Kemampanan persekitaran klaster sawit: Kajian kes disekitar Pulau Carey, Selangor (Environmental sustainability of palm cluster: A case study in and around Carey Island, Selangor)

Abstract

Tujuan utama artikel ini adalah untuk menilai kemampanan persekitaran klaster perindustrian minyak sawit disekitar Pulau Carey, Selangor. Aktiviti utama yang
terlibat di peringkat huluan ialah penanaman kelapa sawit dan pengilangan minyak sawit, manakala aktiviti hiliran merangkumi pengilangan isi sawit, penapisan minyak sawit dan pengilangan oliokimia. Kesemua pengusaha yang terlibat, kecuali pengilang isi sawit berada di bawah kumpulan Sime Darby. Berdasarkan lawatan dan pemerhatian yang dilakukan di kawasan berkenaan dan sumber maklumat sekunder, kajian ini mendapati bahawa kehampiran fizikal membolehkan aktviti tersebut menyumbang kepada kecekapan logistik dan jejak karbon yang rendah. Penanaman kelapa sawit menggantikan getah tua di ladang sawit Pulau Carey tidak berhubungkait dengan kontroversi persekitaran yang berkaitan dengan kehilangan hutan dara. Amalan pertanian yang baik, pemeliharaan kepelbagaian-bio dan kelapa sawit sebagai tanaman berhasil tinggi, telah meningkatkan kemampanan persekitaran. Kehampiran fizikal antara ladang dengan kilang minyak sawit telah menyumbang kepada penggunaan sisa seperti POME yang dirawat serta tandan sebagai baja di ladang. Hal tersebut seterusnya menyumbang kepada kemampanan persekitaran melalui intervensi kimia yang minimum. Kehampiran jarak antara ladang dengan kilang minyak sawit juga telah menyumbang kepada peningkatan kualiti minyak serta kadar pengekstrakan minyak dan seterusnya mengecilkan jejak karbon pengangkutan. Bagaimanapun, biogas yang dijana daripada loji rawatan di kilang minyak sawit, pada ketika ini, masih belum digunakan untuk tujuan Pengurangan Emisi Yang Disahkan di bawah Mekanisma Pembangunan Bersih. Begitu juga bagi produk sampingan pepejal seperti gentian dan kulit, sesuai dimajukan untuk nilai tambah produk yang tinggi berbanding dengan penggunaannya sebagai bahan api pepejal. Pengilangan isi sawit, satu aktiviti hiliran, amat mesra alam kerana penjanaan sisa amat minimum. Manakala bagi aktiviti hiliran seperti penapisan minyak dan pengilangan
oliokimia, teknologi rawatan yang sedia ada mampu menyangkal pandangan bahawa aktiviti tersebut menghasilkan bahan pencemar utama. Aktiviti keseluruhan di klaster perindustrian minyak sawit di sekitar Pulau Carey dalam rantaian antara huluan dan hiliran, secara keseluruhannya mencapai kemampanan persekitaran.

Katakunci: aktiviti huluan dan hiliran, Daerah Kuala Langat dan Klang, jejak karbon, kemampanan persekitaran, kumpulan Sime Darby, perindustrian minyak sawit

The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the environmental sustainability of the palm oil industrial cluster in and around Carey Island, Selangor. The main players involved in the upstream activities are oil palm cultivators and palm oil millers, whereas for the downstream activities, palm kernel crushers, refiners and oleochemical manufacturers are encompassed. All the players with the exception of palm kernel crushers belong to the Sime Darby group. The findings of this study indicated that the close physical proximity of all these players has contributed to a low logistic carbon footprint. The replanting of old rubber trees with oil palms in the plantations in Carey Island is not linked to the environmental controversy in relation to the loss of virgin jungle. The adoption of good agricultural practices, biodiversity conservation and oil palm being a high yielding crop, have enhanced environmental sustainability. The close physical proximity between the plantations and palm oil mills has also contributed to the utilization of wastes like treated POME and EFBs as nutrients for the plantations. This in turn contributes to environmental sustainability via minimal chemical intervention. The close physical proximity between the plantations and the mills also contributes to higher oil quality, higher oil extraction rate and a smaller transportation carbon footprint. However, biogas generated from the treatment plant of the palm oil mills is not tapped, at this juncture, for Certified Emissions Reduction under the Clean Development Mechanism. Likewise, solid by-products, like fibre and shell, can advance up the value chain instead of being utilized as s
olid fuel. Palm kernel crushing, a downstream activity, is very environmentally friendly as there is very minimal waste generated. For downstream activities like refining and oleochemical manufacturing, existing treatment technologies are able to negate the main pollutants. In essence, the entire chain of oil palm industrial cluster from upstream and downstream activities, is environmentally sustainable.

Keywords: carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, Klang and Kuala Langat District, Sime Darby group, the palm oil industry, upstream and downstream activities