“A crop’s growth depends entirely on fertilizer,” goes the saying. Fertilizer is the “nutritional meal” for crops, and fertilizer machinery is the “precise dispenser” and “efficient deliveryman” of this meal. From traditional manual fertilization to today’s intelligent fertilizer blending and precision fertilization, the iterative upgrades of fertilizer machinery have not only solved the long-standing problems of “difficult and uneven fertilization,” but also propelled agricultural production towards cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and green sustainability. Today, we’ll unveil the mystery of fertilizer machinery and see how these “agricultural marvels” are changing our planting methods.

To understand fertilizer machinery, we must first understand its core mission: to ensure fertilizer is used effectively. In traditional planting, farmers often rely on experience to fertilize, either “over-fertilizing for high yields,” leading to fertilizer waste and soil compaction, or “under-fertilizing for fear of reduced yields,” impacting crop growth. Fertilizer machinery, through standardized and precise operations, perfectly solves this problem. Its family of models comprises many members, each with its own specific “job responsibilities.” In the fertilizer production stage, these “transformation masters” are responsible for converting various raw materials into qualified fertilizers. Taking organic fertilizer production as an example, the compost turner is an indispensable core piece of equipment. Through rotating blades or spiral blades, it continuously turns and tosses the fermenting materials, reducing moisture, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms, and ensuring more uniform decomposition, transforming polluting livestock manure and crop straw into loose, fertile organic fertilizer. The granulator, like a “shaping artist,” processes powdered fertilizer into granules through rotating discs and extrusion, facilitating storage and transportation, controlling nutrient release rates, and improving fertilizer efficiency.

In the field application stage, the “distribution experts” showcase their skills. The most common fertilizer spreader has long since moved beyond the extensive “spread as you go” approach. Modern solid fertilizer spreaders, through precise transmission systems and spreading mechanisms, can evenly distribute granular fertilizer in the field, with uniformity errors controlled within ±5%. For complex terrains such as mountains and hills, tracked mobile fertigation machines are particularly adept at maneuvering. They can easily navigate steep orchards and scattered plots, integrating irrigation and fertilization. The work time for 10 acres has been reduced from the traditional 3 people per day to just 2 hours, significantly lowering labor costs.

In recent years, with the development of smart agriculture, fertilizer machinery has also undergone an “intelligent upgrade,” giving rise to the “smart brain”—the intelligent fertilizer blender—that can “tailor-make” a nutritional meal for the land. At the intelligent fertilizer blending station in Hangjin Banner, Inner Mongolia, farmers only need to input the plot coordinates on the terminal to check the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the soil. After selecting the crop variety and target yield, the system automatically generates a personalized fertilizer blending plan. The blender then precisely mixes the raw materials to produce a “custom-made” fertilizer. This model completely changes the traditional practice of “using the same fertilizer for everything.” Calculations show that using customized fertilizer can save 60-70 yuan per acre in fertilizer costs, reduce fertilizer application by 20 kg, and increase yield by about 30 kg per acre, truly achieving “supplementing what is lacking.” Beyond precision fertilizer application, variable-rate fertilization technology takes “precision” to the extreme. Intelligent fertilizer applicators equipped with BeiDou navigation and soil sensors can monitor real-time differences in soil nutrients and automatically adjust the amount of fertilizer applied while moving, ensuring every inch of the field receives the appropriate fertilizer supply. Data shows that the number of intelligent fertilizer applicators in my country has exceeded 42,000 units. In major grain-producing areas such as Heilongjiang and Henan, the coverage rate of intelligent fertilization equipment has exceeded 40%, and fertilizer utilization is 2%-3% higher than traditional fertilization.

The advancement of fertilizer machinery not only benefits farmers but also contributes to environmental protection. Problems such as groundwater pollution and soil degradation caused by excessive fertilization in the past have been effectively alleviated with the widespread adoption of precision fertilization machinery. For example, mobile fertigation machines, by precisely controlling the water-fertilizer ratio, can increase water resource utilization by 30%-60% and fertilizer utilization by 25%-40%, reducing waste and preventing soil compaction and salinization. Meanwhile, organic fertilizer production machinery promotes the resource utilization of livestock and poultry breeding waste, turning “waste” into “fertilizer” and forming an agricultural ecological cycle.

