Jakarta, Kilaswarta.com -- Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a remarkably contaminating effluent that generated from three principle processes such as the sterilization, condensation, and hydrocyclone of palm oil in mills.

The high biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and acidic pH of POME create an environmental issue if it is discharged into the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem without treatment.

However, by proper handling POME is also considered as a potential substrate for a renewable energy source.

Biogas consisting mostly of methane and carbon dioxide has been produced using anaerobic digestion of POME. The process of biogas production involves the indigenous microbial community through hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis. This study will elaborate on the potential of POME as a renewable energy source as well as the challenges and opportunities to develop biogas from POME in Indonesia.

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The main reason for the prevalence of biogas in the ASEAN region is down to the simple economics of supply and demand.

On the supply side, the region has an abundance of palm oil. Palm oil waste, known as palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the active ingredient that produces the biogas and is generated in large volumes during the production of crude palm oil.

Demand and Supply

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