Palm ’Journal

Analysis of Palm Oil Strategic Issues Vol. I, No. 20/07/2020

SPENT BLEACHING EARTH (SBE), THE HIDDEN TREASURE

FROM WASTE OF THE PALM OIL REFINERY PLANT
By
Research Team PASPI

RESUME
The use of Bleaching Earth in the CPO refining process aims to remove sap, heavy metals, and absorb colour pigments
in palm oil. In addition to producing RBDPO and PFAD, this process also produces solid waste, namely Spent Bleaching Earth
(SBE) containing metal material and oil residues. Although metal content in SBE not classified as heavy metals and palm oil
residues in SBE in large amounts/quantities, becomes an argument that the waste is a hazardous waste category that is
considered to have a risk of explosion, flammability, reactive, infectious, corrosive and toxic. So based on Government
Regulations 101/2014, these SBE wastes are classified as category 2 of hazardous and toxic waste from specific specific
sources with code B413.
Given the large volume of SBE waste and classified as hazardous and toxic waste, and become the problems faced by
the palm cooking oil industry. The development of SBE waste management industries that have licenses in Indonesia are still
very lower. This is causes a pile up of SBE waste. The SBE stockpile also has the potential to create legal risks both for the
refinery industry (and downstream industry) and waste management service providers, if the waste is only left on open land.
On the other hand, research on the use of SBE is widely carried out. Various studies have resulted in a conclusion that
SBE is an input that can be used for a variety of products that have high economic value. Although categorized as hazardous
and toxic waste, SBE processing using Solvent Extraction technology can produce Recovered Oil (R-Oil) and De-oiled
Bleaching Earth (De-Obe) products that can be used as raw materials. R-Oil is used as a feedstock for biodiesel and
lubricants/biolubrikan. Meanwhile, De-OBE can be used as raw material for construction/building materials (concrete,
cement and brick), bio-organic fertilizer, NPK fertilizer and animal feed. De-OBE products are also recycled and produce
Bleaching Earth/RBE Reactivation for BE substitution in the CPO refining process.
The development of eco-friendly and sustainable product markets should be able to be an incentive for SBE processing
industries and industries that use SBE as production inputs in Indonesia. Therefore, government regulations/policies are
needed as an incentive for investors to develop SBE processing industries in Indonesia, especially in the oil palm center
region. So that the industry is expected to produce a large multiplier effect for the regional economy as well as opportunities
for the palm oil industry to become a green industry.

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132 Palm Oil Journal, Vol I No. 20/07/2020

INTRODUCTION years' imprisonment and a three billion fine

(Harian Kompas, 2019).
Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE) is a waste On the other hand, research on the use
produced by refinery plants that process of SBE is widely carried out. Various studies
crude palm oil (CPO) into a intermediate have resulted in a conclusion that SBE is an
product that is used as raw material for oil input that can be used for a variety of
palm downstream industries such as the products that have high economic value such
palm cooking oil industry. Based on as construction materials, fertilizers and
Government Regulation No. 101 of 2014, even biodiesel feedstock. Industrial
SBE is classified as a category 2 of hazardous development that utilizes SBE is actually a
and toxic waste from specific sources with solution to the problem of waste
code B413. accumulation faced by the MGS industry, as
GIMNI and AIMMI (2020) estimate SBE well as business opportunities that are
waste generated by the CPO refinery plant considered quite profitable.
will be 4.8 - 7.2 million tons in 2019. Given Therefore, this paper aims to provide
the large volume of SBE waste and classified information in order to get to know more
as hazardous and toxic waste, and become closely about SBE waste and its potential
the problems faced by the palm cooking oil use.
industry. Until now, the development of SBE
waste management industries that have
licenses in Indonesia are still very lower. SBE AND ITS STATUS AS HAZARDOUS
This is due to the status of the SBE as AND TOXIC MATERIAL WASTE
hazardous and toxic waste, so that the
procedures, requirements and permits for The process of refining/distillation
processing SBE are relatively strict following crude palm oil (CPO/CPKO) that occurs at
the regulations set forth in Government the refinery plant uses auxiliary materials in
Regulations 101/2014. In addition, the the form of citric acid and Bleaching Earth
unclear status of SBE processed products (BE). One of the auxiliary materials namely
whether classified as hazardous and toxic BE or fuller earth is a type of clay and is very
waste or not, lso a cause of low interest in active as an absorbent used in the bleaching
SBE waste processing investment. process to improve the appearance, aroma,
The low absorption of SBE waste by taste and stability (Majid & Mat, 2018). The
industries that have hazardous and toxic additional auxiliary material aims to remove
waste processing permits while the refinery sap (degumming) and heavy metals, and
and downstream industries continue to absorb pigments (carotenoids, chlorophyll)
produce SBE waste every day, resulting in a in palm oil. From the refinement process will
pile up of SBE waste. The SBE stockpile also produce a main product in the form of RBD
has the potential to create legal risks both Palm Oil (RBDPO), by product in the form of
for the refinery industry (and downstream Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) and solid
industry) and waste management service waste namely Spent Bleacing Earth (SBE)
providers, if the waste is only left on open (Figure 1).
land. The case occurred in Marunda, Jakarta
in January 2019 with a maximum of three