From simple mechanized operations to intelligent and precise control, the development of fertilizer machinery is a microcosm of the transformation and upgrading of modern agriculture. These “agricultural marvels” not only liberate farmers from heavy physical labor but also achieve the goals of “reducing fertilizer use and increasing efficiency, and promoting green development” through technological advancements. In the future, with continuous technological innovation, fertilizer machinery will develop towards greater intelligence, efficiency, and environmental friendliness, injecting continuous momentum into ensuring food security and promoting high-quality agricultural development.

Manufacturing Precision: From Factory to Field

The “agricultural marvels” that enable precision farming in the field—like intelligent spreaders and variable-rate applicators—are supplied by a sophisticated industrial manufacturing sector. The efficiency and precision of field application are entirely dependent on the quality and consistency of the fertilizer products themselves, which are produced in dedicated facilities using advanced professional fertilizer manufacturing equipment.

An organic fertilizer factory relies on a complete organic fertilizer production line, which begins with processing raw compost using a windrow composting machine and proceeds through granulation. Similarly, a comprehensive npk fertilizer production line encompasses the entire npk fertilizer production process. This process starts with precise formulation using an npk blending machine or npk bulk blending machine, followed by shaping the mixture using a fertilizer granulator. Granulation technology options include a disc granulation production line with a disc granulator for shaping, or a roller press granulator production line for dry compaction. The collective cost of this fertilizer manufacturing plant equipment directly influences both the organic fertilizer machinery price and the final NPK fertilizer production price. These integrated systems are what allow modern agriculture to have access to the diverse, high-quality fertilizers needed for both broad-acre and precision application.Therefore, the revolution in field application is underpinned by an equally significant revolution in manufacturing, where advanced production lines ensure a reliable supply of the tailored nutrients that smart farming equipment depends on.

Tags:

professional fertilizer manufacturing equipment

In the oil palm industry’s production chain, oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), once considered a waste product requiring disposal, have now become a valuable resource in sustainable agriculture due to their rich nutritional advantages. As an organic waste rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients, oil palm empty fruit bunches, through various methods such as composting and biochar conversion, demonstrate unique value in improving soil quality and promoting crop growth, providing an effective path for the green transformation of agriculture.

The utilization of oil palm empty fruit bunches as fertilizer has diverse applications, adapting to different agricultural production needs. Composting is the most common method, where empty fruit bunches are mixed with manure or palm oil mill effluent and fermented to produce a nutritionally balanced organic fertilizer, fully activating its nutrient potential. Pyrolysis technology can convert empty fruit bunches into porous biochar. This special material not only significantly improves soil fertility, with particularly outstanding effects on peat soils, but also promotes nutrient absorption by crops. Furthermore, potassium carbonate extracted from the ash of empty fruit bunches is a key ingredient in liquid fertilizers, enabling precise nutrient recovery; untreated empty fruit bunches can also be directly applied as mulch or mixed into the soil, continuously improving soil properties through natural decomposition.

The benefits of this organic waste to soil and plants are multifaceted. At the soil level, it effectively increases the nutrient content and organic carbon content of the soil, fundamentally improving soil structure, reducing compaction, and enhancing soil water and nutrient retention capacity. More importantly, it provides a favorable living environment for soil microorganisms and beneficial animals, activating the vitality of the soil microbial community and improving the stability of the soil ecosystem. For crops, these improvements ultimately translate into growth momentum, especially at higher application rates or in combination with other treatments, significantly promoting the growth of oil palm and other crops, improving yield and quality, while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and lowering the risk of agricultural non-point source pollution.

Of course, some precautions should be considered when using oil palm empty fruit bunches as fertilizer. Its most significant characteristic is the slow release of nutrients. While it provides long-term nutrient supply, it may not meet the rapid nutrient needs of crops at specific growth stages. At the same time, single-component empty fruit bunch fertilizer often fails to provide balanced nutrition and usually requires supplementation with inorganic fertilizers to fully meet the nutritional needs of crops. Furthermore, due to its high lignin and wax content, unprocessed empty fruit bunches are difficult to handle and require pretreatment methods such as composting and pyrolysis to improve utilization efficiency.

