From biomass waste to climate action: Characterizing of bioenergy pellet from oil palm fronds and branches wood of mangrove

¹ Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Deli Serdang 20355, North Sumatra, Indonesia
² Doctoral Program in Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, North Sumatra, Indonesia
³ Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, North Sumatra, Indonesia
⁴ Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia

^* Corresponding author: arif5@usu.ac.id

Abstract

To support climate action by reducing emissions and transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, this study focuses on producing biomass pellets as a bioenergy source. The objective is to evaluate the quality of pellets made from a mixture of oil palm fronds and mangrove branch wood. Oil palm fronds are an abundant, daily-available agricultural residue that remains underutilized, making them a promising bioenergy feedstock. Method in this study was included: the biomass was compacted into pellets using tapioca as a binder, followed by characterization of the resulting pellet properties. Initial results showed that the pellets had a denser morphology and improved specific gravity. However, pellets made solely from oil palm fronds did not meet the minimum Indonesian calorific value standard (SNI 8021:2020), which requires >4000 cal/g. To meet this requirement, mixing with high-calorific biomass such as branches wood of Rhizophora mucronata (4028–4047 cal/g) was necessary. Although the study is ongoing, findings confirm that oil palm fronds can be converted into bio-pellets, though the mixing ratio needs optimization. This approach promotes the use of agricultural waste, preserves mangrove sustainability by using only branches, and supports energy transition efforts—particularly for household cooking fuel—while contributing to climate change mitigation.