Finland-headed forest- and energy industry technology major Valmet Oyj has announced that it has signed an engineering engagement with Maatschappij Wilhelmina N.V. (Wihelmina), a Dutch renewable energy company focusing on waste-to-energy in support of the development of Wilhelmina's groundbreaking TG2 Black Pellet Plant in Kuantan, Malaysia.
In March 2024, Wilhelmina revealed that it is investing US$60 million (RM283 million) to build a TG2 black pellet plant, a first-of-its-kind facility that will use empty fruit bunches (EFB) from the palm oil industry as feedstock to produce a drop-in coal replacement fuel in Malaysia.
Ecoscience International Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ecoscience Manufacturing & Engineering Sdn Bhd – a “one-stop solution provider” for the construction of palm oil mills, supporting facilities, and fabrication of equipment – has been selected for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work of the TG2 plant that will be located in Phase 3 of the Gebeng Industrial Area in Kuantan, Pahang.
BioTrac at the core
The strategic collaboration between Wilhelmina and Valmet marks a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable energy solutions.
Valmet’s cutting-edge Steam Explosion system, known as “BioTrac”, which has been developed over the past decade from pilot to commercial scale, will play a pivotal role in the 15-tonne-per-hour capacity TG2 Black Pellet Plant, underscoring the commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship.
Valmet’s BioTrac system is at the heart of the TG2 Plant and together with the unique TG2 Process, facilitates the conversion of any biomass agri waste materials, particularly those with high alkali salts, into homogenous TG2 Black Pellets.
This environmentally sustainable pellet serves as a perfect drop-in replacement for coal, contributing to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions and thereby mitigating environmental impact.
We are thrilled to collaborate with Valmet in pioneering the world’s first Steam Explosion TG2 Black Pellet Plant. This partnership signifies a shared vision to revolutionize the renewable energy landscape, harnessing innovative technologies to address global challenges and turning them into ESG-focused impactful opportunities, stated Barthold van Doorn and David Hiel, Co-founders of Wilhelmina.
Valmet’s expertise and advanced solutions align seamlessly with Wilhelmina’s mission to deploy sustainable energy solutions across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Together, the companies are poised to deliver a successful first-of-its-kind project in the region, setting a precedent for future endeavours.
The collaboration with Wilhelmina started in 2019, and in the same year, a successful trial was performed in our BioTrac pilot facility in Sundsvall, Sweden. The dedication by the whole Wilhelmina team was noticeable already from the start. Since then, they have worked through the demonstration phase and are now ready for commercial deployment. We are excited to engage with Wilhelmina and to support this groundbreaking initiative. Our collaboration underscores our commitment to driving environmental innovations and leveraging our expertise to address evolving energy needs, commented Mattias Erixon, Manager Sales Biomass Conversion at Valmet.
