Utilization of palm oil derivatives for eco-friendly industrial development: literature review

Authors

  • Lilis Pebriani Hutajulu Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Daniel Roberto Nadeak Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Muhammad Dzaky Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Fauzi Zulfikri Rasyd Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Hendy Untara Pradipta Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Muhammad Fajar Subhi Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Guntoro Guntoro Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia, Indonesia

Keywords:

Biomass Utilization, Circular Economy, Palm Oil Waste, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Industry

Abstract

The increasing adoption of eco-friendly industrial practices and circular economy principles has encouraged the palm oil industry to maximize the utilization of waste and by-products as valuable resources. This study aims to examine the potential utilization of palm oil derivatives in supporting environmentally friendly industrial development through a circular economy approach. A descriptive qualitative method with a literature review approach was employed using secondary data obtained from 25 national and international journal articles, scientific papers, and conference proceedings published between 2019 and 2026. Relevant literature was collected from Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and MDPI databases using keywords related to palm oil waste, circular economy, biomass, bioenergy, and sustainable industry. Data were analyzed through content analysis involving identification, selection, classification, synthesis, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that various palm oil derivatives, including Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), empty fruit bunches, biomass residues, boiler ash, and oleochemical by-products, can be utilized as renewable energy sources, organic fertilizers, biomaterials, bioplastics, and industrial raw materials. The implementation of circular economy principles contributes to reducing environmental pollution, improving resource efficiency, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and supporting sustainable industrial development. However, several challenges remain, including high investment costs, limited technological adoption, and inadequate industrial integration. Overall, palm oil derivatives should be viewed as strategic resources capable of supporting environmental sustainability, industrial competitiveness, and long-term economic development.

References

Abdul-Hamid, A. Q., Ali, M. H., Osman, L. H., Tseng, M. L., & Lim, M. K. (2022). Industry 4.0 quasi-effect between circular economy and sustainability: Palm oil industry. International Journal of Production Economics, 253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2022.108616

Akuma, S. O., Yazdi, S. K., & Eze, U. (2026). A review of resource recovery from palm oil mill effluent (POME): Recent technological innovations and pathways to circular economy. Next Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxsust.2026.100261

Alhaji, A. M., Almeida, E. S., Carneiro, C. R., da Silva, C. A. S., Monteiro, S., & Coimbra, J. S. dos R. (2024). Palm oil (Elaeis guineensis): A journey through sustainability, processing, and utilization. Foods, 13(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172814

Anshari, M., Hasibuan, H. A., Habibi Nst, M. E., & Nasution, F. Q. (2025). Produksi dan pemanfaatan gliserin pitch dari industri oleokimia berbasis kelapa sawit. Warta PPKS, 30, 177–188.

Asma-Qamaliah Abdul-Hamid, A. Q., Ali, M. H., Tseng, M. L., Lan, S., & Kumar, M. (2019). Impeding challenges on Industry 4.0 in circular economy: Palm oil industry in Malaysia.

Cheah, W. Y., Siti-Dina, R. P., Leng, S. T. K., Er, A. C., & Show, P. L. (2023). Circular bioeconomy in palm oil industry: Current practices and future perspectives. Environmental Technology and Innovation, 30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2023.103050

Cheng, S. Y., Tan, X., Show, P. L., Rambabu, K., Banat, F., Veeramuthu, A., Lau, B. F., Ng, E. P., & Ling, T. C. (2020). Incorporating biowaste into circular bioeconomy: A critical review of current trend and scaling up feasibility. Environmental Technology and Innovation, 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2020.101034

Foo, K. Y., & Hameed, B. H. (2010). Insight into the applications of palm oil mill effluent: A renewable utilization of the industrial agricultural waste. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14(5), 1445–1452.

Kaniapan, S., Hassan, S., Ya, H., Nesan, K. P., & Azeem, M. (2021). The utilisation of palm oil and oil palm residues and the related challenges as a sustainable alternative in biofuel, bioenergy, and transportation sector: A review. Sustainability, 13(6), 3110.

Kahar, N. A. M., et al. (2021). Palm oil waste utilization through integrated biorefinery systems. Renewable Energy.

Lee, K. T., & Ofori-Boateng, C. (2020). Sustainability of biofuel production from palm biomass. Biomass and Bioenergy.

Liew, W. L., Kassim, M. A., Muda, K., Loh, S. K., & Affam, A. C. (2021). Conventional methods and emerging wastewater polishing technologies for palm oil mill effluent treatment. Journal of Environmental Management.

Mahjoub, A., & Domscheit, F. (2020). Renewable energy recovery from agro-industrial waste streams: Opportunities and challenges. Renewable Energy.

Mohammad, N., Alam, M. Z., Kabbashi, N. A., & Ahsan, A. (2020). Effective composting of oil palm industrial waste. Journal of Environmental Management.

Ng, W. P. Q., Lam, H. L., Ng, F. Y., Kamal, M., & Lim, J. H. E. (2021). Waste-to-wealth strategies in the palm oil industry. Journal of Cleaner Production.

Ofori-Boateng, C., & Lee, K. T. (2020). The potential of palm biomass for sustainable energy production. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

Rendón-Camargo, J. A., et al. (2026). Industrial symbiosis and circular bioeconomy pathways for palm biomass utilization. Sustainable Production and Consumption.

Shuit, S. H., Tan, K. T., Lee, K. T., & Kamaruddin, A. H. (2020). Oil palm biomass as a sustainable renewable energy source. Energy.

Tan, X., Show, P. L., Ling, T. C., et al. (2021). Biorefinery applications of palm oil biomass for sustainable industrial development. Bioresource Technology.

Wahyu Almizri, & Yusuf Akhmad. (2025). Pemanfaatan biomassa kelapa sawit sebagai sumber energi terbarukan. Jurnal Energi Berkelanjutan.

Welo, T., et al. (2024). Circular economy implementation and waste valorization in agro-industrial systems. Sustainability.

Yanti. (2023). Utilization of oil palm plantation waste for renewable energy development. Jurnal Teknologi Lingkungan.

Yeo, J. Y., et al. (2020). Circular economy strategies in palm oil supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production.

Zafar, S. (2020). Palm oil waste management and resource recovery opportunities. BioEnergy Consult.

Zulkifli, N., et al. (2022). Biomass valorization from oil palm residues for sustainable industrial applications. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-01

How to Cite

Hutajulu, L. P., Nadeak, D. R., Dzaky, M., Rasyd, F. Z., Pradipta, H. U., Subhi, M. F., & Guntoro, G. (2026). Utilization of palm oil derivatives for eco-friendly industrial development: literature review. Contributions of Central Research Institute for Agriculture, 20(3), 185–191. Retrieved from https://ejournal.cria.or.id/index.php/ccria/article/view/433