Indonesian–Dutch Collaboration Unlocks Hidden Value in Oil Palm Trunks

The SustainPalm Project held a workshop titled “Developing the Potential of Sugar from Oil Palm Trunks” in Bogor on Friday, May 2, 2025. The event aimed to promote the utilization of oil palm trunks (OPT) as a valuable resource with added economic potential.

This initiative is part of a collaborative effort between IPB University, Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) under the SustainPalm Project—an Indonesia–Netherlands partnership to accelerate the transition toward a sustainable and circular palm oil industry.

The workshop was officially opened by Prof. Iskandar Zulkarnaen Siregar, Executive Board Member of SustainPalm and Vice Rector for Global Connectivity and Collaboration at IPB University. In his presentation, Prof. Iskandar emphasized that adding value to OPT is a critical step in realizing a circular agricultural system.

“This system does not only focus on Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) and Crude Palm Oil (CPO), but also seeks to utilize the entire palm tree for bioenergy, biomaterials, and bioindustry products,” he said in a written statement released on Monday (May 5).

Representing the Ministry of Industry, Lila Harsyah Bakhtiar highlighted that Indonesia has had a national standard for palm sugar (SNI Gula Palma) since 2000. This standard implicitly allows for the use of sap from oil palm trunks.

“The regulation includes ‘other palm species’ as permitted raw materials—beyond aren, coconut, and siwalan—making the commercial and legal use of oil palm trunk sap possible without the need to establish a new standard,” she explained.

She also noted that the Ministry of Industry is currently drafting a ministerial regulation to reinforce a machinery restructuring program for the brown sugar industry. This program allows small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to apply for reimbursement on sugar processing equipment, referring to Regulation No. 33 of 2020.

“This initiative is expected to modernize production processes, improve efficiency, and ensure the hygienic quality of palm sugar derived from oil palm trunks,” she added.

Prof. Udin Hasanudin of the University of Lampung discussed the technologies and challenges of extracting sap from OPT. He underscored the importance of engineering efficient and standardized tapping tools and methods, as well as ensuring hygienic fermentation management for the successful commercialization of trunk-based palm sugar.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Yanni Sudiyani from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) presented research on second-generation bioethanol production from lignocellulosic residues of OPT. The process also produces biochar and liquid smoke through pyrolysis, with biochar showing potential as a soil ameliorant.

Another innovation discussed was the development of Sandwich Laminated Lumber (SLL) from OPT as an eco-friendly, lightweight construction material. Atikah Afriani, M.Si from BRIN highlighted that this product has export potential, offers an alternative to hardwood, and supports local economic empowerment.

The workshop served as a platform for dialogue among academics, researchers, industry players, government agencies, and development partners to formulate strategies for downstream innovation of oil palm trunk utilization. At the conclusion of the event, Prof. Dr. Arya Hadi Dharmawan of IPB University, representing the SustainPalm Support Hub, delivered several key recommendations for follow-up action.

Source: https://indorayatoday.com/2025/05/05/akademisi-indonesia-belanda-kembangkan-potensi-tersembunyi-batang-kelapa-sawit/