The project is a partnership with Bumitama Group, a palm oil company listed in Singapore. The mill has been operational since 2009, employing almost 4,000 workers. There are 10 smallholder groups that supply fresh fruit bunch to the mill.
The Problem
The problems faced by the surrounding communities and businesses are:
- Unstable electricity and frequent outages result in loss of productivity for the industries and damages electrical appliances of surrounding communities.
- Vast amount of the methane emissions as the wastewater treatment was done through open lagoons, as a result, releasing all methane emissions into the atmosphere.
- Hydrogen sulfide is a hazardous gas and exposure may cause ocular, respiratory, neurological, metabolic and reproductive effects.