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Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE), The Hidden Treasure From Waste of the Palm Oil Refinery Plant 133

Figure 1. Refined Process at a Palm Oil Refinery Plant (Source: GIMNI, 2019)

The metal content, although not different from the status of SBE in Malaysia
classified as heavy metals and palm oil which is also the second largest palm oil
residues in SBE in large amounts/quantities, producer in the world. SBE waste generated
becomes an argument that the waste is a by the Malaysian refinery industry is not
hazardous waste category that is considered classified as hazardous and toxic waste but is
to have a risk of explosion, flammability, still categorized as solid waste from refinery
reactive, infectious, corrosive and toxic. So plants whose processing is regulated in the
that the process of storage, transportation, Solid Waste Regulation (SWR) so that the
collection, processing and dumping in waste can be reused into high economic
accordance with the regulations contained in value products.
Government Regulations 101/2014.
The classification of SBE status as
hazardous and toxic waste in Indonesia is

POTENTIAL UTILIZATION OF SPENT produce new resources that are more useful
BLEACHING EARTH (SBE) WASTE as well as cost effectiveness from the
industry.
In accordance with Government The SBE waste management technology
Regulations 101/2014, Spent Bleaching to produce new resources that can be
Earth (SBE) which is categorized as utilized is the Solvent Extraction (SE)
hazardous and toxic waste requires technology. SE technology is also used by the
management through recovery, reuse and SBE waste processing industry in Malaysia.
recycle activities to produce new resources. Through this technology, components in SBE
During this time, untapped SBE waste has consisting of oil residues (20-30 percent)
become an economic cost burden for and solid waste (such as sand) can be
refineries and downstream industries, which separated so that they can produce two
has further implications for the high cost of products with two different phases, the
producing palm oil based downstream liquid phase namely Recovered Oil (R-Oil)
products and low competitiveness. It is and the solid phase namely De-oiled
expected, that the development of SBE Bleaching Earth (De-Obe) with an oil content
processing technology will be able to of less than 3 percent (Figure 2).

