Monthly Archives: May 2022

The Issues and Impact of Energy Storage Technology

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Renewable energy has taken off. Wind and solar in particular had grown rapidly, since they can be installed on a small scale and connected to the grid. This has created a number of problems for utility companies while failing to deliver the promised benefits because energy storage technology has not caught up. Let’s look at some of the issues with renewable energy before explaining how advances in energy storage technology will ease these concerns.

The Instability of the Power Grid

The rapid growth of renewable power has added to the instability of the power grid. First, the introduction of many variable power sources forces utilities to deal with varying power supply relative to demand. Second, the relative lack of energy storage systems means there is far more wasted energy than before. When there is a spike in solar or wind power, they can’t store most of it for future usage. This adds to the instability and risk of failure of local portions of the power grid.

If we had more widespread, efficient energy storage, energy producers could save power above the expected power created locally instead of leaving power companies to turn on and off natural gas turbines to meet variation in demand. It would also eliminate the need to build natural gas turbines as backup power sources for when new renewable power sources aren’t meeting expectations.

The Lack of Backup Power

Solar power has long been a source of power for off-the-grid properties. However, this is dependent on having energy storage on site, typically batteries. Yet many solar roofs were set up to minimize cause and maximize tax credits to the detriment of home owners. We can look at the multiple disasters that hit California along with their wildfires. Utility companies couldn’t raise rates to pay for more fire-resistant infrastructure. They could be sued for any new wildfires blamed on the power equipment. The utility company’s only solution as to turn off power to areas that were burning or at risk of catching fire, if they didn’t want to be shut down entirely.

Many homeowners and businesses that have shifted to solar power have been left wanting because of the government’s lack of initiatives when it comes to energy storage solutions. Experts suggest that if you are looking to install solar panels on your roof or campus, you need to make sure that you go for the best energy storage solutions in the market. This not only helps reduce dependency, but also ensures that you are getting uninterrupted power and electricity for your home and office using solar power. There is a misconception that energy storage solutions are expensive, when it reality they are not. If you are looking to go for one, you should view website.

California has one of the highest rates of solar roof installations in the world. Unfortunately, most of those solar roofs were connected directly to the power grid, and the home owner receives power from the grid. This minimized how much equipment had to be installed while giving them the ability to sell power to the grid and get power from the grid. The problem is that they couldn’t get power from the grid when the power grid was shut down unless they paid several thousand dollars extra for renewable energy storage; note that less than two percent of customers did this. That hurt the broader power grid, as well, since solar roofs couldn’t deliver power to the power grid when the power grid was shut down.

The greatest irony was suffered by electric car owners. Imagine being told that you need to flee the wildfires, and all you have is an electric car that you can’t charge. A few homeowners made matters worse by tapping into their Tesla car battery to try to power their homes for a while, draining it dry.

Yet those few people with battery storage systems were fine. Their homes were wired in such a way that they could pull from the battery power when the power grid was down, assuming they were ever connected to the grid. They could continue to run their air conditioners and other appliances though no one else had power. For those that had solar roofs connected to the grid and energy storage systems, the grid being down means all of their power went into the battery. That energy wasn’t wasted, and the family could use it.

What Are The Benefits Of Decentralized Finance?

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Decentralized Finance, or “DeFi” for short, is an entire finance industry whose alternative class of finance and lending operations is powered by the blockchain. Along with that comes all the features and benefits of the blockchain that have made cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin (the first ever currency to operate using a blockchain), such highly valued and sought after commodities by online users, merchants, and investors.

But cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and its silly, though well-capitalized cousin, DogeCoin (DOGE’s multi-billion dollar market cap is no joke even if the meme coin is), were created with a more simple purpose in mind than finance. They were designed from the beginning as simple payment remittances services (think PayPal or CashApp), with basic chequing and savings services for anyone who “holds” money at a bitcoin address for the long term.

A cryptocurrency user who spends out of a crypto wallet they have to pay for consumer goods and services— or purchases inventory or makes payroll for their small business using crypto— is getting all the benefits of blockchain as a decentralized, peer-to-peer platform, and any of the features and benefits unique to the crypto they’re using (such as more privacy, faster transactions, or lower fees).

But they’re simply making payments or holding their money on a blockchain platform. They’re not really engaging in finance, which is lending or borrowing at an interest rate that discounts the value of future money to the present. That’s where DeFi comes in.

overview of DeFi

What is DeFi? Read on for a brief overview of this exciting new frontier in the fast-growing cryptocurrency industry.

What is Decentralized Finance or DeFi?

Decentralized finance connects lenders with borrowers to transact loans over a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) blockchain. The features of blockchain can be remembered using the acronym RIPCORD. A blockchain is revolutionary, immutable, public, collaborative, open, resistant to censorship, and decentralized. DeFi makes it possible for borrowers and lenders to meet and transact loans over a platform that is controlled by code, and not by institutions.

DeFi vs Crypto

There is a lot of overlap between DeFi and Crypto in that they share the characteristic features of the blockchains they operate on, but they’re not exactly the same. One way to think of it is that all truly DeFi tokens and platforms are a kind of crypto, but not all crypto is DeFi.

Decentralized finance is an entire industry within the broader cryptocurrency industry. It started out as a sub-sector of the crypto industry, with less than a billion in TVL (total value locked) in 2018, and over $100 billion in TVL by the end of 2021 at the height of that year’s bull market.

The Benefits of Decentralized Finance

Decentralized Finance offers users on both the lending and borrowing side enormous benefits that were not possible before the advent of blockchain on the Internet in recent years. With peer-to-peer lending, DeFi borrowers can gain access to loans without the roadblocks to access traditional finance that have stood in the way of investors with the capital to invest in new projects, who want to use finance for leverage to get a greater reward for their investment.

The Risks of Decentralized Finance

There are risks with decentralized finance, as there are with any kind of financing, even through traditional channels, and as there are with any online commerce over new and innovative platforms. A lack of regulation is a feature and a bug in this space, with a greater risk of loss to hackers, scams, and “rugpulls,” wherein a new project goes under. There are also high collateral requirements in much of the DeFi lending world for obvious reasons.

Where can I exchange COTI to CAKE

DeFi Advantages and Disadvantages

Having to put up more collateral for loans, having less or no regulatory authority for protection of your funds, and having to have a high degree of technical know-how and the ability to navigate around the fast-growing decentralized finance platforms are all disadvantages. But players in this space trade them off for more control over their money, more access to liquid finance pools and lending peers on the networks, and more trust in code, platforms, and apps that they have earned the right to trust with their own technical expertise and research.

DeFi vs. Traditional Finance

Traditional finance operates through massive, slow-moving, highly-regulated (did I mention slow-moving?) lending institutions, often subsidiary operations of big central bank branches, lending fiat money to qualified lenders that meet all the institution’s, central bank’s, and government’s understandable, but cumbersome regulatory requirements. Traditional finance simply wasn’t designed to meet the needs of the typical DeFi borrower investing and trading in the cryptocurrency industry in 2022, and it can’t.

Examples of Decentralized Finance Cryptocurrency Tokens

Here is a list of some of the most popular decentralized finance cryptocurrency tokens by market cap around the date of publication of this article: Terra (LUNA), Lido Staked Ether (STETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Dai (DAI), Chainlink (LINK), Uniswap (UNI), Frax (FRAX), cETH (CETH), PancakeSwap (CAKE), and The Graph (GRT).

How To Pursue A Career In Environmental Management: Everything You Need To Know

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Environmental management is a broad field that includes many different job roles. People working in environmental management may work in a private company, government agency, non-profit organisation, or university. A career in environmental management may be right for you if you have a passion for the environment and want to make a positive impact throughout your career.

Working in environmental management requires specific skills and educational backgrounds. If you’re interested in pursuing this career, it’s important to understand what working in environmental management entails and what type of training you’ll need to succeed. Whether you are just thinking about your future or currently working in another field, read on to learn more about how to pursue a career in environmental management.

