Exploitation of Empty Palm Fruit Bunch for the Generation of Electricity

Abstract

Electricity is very important for the growth and economy of a country. Biomass wastes such as waste from oil palm plantation companies can be harnessed for this purpose since they are usually abundant in nature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the utilization of empty palm fruit bunch for the generation of electricity. The empty fruit bunch (EFB) was used in firing a steam turbine plant (boiler) for the generation of electricity. The power plant that was used in this research is owned by PRESCO Nigeria Limited located in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo state. 1.7 MW of electricity was generated by burning empty fruit bunch (EFB) at a rate of 896 kg/h when the steam boiler was used. This value was compared with the traditional power plant fired using methane gas which produces 4.5MW. This value (1.7 MW) shows that EFB is a very good alternative for firing a boiler plant, power generation and elimination of wastes.