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134 Palm Oil Journal, Vol I No. 20/07/2020

Teknologi pengelolaan limbah SBE padat (seperti pasir) dapat dipisahkan

untuk menghasilkan sumber daya baru yang sehingga dapat menghasilkan dua produk
dapat dimanfaatkan adalah teknologi Solvent dengan dua fase berbeda yakni fase cair
Extraction (SE). Teknologi SE juga digunakan yaitu Recovered Oil (R-Oil) dan fase padat
oleh industri pengolah limbah SBE di yaitu De-oiled Bleaching Earth (De-Obe)
Malaysia. Melalui teknologi tersebut, dengan kandungan minyak kurang dari 3
komponen dalam SBE yang terdiri dari persen (Gambar 2).
residu minyak (20-30 persen) dan limbah

Figure 2. Solvent Extrct Technology for Processing Spent Bleaching Earth Waste (Source: GIMNI,
2019)

Both of these SBE waste treatment 2017), cement (Tee, 2010) and brick (Abrar
products can be used as raw materials to & Nuryasin, 2019). Nutrient content of N, P,
produce various high economic value K, C: N ratio, balanced pH in SBE and De-OBE
products. R-Oil (HS 1522.00.90) or Industrial has the potential to be used as raw material
Vegetable Oil can be reused as feedstock for for bio-organic fertilizer (Cheong et al, 2013;
biodiesel (Kheang et al, 2007; Adadetuyi et Loh et al, 2015). In addition to organic
al, 2014; Suryani et al, 2017) and fertilizer, higher level of silica content in De-
lubricants/biolubrikan (Abdulbari et al. al, OBE can also be used as raw material for
2011; Widyawati & Ufidian, 2017). NPK fertilizer (Purba et al, 2018; Anugrah et
Meanwhile, the SBE-processed solid al, 2020).
phase, namely De-OBE, can be directly used De-OBE which still contains palm oil can
for landfill in the process of field or road also be directly mixed with soybean meal
compaction. The silica and alumina dust and other ingredients to produce nutritious
content in De-OBE is also suitable for animal feed (Chang et al, 2006; Justia, 2016).
substitution of fine aggregate (natural sand) De-OBE products can also produce Bleaching
to produce various construction/building Earth/RBE Reactivation as a form of BE
materials such as concrete (Rokiah et al, recycle that can be reused in the CPO
2013; Sumarno et al, 2017; Ashari et al, refining process (Damayanti, 2019).

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Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE), The Hidden Treasure From Waste of the Palm Oil Refinery Plant 135

The various empirical studies above category 2 of hazardous and toxic waste
show the large potential for the use of SBE as from specific specific sources with code
raw material to produce high economic B413.
value products. SBE waste is also more Although categorized as hazardous and
appropriately categorized as an toxic waste, SBE processing using Solvent
intermediate product (feedstock) that can be Extraction technology can produce
used as a production input, not waste Recovered Oil (R-Oil) and De-oiled Bleaching
especially hazardous and toxic waste. Earth (De-Obe) products that can be used as
The great potential economic value that raw materials. R-Oil is used as a feedstock
can be obtained from the use of SBE is for biodiesel and lubricants/biolubrikan.
unfortunate if it is not optimized. The market Meanwhile, De-OBE can be used as raw
opportunity for processed products from material for construction/building materials
SBE waste is also expected to be bright in the (concrete, cement and brick), bio-organic
future, along with the development of fertilizer, NPK fertilizer and animal feed. De-
market preferences that require the OBE products are also recycled and produce
availability of eco-friendly and sustainable Bleaching Earth/RBE Reactivation for BE
products. This should be an incentive for substitution in the CPO refining process.
industry to invest in SBE waste management. The development of eco-friendly and
However, the development of the waste sustainable product markets should be able
processing industry, especially SBE waste to be an incentive for SBE processing
and industries that use SBE as production industries and industries that use SBE as
input in Indonesia are still very low, even production inputs in Indonesia. Therefore,
though the economic value and market government regulations/policies are needed
prospects of SBE processed products are as an incentive for investors to develop SBE
quite high. processing industries in Indonesia,
Therefore, government especially in the oil palm center region. So
regulations/policies are needed as an that the industry is expected to produce a
incentive for investors to develop SBE large multiplier effect for the regional
processing industries in Indonesia, economy as well as opportunities for the
especially in the oil palm center region. It is palm oil industry to become a green
expected, that the development of the SBE industry.
waste processing industry can create large
economic benefits such as increased value
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