How To Pursue A Career In Environmental Management

What is Environmental Management?

As mentioned, environmental management is a broad field with many different job roles. Certain environmental management careers, however, are more popular than others. Those who work in environmental management may work in any number of different industries, including private and public companies, non-profit organisations, and universities.

Environmental management helps to minimise the negative impacts on the environment and preserve its resources for future generations. A career in environmental management is right for you if you love the environment and want to make a positive impact every day.

Take A Course In Environmental Management

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in environmental management, it’s important to understand what the job entails. Environmental management work on a variety of projects that include managing natural resources, overseeing pollution prevention and control, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Projects vary depending on the specific area of environmental management.

In order to develop the necessary skills for this career, a degree in environmental management is essential. Environmental management courses may cover topics like air quality, water quality, hazardous materials, ecological impacts and more. As you develop your skills, you may need to pursue a master’s in environmental management, and you can find plenty of information and what the course entails here at the University of Stirling.

Attend Networking Events

Another way to pursue a career in environmental management is by attending networking events. Networking events give you the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and find opportunities for yourself. Many organisations have social media groups or websites where they post announcements of upcoming networking events.

Volunteer At Organisations Within Your Field

Before you commit to pursuing a career in environmental management, it’s important to get a feel for what the field is like. Volunteering at organisations within your field will give you an opportunity to explore this industry and determine if it’s right for you. In addition to getting experience, volunteering helps build your resume as well as make networking connections. You’ll be able to learn about organisation goals, policies, and programs while gaining valuable experience in the process.

development of environmental ethics

Why Pursue A Career In Environmental Management?

There are many reasons to pursue a career in environmental management. Some people may want to work in the field because they enjoy living in and spending time outdoors. Others may want to work for an organisation with environmentally-friendly practices or for an agency that focuses on sustainability.

For some career seekers, their reasons for pursuing this type of education and employment may be more altruistic. They may want to help protect the environment and better the lives of others who live in less fortunate circumstances. Whatever your personal reasons are, it’s important that you have a passion for the environment if you’re considering this as a career path.

Expanding Job Market

One reason why you should consider a career in environmental management is that there is an expanding market for professionals looking to get into this line of work. As the world focuses more on sustainability and works toward implementing environmentally-friendly changes, more businesses and organisations are looking for people with experience in this field.

High-Paying Jobs

Environmental management careers are also high-paying. The median salary for someone in environmental management is £42,500. Careers in environmental management are often considered to be high-paying because of the skills required to do the job well. Additionally, certain positions may require advanced training in law or science. Those in environmental management may also work long hours and spend time away from their families to complete necessary tasks.

Work Anywhere In The World

One of the best things about a career in environmental management is that you can work anywhere in the world. Environmental management professionals come from all different backgrounds with diverse educational and professional qualifications. Your skills and education will be put to use wherever your career takes you.

environmental-engineers

Change The World For The Better

Working in environmental management is an opportunity to change the world for the better. Many people who work in environmental management have a passion for the natural world. Those working in environmental management are often motivated by their desire to make the world a better place, and they want to make an impact on an issue that is important to them.

Environmental management is primarily concerned with how humans interact with the environment. When you take this career path, you may work on projects like restoring wildlife habitats or developing recycling policies for your company.

Become A Champion For The Environment

Working in environmental management means you will be a champion for the environment. If you have a passion for the environment and want to make a positive impact, this could be the career for you. It’s important that people like you are working in environmental management. As more people around the world become environmentally conscious, it is becoming more important for there to be an active voice for our planet.

People working in environmental sector are often tasked with things like educating environmental policymakers on sustainability issues and monitoring deforestation rates around the globe. You may also find yourself involved in developing new technologies and equipment related to environmental issues or addressing public health concerns related to climate change.

Conclusion

If you’re passionate about the environment and want to make a difference in the world, a career in environmental management is rewarding and fulfilling. You can work anywhere in the world, champion the environment as well as have a high-paying job. If you’re ready to start your new career in environmental management, this guide should give you all the answers you need.