Overall, oil palm empty fruit bunches, with their diverse utilization methods and significant improvement effects, have become a sustainable soil amendment with both ecological and economic value. The rational development and utilization of this valuable resource can not only solve the problem of disposing of by-products from the oil palm industry but also promote the transformation of agricultural production towards a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and efficient direction, injecting new vitality into ensuring food security and ecological balance.

Integrating OPEFB into Modern Manufacturing Systems

The uses of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) as a sustainable fertilizer resource are maximized through systematic industrial processing. To transform this raw organic waste into a consistent, market-ready product, it must be integrated into a complete organic fertilizer manufacturing system.

The process begins with efficient decomposition, often accelerated by advanced fermentation composting turning technology to produce stable compost. This processed OPEFB compost then becomes the primary feedstock for a professional organic fertilizer production line. The core stage of organic fertilizer production granulation shapes the material into uniform pellets. Manufacturers can choose specialized equipment like an organic fertilizer disc granulation machine within a dedicated disc granulation line, or opt for versatile solutions such as a new type two in one organic fertilizer granulator or a comprehensive organic fertilizer combined granulation production line. These systems are designed to handle the fibrous nature of OPEFB, efficiently converting it into a high-value, easy-to-apply fertilizer that fulfills its potential in sustainable agriculture.Therefore, the true value of OPEFB is unlocked not just at the field level but through its seamless incorporation into sophisticated production lines that ensure quality, consistency, and scalability for the global organic fertilizer market.

A dedicated extrusion granulation production line has been successfully put into operation in Colombia, enabling high-efficiency granulation through steel structures!

In May 2025, Zhengzhou Huaqiang Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd. completed the installation and commissioning of a steel-structured extrusion granulation production line tailored for a Colombian client, officially entering the stage of large-scale production. This production line, with its steel structure plant layout as its core adaptation, integrates the entire chain of processes including mixing, lifting, feeding, granulation, screening, and packaging. With its robust configuration of two 3.0-type extrusion granulators, compact and efficient space utilization, and stable and reliable operation, it has become another benchmark project for Chinese granulation equipment in the South American market, providing local fertilizer producers with a highly adaptable and cost-effective mass production solution.

Production Line Configuration and Core Equipment Analysis

The entire steel-structured extrusion granulation production line is built around a closed-loop logic of “precise pretreatment – efficient granulation – quality control – finished product output.” Equipment selection is closely matched to the load-bearing capacity and spatial layout of the steel-structured plant, with each unit seamlessly integrated. This ensures production efficiency while maximizing plant space utilization, fully meeting the large-scale production needs of Columbia’s clients.

Raw Material Pretreatment and Conveying Unit: Laying a Solid Foundation for Uniform Granulation

Efficient Mixing Process: The production line uses a 2000-type disc mixer as the core of raw material pretreatment. This equipment features a large-diameter disc design with a mixing diameter of 2.0 meters, providing ample volume for batch mixing of multi-component raw materials. The mixing blades adopt a spiral layout, coupled with a variable frequency speed control system (speed range 10-25 r/min), which can flexibly adjust the mixing intensity according to the raw material moisture and ratio, ensuring sufficient convection and shearing of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium main raw materials and trace elements. The mixing uniformity error is ≤2%, providing a uniform raw material foundation for subsequent granulation. The equipment features wear-resistant lining plates to extend its service life and is equipped with an automatic unloading device to ensure continuous production.

Stable Lifting and Feeding: The mixed raw materials are vertically conveyed to subsequent stages via a 315-type bucket elevator (10 meters). This elevator is optimized for the vertical space of steel structure plants, with a small footprint and high load-bearing capacity. It uses a plate chain drive structure, ensuring smooth and noiseless operation, with a conveying efficiency of 6 tons/hour. Its excellent sealing effectively prevents the raw materials from becoming damp, contaminated, or generating dust during lifting. The lifted raw materials then enter a 2000-type disc feeder. The feeder uses frequency conversion control and automatic material level monitoring technology to precisely regulate the feed rate, ensuring uniform feeding to the two extrusion granulators. This avoids fluctuations in granulation quality or equipment overload caused by uneven feeding, achieving precise matching between raw material supply and granulation rhythm.

