Contact:
Bruce Blakeman, Singapore, (65) 6393-8400, bruce_blakeman@cargill.com
Bill Brady, Minneapolis, (1) 952-742-6608, bill_brady@cargill.com
Cargill to reduce greenhouse gas at palm oil plantation
SINGAPORE – Cargill today announced plans for an anaerobic digester at its CTP Harapan Sawit Lestari Palm Oil Mill and Plantation in Manis Mata, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The custom-designed Managed Engineered POME Digester (MEP) will capture and convert gasses generated by the decomposition of organic matter in the palm oil mill effluent (POME) into more than 2,600 tonnes of methane gas (or about 3,800,000 cubic meters) per year –gas that in the future will be used to generate onsite energy. The project will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent of 540,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere over 10 years. Co-products from the process will be used as organic fertilizer to enrich the palm oil plantation and to reduce the use of other fertilizers.
The project is being managed and funded by Cargill’s Environmental Finance group. Site suitability studies, design and construction management services are being provided by Golder Associates of Canada, Australia and Indonesia in cooperation with Ecofys of the Netherlands. Cargill has applied to register this project as a Clean Development Mechanism under the United Nations program for creating carbon credits that can be traded on global climate exchanges.
“We are excited to develop this innovative way of POME management,” said Pierre Lepee, Operations Manager for Cargill in Asia Pacific. “The digester will substantially reduce organic load in our water effluent and methane emissions to the atmosphere while creating a renewable energy source which, over time, will help us in reducing our overall operating costs. This digester is currently under construction and is scheduled to be fully operational by February 2008.”
“CTP should be congratulated for its proactive approach to environmental stewardship,” said Cargill Environmental Finance Asia General Manager Michael Loefler. “This project goes far beyond what regulations require by law and demonstrates CTP’s commitment for responsible and sustainable palm oil plantation and mill management. It sets a new standard for the global palm oil industry and contributes to the reduction of CTP’s environmental footprint.”
According to Gregory Beckstrom, Golder’s relationship manager for Cargill in Minneapolis, “This project has been a true collaboration among Cargill, Golder and Ecofys. By harnessing Cargill’s vision and financial resources with Golder’s understanding of waste management in the POME sector and construction management capabilities in Indonesia and Ecofys’s intellectual property, we are constructing an innovative, robust and sustainable waste management solution that will capture and treat a potent greenhouse gas before it is ever released into the atmosphere.”
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 158,000 employees in 66 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
Cargill Environmental Finance, a Cargill business, helps to originate, develop and market emission reductions and renewable energy projects around the world, utilizing in-house expertise as well as alliances with world class organizations and locally qualified contractors to provide the best advisory, design and engineering services. For information, visit www.cargillcarbon.com.
CTP is a joint venture between of Cargill and Temasek. It owns and manages oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. CTP is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Golder Associates of Toronto, Canada is a worldwide group of companies that specialize in ground engineering and environmental services. The company is employee owned and operates from 150 offices located throughout Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America. Golder and Ecofys of the Netherlands are cooperating on a range of Joint Implementation/Clean Development Mechanism and energy management projects with private sector clients in Asia, Europe and the Americas. For more information, visit Golder at http://www.golder.com or Ecofys at http://www.ecofys.com.
Temasek Holdings is an Asian investment company headquartered in Singapore. Established in 1974, it manages a diversified global portfolio of US$63 billion, spanning Singapore, Asia and the OECD economies. Its investments are in a variety of industries: telecommunications and media, financial services, property, transportation and logistics, energy and resources, infrastructure, engineering and technology, as well as pharmaceuticals and biosciences. For more information, visit www.temasekholdings.com.sg