Review on industrial wastewater energy sources and carbon emission reduction: towards a clean production

Abstract

This review provides an innovative approach of treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) from open pond and closed anaerobic sludge reactor for generation of green energy in the form of biogas containing methane. Improper techniques for the treatment and management of POME produce hazards to people and contribute to global warming. In all over the world, the total crude oil palm production in the countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, Latin America, Asian countries, Solomons and other were around 51, 31, 7, 6, 3, 2 and 1% compared with soya 41.8% and coconut 3.48%, respectively. In the year 2014–15, Malaysia generated at least 87.8 million tonnes of palm effluent per year. Various studies reveal that about 80% of palm effluent is disposed off partially treated in open dumps. The generated certified emission reductions (CERs) estimated and favoured the treatment of POME in anaerobic reactor by replacing open lagoon of aerobic system for cleaner production. The clean development mechanism (CDM) encourages the utilisation of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors for POME treatment and methane capture to earn CER credits as a source of revenue.

Keywords:

• Sustainable POME treatment
• aerobic
• anaerobic reactor
• emission reduction
• CER

Abbreviations:

• FFB: Fresh fruit bunch
• CPO: Crude palm oil
• POME: Palm oil mill effluent
• CDM: Clean development mechanism
• CERs: Certified emission reductions
• GHG: Green house gas
• CO₂: Carbon dioxide
• AF: Anaerobic film
• AS: Activated sludge
• ASP: Activated sludge process
• BOD: Biochemical oxygen demand (g L⁻¹)
• COD: Chemical oxygen demand (g L⁻¹)
• COD_diss: Dissolved chemical oxygen demand (g L⁻¹)
• CRT: Cell residence time (days)
• HRT: Hydraulic retention time (days)
• OLR: Organic loading rate (kgCOD m⁻³ d⁻¹)
• Q: Flow rate (L d⁻¹)
• SBR: Sequencing batch reactor
• SCOD: Soluble chemical oxygen demand (g L⁻¹)
• SS: Suspended solids (g L⁻¹)
• T-P: Total phosphorous (g L⁻¹)
• TKN: Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (g L⁻¹)
• T-N: Total nitrogen (g L⁻¹)
• TS: Total solids (g L⁻¹)
• TSS: Total suspended solids (g L⁻¹)
• UASB: Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
• TVS: Total volatile solids (g L⁻¹)
• VS: Volatile solids (g L⁻¹)
• V_s: Superficial velocity (m h⁻¹)
• VSS: Volatile suspended solids (g L⁻¹)
• V_up: Upflow velocity (m h⁻¹)
• W: width (cm)
• WW: Wastewater
• WTE: Waste to energy
• FFB: Fresh fruit bunch
• BE: Baseline emission
• PE: Project emissions
• PEFC: Project emissions from fossil fuel combustion
• EQA: Environmental quality act
• DOE: Department of environment

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the R & D Cluster unit for technical assistance during the course of this review paper. The authors wish to thanks R&D panels of UoN for valuable discussions on industrial wastewater as source of energy and CER.