conducting preliminary studies on their physical and chemical characteristics. The results are presented in terms of energy content as well as the contents of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and sulfide, which are the critical parameters of consideration prior to investing in a gasifier system for research. The results are compared with those of other types of biomass feed.