Malaysia To Produce Bioethanol From Sago Palm

Malaysia will produce bioethanol from sago palm starting from early 2010. Professor Kopli Bujang from the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) said that the sago-based bioethanol was expected to be in the market by February 2010. He said that apart from being environmentally-friendly, the bioethanol product based on sago, to be named E18, will not require any modification to the engine or carburettor to use it.

Kopli has led the research on bioethanol as an environmentally-friendly alternative source of energy to petroleum.

The bioethanol plant in Unimas is expected to start operating in December this year, Kopli told reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony of the bioethanol plant by Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof.

E18 is more like an additive to petroleum, Kopli said, adding that the product had already attracted enquiries from several Japanese entrepreneurs.

Kopli said that the Unimas bioethanol plant was capable of producing 1,000 litres of the product per day.

Based on the previous experiments, Kopli said, about five to seven tonnes of sugar could be produced from 10 to 12 tonnes of sago, which were often collected from sago entrepreneurs in Sarawak.

The five to seven tonnes of sugar can produce bioethanol that are now sold between $400 (RM1,410) to $700 (RM2,467) a tonne at the international market, Kopli said.

Meanwhile, Fadillah said that the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry has agreed to issue an RM11.6 million funding from its Techno Fund to the plant.

Kopli said that after the bioethanol project, Unimas would execute a follow-up project to produce biodiesel from sago wastewater.