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  • What are palm kernel shells (PKS)?
  • Palm kernel shells (PKS) are the hard outer shells of the palm kernel fruits that are left as a by-product after the extraction of palm oil.
  • Which countries produce palm kernel shells?
  • These countries are closely followed by Ivory Coast and Ghana which are also large producer of palm kernel shells. The scalability of PKS for biomass is one of the products key advantages, as the palm oil production only in Indonesia and Malaysia generates around 6.5 million metric tons of PKS annually.
  • What is the value chain of palm oil?
  • In the Palm Oil value chain there is an overall surplus of by-products and the utilisation rate of these by-products is low. Palm kernel shells (or PKS) are the shell fractions left after the nut has been removed after crushing in the Palm Oil mill.
  • Can palm oil mills supply electricity?
  • Palm oil mills around the world may seize an opportunity to supply electricity for its surrounding plantation areas using palm kernel shells, empty fruit branches and palm oil mill effluent which have not been fully exploited yet.
  • Where do palm kernels come from?
  • The origin of PKS is South East Asian and West African countries. Indonesia and Malaysia are major sources of PKS for biomass, with the countries’ ample palm oil industry producing significant quantities of this biomass residue. These countries are closely followed by Ivory Coast and Ghana which are also large producer of palm kernel shells.
  • Do palm kernel shells replace coal?
  • In recent years, the demand for palm kernel shells has increased considerably in Europe, Asia-Pacific, China etc. resulting in price close to that of coal. Nowadays, cement industries and power producers are increasingly using palm kernel shells to replace coal.