On June 21, according to media reports, Phoong Jin Zhe, Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship of Sabah State, Malaysia, said that the Sabah State Government will introduce policies to regulate the oil palm biomass industry.
He said in the statement: The introduction of policies is crucial for the long-term development of the biomass industry in Sabah, and it also contributes to the sustainable socio-economic growth of Sabah, especially in terms of generating income, increasing investment value and creating employment opportunities.
In 2021, Sabah could produce about 45 million tonnes of oil palm biomass, Phoong said. These include palm shells, peel fibers, palm oil kernels, palm oil wastewater, palm oil stems and palm fronds. This shows the great potential of the downstream biomass industry in Sabah.
Data show that Sabah is the largest palm oil producing state in Malaysia, with a total planted area of more than 1.5 million hectares, accounting for 27% of Malaysia’s total palm oil planted area of 5.7 million hectares.