Agricultural Biomass in Malaysia

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Malaysia is located in a region where biomass productivity is high which means that the country can capitalize on this renewable energy resource to supplements limited petroleum and coal reserves. Malaysia, as a major player in the palm oil and sago starch industries, produces a substantial amount of agricultural biomass waste which present a great opportunity for harnessing biomass energy in an eco-friendly and commercially-viable manner.

Peninsular Malaysia generates large amounts of wood and’ agricultural residues, the bulk of which are not being currently utilised for any further downstream operations. The major agricultural crops grown in Malaysia are rubber (39.67%), oil palm (34.56%), cocoa (6.75%), rice (12.68%) and coconut (6.34%). Out of the total quantity of residues generated, only 27.0% is used either as fuel for the kiln drying of timber, for the manufacture of bricks, the curing of tobacco leaves, the drying rubber-sheets and for the manufacture of products such as particleboard and fibreboard. The rest has to be disposed of by burning.

Palm Oil Industry

Oil palm is one of the world’s most important fruit crops. Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporter of palm oil in the world, accounting for 30% of the world’s traded edible oils and fats supply. Palm oil industries in Malaysia have good potential for high pressure modern power plants and the annual power generation potential is about 8,000 GWh. Malaysia produced more than 20 million tonnes of palm oil in 2012 over 5 million hectares of land.

The palm oil industry is a significant branch in Malaysian agriculture. Almost 70% of the volume from the processing of fresh fruit bunch is removed as biomass waste in the form of empty fruit bunches (EFBs), fibers and shells, as well as liquid effluent. Fibres and shells are traditionally used as fuels to generate power and steam. Palm oil mill effluent, commonly known as POME, are sometimes converted into biogas that can be used in gas-fired gensets.

Sugar Industry

The cultivation of sugarcane in Malaysia is surprisingly small. Production is concentrated in the Northwest extremity of peninsular Malaysia in the states of Perlis and Kedah. This area has a distinct dry season needed for cost-efficient sugarcane production. Plantings in the states of Perak and Negri Sembilan were unsuccessful due to high unit costs as producing conditions were less suitable.

The lack of growth in cane areas largely reflects the higher remuneration received by farmers for other crops, especially oil palm. Over the past 20 years while the sugarcane area has remained at around 20000 hectares, that planted to oil palm has expanded from 600 000 hectares to 5 million hectares.

Other leading crops in terms of planted areas are rubber with 2.8 million hectares, rice with 670 000 hectares and cocoa with 380 000 hectares. Malaysia, the world’s third largest rubber producer, accounted for 1 million tons of natural rubber production in 2012. Like oil palm industry, the rubber industry produces a variety of biomass wastes whose energy potential is largely untapped until now.

Is Solar The Next Big Thing For Cryptocurrency?

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With Bitcoin going big, mining has become a costly and intense exercise. It takes a lot of computing power to validate the millions of transactions that happen on a daily basis. This is why environmentalists are down on Bitcoin as a viable mainstream currency. Mining Bitcoin uses the same electrical output as the entire country of Switzerland.

If Bitcoin is adopted by the masses as a legitimate currency, then there will need to be green hosting solutions and more servers working overtime to compute and complete the encryptions that are the backbone of the currency.

With climate change front and center in many concerned citizens’ minds, it stands to reason that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general would need to greenify if they stand a chance at growing.

bitcoin-servers

In this article, we will go over what the future could mean for Bitcoin as it attempts to go green and use solar energy to power itself.

Lines between price and profit

A few years ago Bitcoin was generally stable in its value around $2,000 per coin. This meant that for miners to make a profit they needed to find a cheap way to power the servers to do the computing. Once these companies have mined the cryptocurrency they usually sell it onto the open market to be traded by investors who are looking to convert cash to Bitcoin.

Luckily for them, Bitcoin servers are rather portable in the sense that miners could set up shop anywhere in the world where the cost of energy was cheap.

Now that people are more concerned about the environmental cost of this mining it was not looking good for Bitcoin as a viable currency. At the time, renewable energy was more costly than fossil fuels so it would have cut massively into the profit margin and possibly even seen some losses.

Now, Bitcoin shattered the $20,000 mark per coin and at the same time, the cost of using solar and wind power has dropped dramatically. Suddenly, it is feasible to use solar-powered Bitcoin mining.

This could allow Bitcoin to be adopted by the masses and grow as a currency and still be the responsible thing for people concerned about the environment.

It can go anywhere

There are many places all over the world from deserts to regions around the Equator that get a lot of sunlight year round. And there isn’t much of an economy in those areas which makes it an ideal location for Bitcoin mining centers.

crytpocurrency-mining

They can use solar farms to power the servers and keep costs low since there is no shortage of sunlight. The long days and cloudless skies makes the price per kW hour in those areas very cheap and can compete with fossil fuels.

Another benefit is that bringing cryptocurrency mining centers to those areas can lift the economy. There will be a lot of jobs in construction and maintenance where there was little possibility of work previously.

*This article has been contributed on behalf of Paxful. However, the information provided herein is not and is not intended to be, investment, financial, or other advice.

Food Waste Management in UK

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Food waste in the United Kingdom is a matter of serious environmental, economic and social concern that has been attracting widespread attention in recent years. According to ‘Feeding the 5K’ organisation, 13,000 slices of crusts are thrown away every day by a single sandwich factory. More recently, Tesco, one of the largest UK food retailers, has published its sustainability report admitting that the company generated 28,500 tonnes of food waste in the first six months of 2013. TESCO’s report also state that 47% of the bakery produced is wasted. In terms of GHG emissions, DEFRA estimated that food waste is associated with 20 Mt of CO2 equivalent/year, which is equivalent to 3% of the total annual GHG emissions.

Food-Waste-UK

Globally, 1.2 to 2 billion tonnes (30%-50%) of food produced is thrown away before it reaches a human stomach. Food waste, if conceived as a state, is responsible for 3.3 Bt-CO2 equivalent/year, which would make it the third biggest carbon emitter after China and USA.

What makes food waste an even more significant issue is the substantially high demand for food which is estimated to grow 70% by 2050 due to the dramatic increase of population which is expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2075. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address food waste as a globally challenging issue which should be considered and tackled by sustainable initiatives.

A War on Food Waste

The overarching consensus to tackle the food waste issue has led to the implementation of various policies. For instance, the European Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) set targets to reduce organic waste disposed to landfill in 2020 to 35% of that disposed in 1995 (EC 1999).

More recently, the European Parliament discussed a proposal to “apply radical measures” to halve food waste by 2025 and to designate the 2014 year as “the European Year Against Food Waste”. In the light of IMechE’s report (2013), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with FAO has launched the Save Food Initiative in an attempt to reduce food waste generated in the global scale.

In the UK, WRAP declared a war on food waste by expanding its organic waste programme in 2008 which was primarily designed to “establish the most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable ways of diverting household food waste from landfill that leads to the production of a saleable product”. DEFRA has also identified food waste as a “priority waste stream” in order to achieve better waste management performance.

In addition to governmental policies, various voluntary schemes have been introduced by local authorities such as Nottingham Declaration which aims to cut local CO2 emissions 60% by 2050.

Sustainable Food Waste Management

Engineering has introduced numerous technologies to deal with food waste. Many studies have been carried out to examine the environmental and socio-economic impacts of food waste management options. This article covers the two most preferable options; anaerobic digestion and composting.

In-vessel composting (IVC) is a well-established technology which is widely used to treat food waste aerobically and convert it into a valuable fertilizer. IVC is considered a sustainable option because it helps by reducing the amount of food waste landfilled. Hence, complying with the EU regulations, and producing a saleable product avoiding the use of natural resources.

IVC is considered an environmentally favourable technology compared with other conventional options (i.e. landfill and incineration). It contributes less than 0.06% to the national greenhouse gas inventories. However, considering its high energy-intensive collection activities, the overall environmental performance is “relatively poor”.

