Sustainable bioenergy from palm oil mill effluent: Advancements in upstream and downstream engineering with techno-economic and environmental assessment

• Main Authors: Salehmin M.N.I., Tiong S.K., Mohamed H., Zainal B.S., Lim S.S., Mohd Yasin N.H., Zakaria Z.
• Other Authors: 55628787200
• Format: Review
• Published: Korean Society of Industrial Engineering Chemistry 2025
• Subjects: Economic analysis; Economic and social effects; Effluent treatment; Effluents; Oil shale; Palm oil; Pollution control; Sustainable development; Wastewater treatment; Bio-energy; Bio-hydrogen; Biogas storage; Biogas upgrading; Biomethane; Commercialisation; Down-stream; Palm oil mill effluents; Sustainable energy; Techno-Economic analysis; Biogas

Reusing palm oil mill effluent (POME) to generate bioenergy effectively promotes a circular economy in wastewater treatment, cleaner production, and renewable energy. Traditional methods like open-air ponds and tanks are ineffective for significant biogas production and energy recovery. Additionally, conventional biogas upgrading experienced challenges in efficiency and commercialisation. Hence, introducing advanced technologies from upstream to downstream processes is indispensable to realise the industrialisation and commercialisation of biogas from POME. This review presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of bioenergy production from POME using covered lagoon, single, and integrated bioreactor operation strategies. In addition, the challenges and benefits of biogas upgrading, compression, and storage methods are also discussed and reviewed. This review also evaluates the techno-economic and environmental impacts of biogas generation and processing from POME. Finally, this review proposes strategies for addressing remaining challenges and advancing the field. ? 2023 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry