Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd. Fadhil Bin Md. Din

Project SUMMARY and Related Activity (1st October 2019 – 31st March 2020)

The project is facilitating THREE (3) phases of short term study, including; technical overview compromising on the biohythane (hydrogen and methane) works, community translational knowledge and capacity building method. These THREE stages occupy the necessary action-plan in Renewable Energy Roadmap empowerment through self-assessment of active participation from the selected stakeholders. Usually, the biohythane is easily generated from organic wastes (e.g. food waste, soy processing wastes, etc). However, since a few years back, Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is also reported promising substrates due to their higher carbon sources and the nature of thermo-substrate that suitable for higher hydrogen production rates. However, there are few limitations for the consideration in the pilot-scale and the study is evaluated TWO crucial factors, which are, (i) Encapsulation Sludge Study, and (ii) Optimization of Operational Factors from Lab-Scale. This study is also evaluating the comprehensive scale-up of Waste Treatment in Miyagi Prefecture, as the municipal transformation from Waste-to-Energy framework to compare with the next project in Malaysia. There are few case studies highlighted in this report and that could be useful in future technology-transfer in the host country. The technical visit and some overview were explained in the next activity. As the first phase concerned, the considerable process in the 6-month study, recorded high COD removal up to 94%, high gas yield (0.5 kg H₂/kg COD.day and 1.2 kg CH₄/kg COD.day), and recovery of the gaseous up to 84% per COD removed. However, since the 6-month training is too short for removal rate and potential biogas optimization, a simulated mathematical equation via the Response Surface Method (RSM) was developed. In the second phase, module training and community living laboratory, with a similar Renewable Energy Roadmap was established in the mainframe of New Strategic Energy in Malaysia. The outcome of the project is in line with the Malaysian energy policy; Oil, Gas, and Energy – EPP 10: Building up renewable energy & solar power capacity. By the year 2020, renewable energy is expected to contribute to a minimum of 220 megawatts, as per the target under the National Renewable Energy Policy target. Malaysian Government aims to achieve the installation of biogas facilities in all palm oil mills in Malaysia by 2020, and this could be the most influential to the development.

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