Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of the energy saving opportunities for palm oil refining process: Sahabat Oil Products (SOP) in Lahad Datu, Malaysia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Palm Oil industry is one of the major contributors to Malaysia’s economic activity. Accounting for 39 % of the world palm oil production and 44 % of world exports, Malaysia holds an important niche in fulfiling the growing global needs for oils and fats sustainably. This industry has high potential for further improvements especially in terms of energy saving as a major contributor to cost and emission reduction. An analysis of the refining process of palm oil in Sahabat Oil Products, Lahad Datu has been performed and presented in this paper for scoping potential energy and cost savings using heat integration. A first stage optimisation of the minimum temperature difference, ∆T min, of a heat exchanger network (HEN) has been performed. The goal has been to evaluate the maximal possible heat recovery as well as the appropriate placement of utilities. The HEN design is presented in both grid diagram and shifted retrofit thermodynamic grid diagram (SRTGD). SRTGD representation has been illustrated in this paper as a useful tool for guiding eventual future retrofit. The capital-energy trade-off of the heat recovery targets indicates optimum ∆T min of 12.3 °C. The hot and cold utility targets at ∆T min = 12.3 °C are 1419 and 1649 kW, indicating potential saving of 3.5 and 3.1 % as compared to the existing utility consumption and emissions. Future work could proceed further to seek potentially viable retrofit of the existing heat recovery network.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

T S :

Supply temperature (°C)

T T :

Target temperature (°C)

CP:

Heat capacity flowrate (kW/ °C)

\( T_{\text{Cold}}^{*} \) :

Shifted temperature for cold stream (°C)

\( T_{\text{Hot}}^{*} \) :

Shifted temperature for hot stream (°C)

ΔH i :

Heat load (kW)

\( \Delta T_{i}^{*} \) :

Temperature interval span (°C)

ΔT min :

Minimum temperature difference (°C)

U :

Number of heat exchangers (units)

N :

Total number of process streams and utility types (dimensionless)

L :

The number of independent loops (dimensionless)

S :

Number of subnetworks or subgraphs (dimensionless)

C G :

Cost of generating steam (MYR/t)

C F :

Cost of fuel (MYR/t)

C W :

Cost of raw water supply (MYR/t)

C BFW :

Cost of boiler feed water treatment (MYR/t)

C P :

Cost of feed water pumping power (MYR/t)

C A :

Cost of combustion air fan (MYR/t)

C B :

Cost of sewer charges for boiler blow down (MYR/t)

C D :

Cost of ash disposal (MYR/t)

C E :

Cost of environmental emission control (MYR/t)

C M :

Cost of maintenance materials and labour (MYR/t)

aF:

Fuel cost (MYR/kg)

H S :

Specific enthalpy of steam (kJ/kg)

H W :

Specific enthalpy of boiler feed water (kJ/kg)

ηB:

Overall boiler efficiency, fractional (1)

MYR:

Malaysian Ringgit (currency)

ΔT LMTD :

Log mean temperature difference (°C)

U :

Overall heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)

References

  • Applewhite TH (2006) Proceedings of the conference world on oil seed technology and utilization. AOCS Press, USA. doi:10.1002/food.19940380141

    Google Scholar 

  • Arsenyeva OP, Tovazhnyansky LL, Kapustenko PO, Khavin GL (2011) Optimal design of plate-and-frame heat exchangers for efficient heat recovery in process industries. Energy 36(8):4588–4598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carbon Trade Watch (2016) www.carbontradewatch.org/issues/monoculture.html. Accessed 3 Feb 2016

  • Chemengonline.com (2015) Economic indicators: chemical engineering plant cost index (CEPCI). www.chemengonline.com. Accessed 27 June 2016

  • Chempro Technovation (2015) Top-notch technology in production of oils and fats: palm oil properties. Edible oil refinery manufacturers, suppliers, exporters India. www.chempro.in/palmoilproperties.html. Accessed 13 June 2015