Core Granulation Unit: Dual-Machine Parallel Operation Enhances Efficiency

The core equipment of the production line consists of two 3.0-type extrusion granulators. This model is a mature product developed by Huaqiang Heavy Industry for medium to large-scale production capacity needs. It is specifically optimized for the load-bearing standards of steel-structured plants, featuring a compact structure and reasonable weight distribution, perfectly adapting to the load-bearing limitations of the plant. The granulator adopts a high-strength double-roller extrusion design with a roll diameter of 300mm and a roll width of 250mm. The extrusion pressure (6-18MPa) is precisely controlled through a hydraulic pressurization system, adapting to the granulation needs of organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer raw materials with different moisture content (28%-35%) and different compositions.

The granulator rollers are made of high-chromium alloy, with a hardness exceeding HRC62 after quenching. This results in three times the wear resistance compared to ordinary materials, extending the service life to over 10,000 hours. The roller surface features a customized anti-slip texture design, enhancing material gripping force and effectively preventing slippage. The granulation rate remains consistently above 93%, with uniform particle size controlled at 3-5mm and a compressive strength of 2.7MPa. The granules are not prone to pulverization, fully meeting the needs of Colombian agriculture for fertilization and long-distance transportation. Two granulators can operate in parallel, each with a capacity of 2.5 tons per hour. Combined operation achieves a total capacity of 5 tons per hour and a daily capacity of 120 tons, significantly improving customer production efficiency.

Grading and Finished Product Output Unit: Strict Quality Control and Efficient Delivery

Precise Screening and Recycled Material Utilization: Granulated particles are transported via a conveyor system to a 1.2×4.0 meter drum screen. This equipment is optimized for the lateral space of steel structure plants, maximizing floor space and screening efficiency. The screen uses a single-layer high-precision screen design, with screen apertures customizable to customer needs. Grading and screening are achieved through uniform drum rotation (18 r/min). Qualified particles (3-5 mm diameter) achieve a 98% pass rate, while substandard particles (too coarse or too fine) are returned to the raw material mixing front end via a 5-meter return conveyor belt, re-entering the granulation process. Material utilization reaches 99%, effectively reducing production costs. The screen is equipped with an automatic screen cleaning device, which cleans material adhering to the screen surface in real time, preventing screen blockage and ensuring stable screening efficiency. The equipment features a sealed enclosure design, reducing dust pollution and meeting local environmental protection requirements.

Finished Product Storage and Automated Packaging: Qualified granules are conveyed to the finished product warehouse via a 7-meter belt conveyor for temporary storage. The warehouse is a custom-designed steel-structure plant with a sealed structure and a dehumidification and ventilation system to effectively prevent fertilizer from absorbing moisture and clumping, ensuring product storage stability. The warehouse capacity can meet the storage needs of 5 consecutive hours of full-load production. Material level sensors are installed inside the warehouse to provide real-time inventory feedback, facilitating customers to rationally plan their shipments. The packaging process utilizes an automatic packaging scale that supports rapid switching between various packaging sizes such as 25kg and 50kg. Employing gravity-based metering principles and high-precision sensors, the metering error is ≤±0.2kg, with a packaging speed of up to 80 bags/hour. This enables rapid, quantitative packaging of finished products, and, in conjunction with the subsequent transfer system, efficiently completes finished product warehousing and shipping.

Core Advantages of the Production Line and its Compatibility with Steel Structures

Exclusive Optimized Design for Steel Structures: All equipment in the production line is customized and optimized for the spatial dimensions, load-bearing standards, and ventilation conditions of steel structure workshops. The equipment layout is compact and rational, requiring only 450 square meters of space, saving 25% compared to traditional production lines. Simultaneously, optimized equipment maintenance access adapts to the maintenance needs of steel structure workshops, ensuring convenient and efficient operation and maintenance.

Stable, Reliable, and Highly Adaptable: Core equipment uses high-temperature, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials, adapting to the tropical climate of Colombia and effectively resisting the impact of high temperature and humidity. The 3.0-type extrusion granulator can flexibly adapt to various materials such as organic fertilizer, compound fertilizer, and bio-organic fertilizer, supporting rapid switching between different formulations to meet the diverse agricultural fertilization needs of the region.

