Palm Oil Mill Flow Process From Loading Ramp Station to Dispatch Stations

A palm oil mill is a facility that processes fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from oil palm trees to produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). The oil palm tree, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis, is a tropical plant that is native to West Africa but is now grown in many tropical regions around the world.

The process of extracting palm oil involves several stages:

Harvesting: Oil palm trees produce fruit bunches containing fresh fruit, which are harvested from the plantation.

Sterilization: The harvested fruit bunches are subjected to a process called sterilization, which uses steam to deactivate enzymes and prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms.

Threshing: The sterilized fruit bunches are then mechanically threshed to separate the fruit from the bunch.

Pressing: The separated fruit undergoes mechanical pressing to extract the crude palm oil. This oil is commonly referred to as crude palm oil (CPO).

Clarification: The crude palm oil is then clarified to remove impurities. This process typically involves the use of centrifuges.

Fractionation: Fractionation is a process that separates the crude palm oil into various fractions, such as palm olein and palm stearin, which have different uses and characteristics.

Palm Kernel Recovery: The palm kernels, which are also obtained during the processing of FFBs, are further processed to extract palm kernel oil (PKO).

Oil Refining: The crude palm oil and palm kernel oil may undergo refining processes to remove impurities and improve the quality of the final products.

Palm oil is a versatile and widely used vegetable oil, found in a variety of products ranging from food items to personal care products and industrial applications. However, the production of palm oil has raised environmental and social concerns, including deforestation, habitat destruction, and issues related to labor practices. Sustainable palm oil initiatives and certification systems have been developed to address these concerns and promote responsible palm oil production.