KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Malaysia’s leading sugarcane-derived ethanol producer Fermpro Sdn Bhd (Fermpro) is exploring the potential use of spent sugarcane molasses as a soil ameliorant to support the cultivation of industrial crops.
Taking the ambition forward, Fermpro will be collaborating with the Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap) to run a comprehensive assessment on spent molasses and treated spent molasses (TSM).
Unimap will serve as the technical and research partner for this project, which will be led by Associate Professor Dr Ku Syahidah Ku Ismail.
Currently, the Perlis-based company — a subsidiary of Ancom Nylex Berhad — generates approximately 200 metric tonnes of spent sugarcane molasses daily, which are discharged with minimal downstream value.
Fermpro is now aiming to harness the spent molasses to improve soil quality for high-value crops rubber trees, oil palm, and mangoes.
The collaboration comes after initial trials on rice fields, conducted in 2019 to 2022, which resulted in enhanced plant growth and yield.
“The initial trials have indicated the bioactive potential of the effluent.
“However, there remains a critical need for scientific validation to ensure safety, efficacy, and agronomic benefit when applied to other high-value crops such as rubber trees, oil palm, and mangoes,” Fermpro said in a statement.
The upcoming project will see a comprehensive assessment involving the chemical characterisation of the spent molasses and treated spent molasses (TSM) of sugarcanes and their agronomic performance under controlled and field conditions.
As part of the assessment, Fermpro will also evaluate the TSM’s nutrient content (specifically NPK and micronutrients), potential soil-enhancing properties and other parameters specific to the study.
The project is set to run over three years, starting from December 2025.
Established in Chuping, Perlis in the 80’s, Fermpro is one of the state’s largest tax contributor.
The ethanol produced by the company is used in industrial and household products, including sanitisers, disinfectants, cleaning solvents, and printing ink.