High Efficiency, Energy Saving, and Cost-Effectiveness: The entire production line uses energy-saving motors and optimized process design, reducing energy consumption by 13% compared to conventional production lines with the same capacity. The equipment has a high degree of modularity, short installation cycle, and standardized design for key components. Wear parts are highly interchangeable. The company provides comprehensive spare parts supply and overseas technical guidance services, significantly reducing customers’ subsequent operation and maintenance costs. The successful commissioning of the Colombian steel extrusion pelletizing production line not only demonstrates Huaqiang Heavy Industry’s comprehensive strength in high-end pelletizing equipment R&D, customized steel structure design, and overseas project implementation, but also provides efficient and stable equipment support for the modernization of agriculture in South America. In the future, Huaqiang Heavy Industry will continue to focus on the production conditions and needs of different regions, optimize product performance and service solutions, and provide global customers with more competitive customized solutions, allowing “Made in China” to shine even brighter in the international market.

Expert Application of Dry Granulation Technology

This successful Colombian project showcases the practical application of a specialized extrusion granulation line, expertly engineered for a steel structure environment. It is a prime example of a specific fertilizer granulation technology being deployed to meet localized production needs efficiently.

The core of this line is the fertilizer compactor performing fertilizer granules compaction, which falls under the category of dry granulation processes. This method is one of several fertilizer granulation processes available to manufacturers. In the broader context of the npk manufacturing process, producers can choose between different types of fertilizer processing machine technologies. For dry compaction, a roller press granulator production line is typically used. For wet granulation, a rotary drum granulator would be the appropriate choice. Each technology represents a different pathway within the overall suite of fertilizer granulation technology, allowing producers to select the optimal method based on raw material properties and final product requirements. this project underscores the importance of matching the right granulation technology to the specific physical, chemical, and economic constraints of the production site, ensuring both operational efficiency and product quality.

We warmly welcome people from all walks of life to visit, guide, and discuss business with us, and work together to create a new future for green agricultural development!

In numerous industrial sectors such as cement calcination, chemical synthesis, metallurgical smelting, and building materials processing, cooling high-temperature materials is a crucial step in ensuring smooth subsequent production processes. The rotary drum cooler (also known as a gyratory cooler), as a core piece of equipment specifically designed for cooling high-temperature materials, has become an indispensable cooling tool in industrial production due to its efficient heat exchange capacity, stable operating performance, and wide adaptability. Through scientific heat exchange principles, it precisely cools high-temperature materials to a suitable temperature for storage, transportation, or further processing, providing solid support for enterprises to improve production efficiency and ensure product quality.

The stable and efficient operation of the rotary drum cooler stems from its scientifically designed structure, with each core component working in tandem to form a complete cooling system. The drum itself, the core of the equipment, houses a cooling device and lifting plates. This design is key to improving cooling efficiency—the lifting plates repeatedly lift and drop the material as the drum rotates, significantly increasing the contact area between the material and the cooling medium. The transmission device, composed of a motor, reducer, gears, and rollers, provides stable rotational power to the drum, ensuring uniform drum operation. The inlet and outlet respectively handle the entry of high-temperature materials and the discharge of cooled materials, ensuring smooth material flow. The cooling medium supply system provides air, water, or refrigerant, providing the necessary conditions for heat exchange. The support device uses a combination of rollers and support wheels to firmly support the drum, reducing frictional losses during rotation and ensuring stable operation. The sealing device effectively prevents leakage of cooling medium and materials, avoiding resource waste and improving cooling efficiency. Furthermore, the control system ensures a stable and efficient cooling process through precise control of parameters such as temperature and speed.

The working principle of the drum cooler is based on efficient heat exchange, with a clear process and rigorous logic. When high-temperature materials enter the drum through the inlet, the transmission device drives the drum to rotate slowly. During rotation, the lifting plates inside the drum continuously lift the material to a certain height before scattering it, creating a uniform curtain of material in a tumbling state. Simultaneously, the cooling medium supply system continuously inputs cooling medium into the drum, allowing the material and cooling medium to come into full contact and undergo direct heat exchange—the heat of the material is rapidly carried away by the cooling medium, thus lowering the temperature. The cooled material is discharged from the outlet under the driving force of the rotating drum; the cooling medium (such as hot air) that has absorbed heat is discharged through the exhaust port. The entire process is continuous and efficient, meeting the cooling needs of large-scale high-temperature materials.