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a leading technology which has had a rapidly growing market over the last few years. AD is a biologically natural process in which micro-organisms anaerobically break down food waste and producing biogas which can be used for both Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and digestate that can be used as soil fertilizers or conditioners. AD has been considered as the “best option” for food waste treatment. Therefore, governmental and financial support has been given to expand AD in the UK.

AD is not only a food waste treatment technology, but also a renewable source of energy. For instance, It is expected that AD would help the UK to meet the target of supplying 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Furthermore, AD technology has the potential to boost the UK economy by providing 35,000 new jobs if the technology is adopted nationally to process food waste. This economic growth will significantly improve the quality of life among potential beneficiaries and thus all sustainability elements are considered.

Methods for Hydrogen Sulphide Removal from Biogas

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The major contaminant in biogas is H2S which is both poisonous and corrosive, and causes significant damage to piping, equipment and instrumentation. The concentration of various components of biogas has an impact on its ultimate end use. While boilers can withstand concentrations of H2S up to 1000 ppm, and relatively low pressures, internal combustion engines operate best when H2S is maintained below 100 ppm.

The common methods for hydrogen sulphide removal from biogas are internal to the anaerobic digestion process – air/oxygen dosing to digester biogas and iron chloride dosing to digester slurry.

Biological Desulphurization

Biological desulphurization of biogas can be performed by using micro-organisms. Most of the sulphide oxidising micro-organisms belong to the family of Thiobacillus. For the microbiological oxidation of sulphide it is essential to add stoichiometric amounts of oxygen to the biogas. Depending on the concentration of hydrogen sulphide this corresponds to 2 to 6 % air in biogas.

biogas-desulphurization

The simplest method of desulphurization is the addition of oxygen or air directly into the digester or in a storage tank serving at the same time as gas holder. Thiobacilli are ubiquitous and thus systems do not require inoculation. They grow on the surface of the digestate, which offers the necessary micro-aerophilic surface and at the same time the necessary nutrients. They form yellow clusters of sulphur. Depending on the temperature, the reaction time, the amount and place of the air added the hydrogen sulphide concentration can be reduced by 95 % to less than 50 ppm.

Biogas Bus

Measures of safety have to be taken to avoid overdosing of air in case of pump failures. Biogas in air is explosive in the range of 6 to 12 %, depending on the methane content). In steel digesters without rust protection there is a small risk of corrosion at the gas/liquid interface.

Iron Chloride Dosing

Iron chloride can be fed directly to the digester slurry or to the feed substrate in a pre-storage tank. Iron chloride then reacts with produced hydrogen sulphide and form iron sulphide salt (particles). This method is extremely effective in reducing high hydrogen sulphide levels but less effective in attaining a low and stable level of hydrogen sulphide in the range of vehicle fuel demands.

In this respect the method with iron chloride dosing to digester slurry can only be regarded as a partial removal process in order to avoid corrosion in the rest of the upgrading process equipment. The method need to be complemented with a final removal down to about 10 ppm.

The investment cost for such a H2S removal process is limited since the only investment needed is a storage tank for iron chloride solution and a dosing pump. On the other hand the operational cost will be high due to the prime cost for iron chloride.

Biomass Resources in Malaysia

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Malaysia is gifted with conventional energy resources such as oil and gas as well as renewables like hydro, biomass and solar energy. As far as biomass resources in Malaysia are concerned, Malaysia has tremendous agricultural biomass and wood waste resources available for immediate exploitation. This energy potential of biomass resource is yet to be exploited properly in the country.

Taking into account the growing energy consumption and domestic energy supply constraints, Malaysia has set sustainable development and diversification of energy sources, as the economy’s main energy policy goals. The Five-Fuel Strategy recognises renewable energy resources as the economy’s fifth fuel after oil, coal, natural gas and hydro. Being a major agricultural commodity producer in the region Malaysia is well positioned amongst the ASEAN countries to promote the use of biomass as a source of renewable energy.

Major Biomass Resources in Malaysia

  • Agricultural crops e.g. sugarcane, cassava, corn
  • Agricultural residues e.g. rice straw, cassava rhizome, corncobs
  • Woody biomass e.g. fast-growing trees, wood waste from wood mill, sawdust
  • Agro-Industrial wastes e.g. rice husks from rice mills, molasses and bagasse from sugar refineries, residues from palm oil mills
  • Municipal solid waste
  • Animal manure and poultry litter

Palm Oil Biomass

Malaysia is the world’s leading exporter of palm oil, exporting more than 19.9 million tonnes of palm oil in 2017. The extraction of palm oil from palm fruits results in a large quantity of waste in the form of palm kernel shells, empty fruit bunches and mesocarp fibres. In 2011, more than 80 million tons of oil palm biomass was generated across the country.

13MW biomass power plant at a palm oil mill in Sandakan, Sabah (Malaysia)

Processing crude palm oil generates a foul-smelling effluent, called Palm Oil Mill Effluent or POME, which when treated using anaerobic processes, releases biogas. Around 58 million tons of POME is produced in Malaysia annually, which has the potential to produce an estimated 15 billion m3 of biogas.

Rice Husk

Rice husk is another important agricultural biomass resource in Malaysia with very good energy potential for biomass cogeneration. An example of its attractive energy potential is biomass power plant in the state of Perlis which uses rice husk as the main source of fuel and generates 10 MW power to meet the requirements of 30,000 households.

Municipal Solid Wastes

The per capita generation of solid waste in Malaysia varies from 0.45 to 1.44kg/day depending on the economic status of an area. Malaysian solid wastes contain very high organic waste and consequently high moisture content and bulk density of above 200kg/m3. The high rate of population growth is the country has resulted in rapid increase in solid waste generation which is usually dumped in landfills.

Conclusion

Biomass resources have long been identified as sustainable source of renewable energy particularly in countries where there is abundant agricultural activities. Intensive use of biomass as renewable energy source in Malaysia could reduce dependency on fossil fuels and significant advantage lies in reduction of net carbon dioxide emissions to atmosphere leading to less greenhouse effect. However, increased competitiveness will require large-scale investment and advances in technologies for converting this biomass to energy efficiently and economically.

Biomass from Wood Processing Industries

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Wood processing industries primarily include sawmilling, plywood, wood panel, furniture, building component, flooring, particle board, moulding, jointing and craft industries. Biomass from wood processing industries is generally concentrated at the processing factories, e.g. plywood mills and sawmills. The amount of waste generated from wood processing industries varies from one type industry to another depending on the form of raw material and finished product.

Saw-dust

Biomass from Wood Processing

The waste resulted from a wood processing is influenced by the diameter of logs being processed, type of saw, specification of product required and skill of workers. Generally, the waste from wood industries such as saw millings and plywood, veneer and others are sawdust, off-cuts, trims and shavings. Sometimes, it becomes a complex task to select the best scroll saws for wood cutting.

Sawdust arise from cutting, sizing, re-sawing, edging, while trims and shaving are the consequence of trimming and smoothing of wood. In general, processing of 1,000 kilos of wood in the furniture industries will lead to wood waste generation of almost half (45 %), i.e. 450 kilos of wood. Similarly, when processing 1,000 kilos of wood in sawmill, the waste will amount to more than half (52 %), i.e. 520 kilo of wood.

The biomass wastes generated from wood processing industries include sawdust, off-cuts and bark. Recycling of wood wastes is not done by all wood industries, particularly small to medium scale wood industries. The off-cuts and cutting are sold or being used as fuel for wood drying process. Bark and sawdust are usually burned.

Recycling of Wood Wastes

The use of wood wastes is usually practised in large and modern establishment; however, it is commonly only used to generate steam for process drying. The mechanical energy demand such as for cutting, sawing, shaving and pressing is mostly provided by diesel generating set and/or electricity grid. The electricity demand for such an industry is substantially high.

