BINTULU, April 27 — Sarawak Oil Palms Bhd (SOP) delivered 179,578.69 tonnes of palm methyl ester (PME) to Petronas and Shell depots throughout Sarawak last year, an increase from 161,671.96 tonnes delivered in 2022.
SOP chief operating officer Eric Kiu Kwong Seng said the figures reflected the company’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions in the country.
“Likewise, our crude glycerol exports experienced a significant increase, reaching 22,244 tonnes in 2023, proving the quality and reliability of our products at the global level,” he said.
He said the company’s biodiesel plant at the Kidurong Industrial Estate Phase 2, which adheres to strict environmental standards, is capable of processing 600 tonnes per day while its phytonutrient plant has a daily production capacity of 300 tonnes.
Speaking at the opening of the company’s Refinery and Fractionation Plant 2 at the Kidurong Industrial Estate Phase 2 here, today, by Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Kiu said SOP is committed to strengthening its future prospects by realising its vision to become a fully integrated oil palm plantation group in Sarawak.
Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SOP Industries Sdn Bhd, SOP leads the development of the Palm Oil Downstream Complex which plays an important role in the production of various downstream palm oil products, including refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm oil, RBD palm olein, RBD palm stearin, palm kernel expeller, crude palm kernel oil, PME, glycerol, distilled methyl ester, acid oil, tocotrienols, and palm beta carotene.
On the Refinery & Fractionation Plant 2 which has been operational since August 2022, Kiu said it aims to meet the growing demand for downstream palm oil product, increasing the company’s capacity to produce premium products such as low 3-monochloropropanediol/glycidyl esters, super olein, and soft palm mid fraction.
Kiu also expressed the company’s hope to continue to receive continuous support from the government especially in the oil refining industry in Sarawak in particular for the export sector.
“This support is very important for us in continuing our efforts to bring this industry towards excellence,” he said. — Bernama