The unique structure and working principle of the drum cooler give it many significant advantages, making it adaptable to the complex needs of multiple industries. High cooling efficiency is its core competitiveness. Through direct heat exchange and the assistance of the lifting plates, the material is cooled evenly and quickly, while also having a large throughput, easily handling the cooling of large batches of high-temperature materials. It is highly adaptable, capable of handling various materials of different sizes and shapes, whether it be cement clinker, metallurgical slag, or chemical synthetic materials, achieving stable cooling. The equipment has a relatively simple structure, a reasonable layout of core components, is easy to operate, and has low maintenance costs, significantly reducing the operational and maintenance burden on enterprises. Compared with other cooling methods, the drum cooler consumes less energy, especially when processing large batches of materials, where the energy-saving effect is more significant. Furthermore, the equipment is highly flexible in operation; by adjusting parameters such as drum speed and cooling medium flow rate, the degree of cooling can be precisely controlled to adapt to the cooling needs of different materials. More importantly, the discharged heat medium has the potential for recycling and can be used to preheat other materials or for drying operations, further improving energy efficiency and aligning with the concept of green production.

From clinker cooling in the cement industry to slag cooling in the metallurgical industry, from synthetic material cooling in the chemical industry to finished product cooling in the building materials industry, the drum cooler, with its core advantages of high efficiency, stability, and energy saving, provides strong support for the smooth operation of production processes in various industries. Against the backdrop of industrial production transforming towards higher efficiency and greener practices, this multi-industry-compatible cooling core equipment not only improves enterprise production efficiency but also helps enterprises achieve energy conservation and emission reduction goals, becoming one of the important pieces of equipment driving high-quality industrial development.

Integrating Cooling into Modern Fertilizer Manufacturing

The rotary drum cooler exemplifies the importance of specialized thermal management in continuous industrial processes. Its role is equally critical within the fertilizer industry, where precise temperature control is essential for producing high-quality, stable products.

Specifically, in a complete npk fertilizer production line, the cooler is a vital piece of professional fertilizer manufacturing equipment. It is typically positioned after the granulation and drying stages within the npk fertilizer production process. For example, following disc granulation production line shaping by a disc granulator for shaping or compaction in a roller press granulator production line, the hot granules must be rapidly cooled to set their structure and prevent caking. This cooling stage works in synergy with upstream equipment like the npk blending machine and the fertilizer granulator. Similarly, in an organic fertilizer production line that begins with a windrow composting machine, a cooler ensures the stability of the final granulated product from a bio organic fertilizer production line. Thus, the drum cooler is an indispensable link that bridges high-temperature processing with final product packaging and storage.

Ultimately, by ensuring granules are cooled efficiently and uniformly, this equipment protects product quality and enables the reliable, large-scale output that defines modern fertilizer manufacturing.

A highly promising sustainable biofuel feedstock and fertilizer resource in the context of global energy challenges

Over the past few decades, global energy demand has increased dramatically, while traditional fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas have become increasingly scarce. Furthermore, the burning of these fossil fuels is a major driver of climate change, making it imperative to conserve existing energy resources and explore sustainable alternatives. Converting renewable energy materials into biofuels has emerged as a viable solution, offering a pathway to address pressing issues such as solid waste management, environmental pollution, the greenhouse effect, and energy shortages. Notably, oil palm biomass, a byproduct of the oil palm industry, is not only a highly promising biofuel feedstock but also has widespread and important applications in the fertilizer industry. Among these, oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), with their unique physicochemical properties, have become a high-quality resource in the fertilizer sector.

Malaysia is the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil, playing a crucial role in the global palm oil industry. In 2016, its production accounted for over 30% of the global total, and its exports accounted for 37% of global exports. This thriving industry generates a large amount of oil palm biomass annually—over 80 million tons of dry weight—a figure projected to increase by at least 40% by 2020. With the expansion of oil palm plantations, annual production is expected to increase by as much as 50 million tons by 2030. The main byproducts include palm kernel shells (PKS), oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), oil palm fronds (OPF), oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF), and palm oil mill effluent (POME). In 2017 alone, Malaysia generated 51.19 million tons of oil palm biomass residue from replanting, pruning, and processing activities, while the total amount of fresh fruit bunches processed during the same period was 101.02 million tons.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of effective utilization technologies, most of this biomass is discarded or burned, exacerbating waste problems, wasting cellulose-rich resources, and causing serious environmental problems such as air pollution. In fact, the value of oil palm biomass in the fertilizer industry is severely underestimated. Oil palm biomass is inherently rich in various essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and contains abundant organic matter, making it an ideal raw material for producing organic fertilizers. Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFBs) are particularly noteworthy, as they have the lowest lignin content among all types of oil palm biomass (only about 14%), making them easier to decompose and mature, and allowing for faster release of nutrients into the soil.

