Perlis - power from rice husk
The EDGE FinancialDaily, Monday, 26 July, 2004
PERLIS will undertake a high-tech biomass power project by using rice husk as the primary fuel for power generation, an exciting endeavour that will be in line with the government's fuel diversification. policy.
The 10 megawatts of power to be generated from each plant through the process of gasification world be sold to T'N B Distribution, Tenaga Nasional Bhd's distribution arm, Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said last Friday.
The plant, sourced from Finland costing about RM60 million-RM70 million would need some 90,000 tonnes of rice husk to produce the I OMW of power. This means that the 35,000 tonnes of rice husk now being thrown away, burnt or put in landfills, could now be used to produce power.
The rest of the rice husk could be obtained from neighbouring states, he said.
"Perlis would be the launching pad for setting up more plants in other states such as Kedah, Perlis and Selangor he told Bernama after the signing of a sales representation agreement between Foster Wheeler Energyia OY of Finland and Menteri Besar (Incorporation) Perlis in association with Bid-Renewable Power Sdn Bhd.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister DatukSeri AbdufahAhmad Badawi,who is currently on a three-day visit to Britain . Also present was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.
Under the agreement, Bio-Renewable Power would purchase the equipment from Foster Wheeler for the first boiler plant in Perlis to produce power using rice husks through a high-tech process of gasification. However, other plants would be built entirely in Malaysia , which would facilitate the transfer of technology.
Foster Wheeler is a specialist process of gasification. However, other plants would be built entirely in Malaysia , which would facilitate the transfer of technology.
Foster Wheeler is a specialist in turnkey power projects, gasifiers and waste heat recovery boilers.
Shahidan said that the state government's investment arm, Menteri Besar (Inc), would develop and establish the rice husk power plant in Simpang Empat in Perlis through Bio-Renewable Power, in which it would hold a majority stake.
"We want to start the ball rolling and extend this technology to other states once we have reached an agreement on a bankable price at which Tenaga Nasional will buy the power from us; he said.
Shahidan said that the building of the plant was in Brie with the government's announcement in May 2001 to encourage the setting up of small power plants under the Small Renewable Power Programme as the fifth fuel resource under the country's fuel diversification policy.
"From the assessment made, there are sufficient quantities of rice husk from the padi growing areas in Malaysia to meet the annual requirement of 90,000 tonnes for the plant," he said.
He said that besides the one plant planned for Perlis, the other states such as Kedah, Perak and Selangor could accommodate two plants each initially.
"This business holds immense potential, bringing benefit not only to the company, but also to the government in helping to dispose of rice husk.
"We would be helping the padi farmers to dispose of their rice husk and in the process they too can make some money," he said. - Bernama
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