Scholarlink

<p>Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a major concern for the sustainability of agriculture, particularly for high water-demand industries such as palm oil production. This study investigates how oil palm yield influences the cradle-to-gate water footprint (H₂OFP) of refined palm oil products which are refined bleached deodorized (RBD) palm oil (RBD PO), RBD palm olein (RBD Po), and RBD palm stearin (RBD Ps) in Malaysia. A scenario-based life cycle assessment (LCA) using the Available WAter REmaining (AWARE) method was applied across three yield levels (15, 18, and 22 t FFB/ha) to quantify yield-dependent water intensity. Results indicate an inverse relationship between product yield and allocated water burden under mass allocation, with RBD Ps exhibiting higher sensitivity due to its lower fractionation yield. When considered collectively, the combined water footprint of RBD Po and RBD Ps reflects the overall water demand of the fractionation process rather than disproportionate water use by stearin alone. Detailed life cycle inventory data from 16 refineries reveal that upstream processes, especially plantation and milling stages, dominate total water use. Sensitivity analysis confirms that increasing yield can reduce product-level H₂OFP by up to 25%. These findings underscore yield improvement as a key strategy for enhancing water sustainability in Malaysia’s palm oil sector.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Effects of Yield on Water Footprint of Refined Palm Oil in Malaysia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月20日

查看全文
  • Vijaya Subramaniam,
  • Chee Liang Yung,
  • Zainal Haryati,
  • Soh Kheang Loh,
  • Noorazah Zolkarnain,
  • Nur Dinie Afiqah Mohammad Shuhaimi

摘要

Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a major concern for the sustainability of agriculture, particularly for high water-demand industries such as palm oil production. This study investigates how oil palm yield influences the cradle-to-gate water footprint (H₂OFP) of refined palm oil products which are refined bleached deodorized (RBD) palm oil (RBD PO), RBD palm olein (RBD Po), and RBD palm stearin (RBD Ps) in Malaysia. A scenario-based life cycle assessment (LCA) using the Available WAter REmaining (AWARE) method was applied across three yield levels (15, 18, and 22 t FFB/ha) to quantify yield-dependent water intensity. Results indicate an inverse relationship between product yield and allocated water burden under mass allocation, with RBD Ps exhibiting higher sensitivity due to its lower fractionation yield. When considered collectively, the combined water footprint of RBD Po and RBD Ps reflects the overall water demand of the fractionation process rather than disproportionate water use by stearin alone. Detailed life cycle inventory data from 16 refineries reveal that upstream processes, especially plantation and milling stages, dominate total water use. Sensitivity analysis confirms that increasing yield can reduce product-level H₂OFP by up to 25%. These findings underscore yield improvement as a key strategy for enhancing water sustainability in Malaysia’s palm oil sector.