In practical applications, oil palm biomass and EFBs can be converted into fertilizer through various methods. The most common is composting, where EFBs are mixed with manure, palm oil mill effluent, etc., and fermented to produce high-quality organic fertilizer. This process activates the nutrients and kills harmful bacteria and insect eggs. When applied to farmland, this organic fertilizer significantly increases soil organic matter content, improves soil structure, enhances soil water and nutrient retention capacity, and promotes the activity of soil microbial communities, reducing soil compaction and erosion. Furthermore, EFBs can be converted into biochar fertilizer through pyrolysis technology. Biochar has a porous structure that not only improves soil fertility but also adsorbs heavy metals and harmful substances from the soil, proving particularly effective in improving acidic and peat soils. Additionally, components such as potassium carbonate can be extracted from oil palm biomass ash for the preparation of liquid fertilizers, enabling the precise recovery and utilization of nutrients.

Beyond its value in the fertilizer sector, oil palm residue and other lignocellulosic biomass are among the most abundant renewable green carbon sources on Earth, with the potential to become substitutes for petroleum-based products. Their carbohydrate composition makes them suitable raw materials for renewable energy production, capable of producing biofuels such as bioethanol, biobutanol, and biomethane, as well as various value-added products. Currently, second-generation bioethanol extracted from lignocellulosic biomass is the most advanced of these products. Lignocellulosic biomass is mainly composed of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. While cellulose and hemicellulose can be converted into ethanol, the high lignin content in oil palm biomass poses a significant challenge due to its complex and difficult-to-decompose structure. Therefore, pretreatment (delignification) is crucial before enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation to reduce the recalcitrance of the biomass. Effective pretreatment can alter the chemical composition, macrostructure, and microstructure of biomass, reducing cellulose crystallinity and increasing porosity. Ideal pretreatment techniques should be inexpensive, easy to operate, and yield high product recovery.

Notably, the lignin content of different types of oil palm biomass varies significantly (14% to 36%), with oil palm fruit residue having the highest lignin content and oil palm empty fruit bunches having the lowest. This characteristic not only facilitates its efficient utilization in the fertilizer industry but also guides the selection of appropriate pretreatment methods for biofuel conversion. With the growing global demand for alternatives to fossil fuels, food security concerns prioritizing non-edible biofuel sources, and the increasing demand for green organic fertilizers in agriculture, oil palm biomass has attracted widespread research attention. Its dual value in both the biofuel and fertilizer sectors makes it an important resource for promoting sustainable energy development and ecological agriculture, with broad application prospects.

Conclusion: A Sustainable Cycle from Waste to Resource

The Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) exemplifies a perfect model of circular economy, transitioning from a major agricultural waste to a valuable resource. The primary uses of oil palm empty fruit bunch are realized through its integration into sustainable agricultural systems, most notably as a primary feedstock for organic fertilizer production.

To leverage OPEFB effectively, it is processed through a complete organic fertilizer manufacturing system. The journey begins with controlled organic fertilizer fermentation, optimized by advanced fermentation composting turning technology to accelerate decomposition and enhance quality. The resulting mature compost can then be processed through a bio organic fertilizer production line. For final product formation, the material undergoes organic fertilizer production granulation. Producers can choose specialized equipment like an organic fertilizer disc granulation production line or opt for a more versatile organic fertilizer combined granulation production line to shape the compost into uniform, market-ready fertilizer granules. This systematic approach transforms OPEFB waste into a high-value soil amendment, closing the nutrient loop sustainably.

Thus, by combining innovative biological treatment with modern mechanical processing, OPEFB is successfully converted from an environmental burden into a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture and green industry.