Process development of enzymatic biodiesel production from sludge palm oil using a low-cost liquid lipase from Aspergillus oryzae

The lack of reliable electricity supply in rural areas remains a problem in many developing and under-developed countries. Palm oil mills could play a role in rural electrification since the mills are commonly found in rural areas of these countries. This thesis reports a simple and sustainable process to produce biodiesel from sludge palm oil, a byproduct of palm oil mills, using an enzymatic route. The fuel and emission characteristics of the enzymatic biodiesel are comparable to the commercial biodiesel. The generator sets could run well with the enzymatic biodiesel, thus showing the potential of the enzymatic biodiesel produced from sludge palm oil as a promising fuel for rural electrification.