  • Čuček L, Klemeš JJ, Kravanja Z (2014) Objective dimensionality reduction method within multi-objective optimisation considering total footprints. J Clean Prod 71:75–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Čuček L, Klemeš JJ, Varbanov PS, Kravanja Z (2015) Significance of environmental footprints for evaluating sustainability and security of development. Clean Technol Environ Policy 17(8):2125–2141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Index Mundi (2015) www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?commodity=palm-oil&graph=production. Accessed 3 Jan 2016

  • Klemeš JJ, Varbanov PS, Wan Alwi SR, Manan Z (2014) Process integration and intensification: saving energy, water and resources. De Gruyter, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Wen L, Wen S (2011) Vacuum assembly system for deodorizing fat and oil. Pub number: CN201873659 U. www.google.com/patents/CN201873659U. Accessed 6 Aug 2015

  • Linnhoff B, Townsend DW, Boland D, Hewitt GF, Thomas BEA, Guy AR, Marsland RH (1982) A user guide on process integration for the efficient use of energy. IChemE, Rugby [revised edition published in 1994]

  • Martin A, Mato FA (2008) Hint: an educational software for heat exchanger network design with the pinch method. Educ Chem Eng 3:e6–e14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin P (2006) Pinch Analysis Spreadsheet, Microsoft Excel 2010 [Computer Software]. The Chemical Engineer (TCE), 778. Trans IChemE, Part A. doi:10.1205/cherd.rc.0604. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 84(A4): 335

  • Mohd Zin R, Morad NA, Abdul Aziz MK (2006) Process design in degumming and bleaching of palm oil. Centre of Lipids Engineering and Applied Research (CLEAR), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemet A, Klemeš JJ, Varbanov PS, Mantelli V (2015) Heat integration retrofit analysis—an oil refinery case study by Retrofit Tracing Grid Diagram. Front Chem Sci Eng 9(2):163–182. doi:10.1007/s11705-015-1520-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith R (2005) Chemical process design and integration. Chapter 17: heat exchanger networks III—capital and total cost targets. Wiley, New York, pp 387–398

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economics Times (2015) Definition of ‘Crude Palm Oil’. economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/crude-palm-oil. Accessed 13 June 2015

  • Turton R, Bailie RC, Whiting WB, Shaeiwitz JA (2008) Analysis, synthesis and design of chemical processes. Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Energy (2003) How to calculate the true cost of steam. Industrial Technologies Program Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585-0121

  • Yong JY, Varbanov PS, Klemeš JJ (2015) Heat exchanger network retrofit supported by extended grid diagram and heat path development. Appl Therm Eng 89:1033–1045. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.04.02

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors of this paper would like to thank Mr. Abd Salam bin Hasan and Mr. Rezsha bin Marbek for guidance on the process and providing data which gave the authors an insight on the current practice of Palm Oil Refining in Lahad Datu, Malaysia. The authors would like to extend our gratitude to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and Faculty of Information Technology, University of Pannonia, Hungary, under EU “EFENIS - Efficient Energy Integrated Solutions for Manufacturing Industries” project for the support provided.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

    Seri Rahimah Lidu, Nurul‘Ain Mohamed & Suzana Yusup

  2. Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Práter u. 50/A, Budapest, 1083, Hungary

    Jiří Jaromír Klemeš & Petar Sabev Varbanov

Authors
  1. Seri Rahimah Lidu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nurul‘Ain Mohamed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiří Jaromír Klemeš
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Petar Sabev Varbanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Suzana Yusup
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seri Rahimah Lidu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lidu, S.R., Mohamed, N., Klemeš, J.J. et al. Evaluation of the energy saving opportunities for palm oil refining process: Sahabat Oil Products (SOP) in Lahad Datu, Malaysia. Clean Techn Environ Policy 18, 2453–2465 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1252-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1252-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation