The Netherlands-headed torrefaction technology developer and torrefied pellet producer Blackwood Technology B.V. (Blackwood) has disclosed that it has signed the PALMARES covenant to become a member of a private-public initiative falling under the scope of the Dutch Partners for International Business (PIB) program for Malaysia.
The PALMARES consortium specifically aims at promoting Dutch technology solutions to optimize the value of residues and waste from the Malaysian palm oil industry.
The PALMARES consortium involves six Dutch companies, two research institutes, the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs, and RVO (the Dutch enterprise agency, part of the ministry of economic affairs).
Stichting Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland (ECN), the Dutch energy research centre, is the coordinator of the PALMARES program.
The activities of PALMARES in Malaysia will focus on adding value to the biomass residues of palm oil production while fostering the bio-based economy. Activities can comprise of treatment of wastes and residues from the palm oil industry, to stimulate bio-energy generation in Malaysia or to derive more advanced bio-products for agriculture and the chemicals industry, said Rianne Visser, Senior Researcher at ECN and PALMARES coordinator.
Along with ECN, and Blackwood Technology, six Dutch companies and knowledge institutes are enlisted under the consortium – DMT Environmental Technology, Energy Transformers, Royal Dahlman, Witteveen+Bos, Paques, and Wageningen Research Center.
The idea is that program participants can better deploy their expertise by sharing information, and market intelligence, gaining access to industry players, and leveraging the resources provided by the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs, through the embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Support by RVO is also a key element in this partnership. PALMARES is therefore a solid platform enabling Dutch companies and knowledge institutions to offer their solutions to the palm oil sector, explained Rianne Visser.
For Blackwood Technology the aim is to evaluate the applicability of its proprietary torrefaction technology.
At the moment, the leftovers from the palm oil industry, including wastewater and palm tree residues, tend to represent a liability for the producers of palm oil as well as a burden on the environment. The PALMARES participants have the expertise to turn these liabilities into assets. In the specific case of Blackwood Technology, we have developed a torrefaction technology that can efficiently transform biomass residues into a high-grade, homogeneous, energy-dense biofuel. The torrefied material is safer to store, cheaper to transport, and easier to burn, and it can successfully substitute fossil coal in a number of industrial applications, commented Maarten Herrebrugh, CEO of Blackwood Technology.
