Abstract
The massive expansion of palm oil industry in Indonesia has triggered environmental issues including water-related problems which have become an important concern. Regarding the issues, sustainable practice standard has been set up as a requirement for palm oil to enter global market. Inevitably, water consumption in this sector is very crucial to be analyzed. One of the methods that can be used as a tool for sustainable appropriation of fresh water resources is water footprint analysis. The primary aim of this study was to formulate the strategies to reduce the water footprint in the palm oil production based on the best practice criteria. Both quantitative and qualitative research was conducted to get the value blue water (volume of surface or groundwater evaporated) and grey water (dilution volume to dilute pollutants according to agreed water quality standards). The values of water footprint in palm oil production obtained were used to represent the existing water use and were utilized as the basis for formulating strategies in reducing water use in the palm oil milling processes which was compared with the best practice criteria. The result showed that the blue water of CPO was 109.6 m 3 /ton and the grey water was 537.7 m 3 /ton, while the blue water of palm kernel was 62,4 m 3 /ton and grey water was 306,2 m 3 /ton. The value indicated that there was an inefficient use of water in the production of palm oil. The use of steam accumulator has been proposed to reduce the use of blue water by optimizing the steam supply. Besides, the reuse of water from fat-pit pond for pressing purposes, or recovery of condensate water as dilution water in the press unit which will affect the amount of wastewater discharged can be done as the strategies in reducing both blue and grey water, as well as reuse of cooling water turbines.
Highlights
Palm oil is a strategic sector in Indonesia because the trend of its export in the global market is increasingly higher, reaching 23.5 million tons per year (RSPO, 2013).The palm oil industry in Indonesia has been developing rapidly
As one of the key elements of Indonesian economic development, the development of palm oil sector is predictably higher. It is because the Government of Indonesia has targeted to export Crude Palm Oil (CPO) at 52 million tons in 2020
It is because sustainable practices of palm oil industry become one of the requirements for a palm oil industry to enter the global market
Summary
Palm oil is a strategic sector in Indonesia because the trend of its export in the global market is increasingly higher, reaching 23.5 million tons per year (RSPO, 2013).The palm oil industry in Indonesia has been developing rapidly. It was twice higher from 4.2 million ha in 2000 to be 8.0 million ha in 2010. As one of the key elements of Indonesian economic development, the development of palm oil sector is predictably higher It is because the Government of Indonesia has targeted to export Crude Palm Oil (CPO) at 52 million tons in 2020. The issues include deforestation, loss of biodiversity and habitats, soil erosion, air pollution (GHG emissions), water-related problems, and social conflicts (WWF, 2012)
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