Methane emission prediction and trading from anaerobic palm oil mill effluent treatment

Abstract

Anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases has been recognized as one of the main causes of global warming. Several measures under the Kyoto Protocol have been drawn up to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions. There are six gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol which are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs), perfluorocarbon (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). In Malaysia, palm oil industry particularly from the anaerobic palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment has been identified as an important sources of CH4. So far, an inventory of CH4 emission from POME has never taken into consideration. Therefore, CH4 inventory is introduced with estimation made from year 2000 to 2020 through data collection of palm oil mills. From the study, it was predicted that the number of mills increased each year, as well as the estimation of methane release to the atmosphere is about 3.9 million tonnes on year 2020.Hence, this study proposed a framework of national emission trading to show the way of how the trading system could be implement and adapted for palm oil mills in Malaysia. The European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) has been chosen as the model in designing the national emission trading since the system currently exists as the well-developed and successful. With a more understanding of the emission trading and data collection of methane emissions in the palm oil industries, the potential of emission trading could be established.