Recycling of wood wastes is not done by all wood industries, particularly by smallholders. These wastes are normally used as fuel for brick making and partly also for cooking. At medium or large establishments some of the wastes, like: dry sawdust and chips, are being used as fuel for wood drying process. Bark and waste sawdust are simply burned or dumped.

Importance of Heating Value

The heating or calorific value is a key factor when evaluating the applicability of a combustible material as a fuel. The heating value of wood and wood waste depends on the species, parts of the tree that are being used (core, bark, stem, wood, branch wood, etc.) and the moisture content of the wood. The upper limit of the heating or calorific value of 100% dry wood on a weight basis is relatively constant, around 20 MJ/kg.

In practice, the moisture content of wood during logging is about 50%. Depending on transportation and storing methods and conditions it may rise to 65% or fall to some 30% at the mill site. The moisture content of the wood waste in an industry depends on the stage where the waste is extracted and whether wood has been dried before this stage.

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

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The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also called Industry 4.0, is the rapidly growing automation of industrial and traditional practices with modern intelligent technologies. Like all industrial revolutions, the Fourth could raise incomes and improve the quality of life around the world. You can now make taxi or flight bookings, do shopping, and pay for online services remotely.

What Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Definition of Industrial Revolution

The term “Industry 4.0” appeared in 2011 in Germany. It denoted smart factories, where digital technologies were being introduced. The term went into mass use with the president of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Klaus Schwab, author of the book “Technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. It is a thorough guide about transformational processes for all who analyze the theory of the matter.

Based on this work, many students have tried to investigate the origins and problems of Industry 4.0 in their essays. However, the background may be tricky for those who are not proficient in this field. Sometimes it might be supportive to get additional expert help in exploring the nuances of the topic.

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The essence of Industry 4.0 is that the physical world today merges with the virtual. It results in the creation of the new mixed complexes. Later they will be combined into one digital system. “Smart” plants and robotic production form the future transformed industry. Industry 4.0 means the growing automation of all production processes and stages. It starts from the product‘s digital design to the remote setup of equipment at the factory to manufacture this “smart” product.

Signs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

There are several signs that the future is nearer than we think.

1. Social networks

You will not surprise anyone with an account on social networks or a personal website. Half of humanity is now actively present online. Taking into account the digital development, in 5 years this percentage will increase dramatically.

2. The Universe in your pocket

The smartphone is a unique supercomputer that is always with you. Connected to the Internet, you can link with any spot in the world. In addition, you can make purchases and dedicate time to education or entertainment. And all this without even leaving home.

4. Smart home

The daily routine is becoming increasingly automated. You can run some dishwashers from a smartphone or run robot vacuum cleaners online. This is just the beginning of transformations.

Myths about Smart Homes

4. Digital currency

The financial system is rapidly developing. The latest virtual money technologies are replacing the bank. In addition to bitcoin, more and more digital coins appear on cryptocurrency exchanges.

Impact on Business

The material world has been combined with the virtual and generates new methods and career models. Manufacturers earn more and invest in improving the quality of products and services. Industry 4.0 is a new production approach. It is based on the active introduction of information technology in the industry. Besides, it involves business process automation and the spread of artificial intelligence.

Businesses that are used to making the same outdated things have to change. Implementing modern industrial revolution principles allows them to get several benefits that were not available in traditional past models. For example, companies can now take an individual approach and personalize orders according to customers‘ preferences. Old factories are becoming “smart” and are starting to make unique products.

robotics in sustainable manufacturing

Not all companies with a long history will survive this wave of digital transformation. But those who can transform will benefit twice as much. Consumers are loyal to the brands they respect and are willing to stay with them if they switch to an individual format.

Conclusion

The revolutions modify production and the whole people’s life. Industry 4.0 has the potential to change the economy and human relationships, and even what it means to be human. After all, it involves the widespread introduction of artificial intelligence, robotization, the Internet of things, bio-, and neurotechnologies. The realization of this vision will be the main task and great responsibility for the next 50 years.