Singapore — 06th May 2026 — Hydroleap has announced the release of its latest white paper, titled “Revolutionizing Palm Oil Wastewater Treatment: Hydroleap’s Electrochemical Solution for Mills and Refineries,” highlighting the growing challenges surrounding Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment and the role advanced electrochemical technologies can play in supporting the industry’s sustainability goals.
The publication comes at a time when palm oil producers across Southeast Asia face increasing pressure to improve wastewater management practices amid tighter environmental regulations, rising ESG expectations, and growing operational demands.
According to the paper, palm oil wastewater remains one of the most difficult agro-industrial waste streams to manage due to its high concentrations of COD, BOD, suspended solids, oil, and grease. Conventional treatment methods such as anaerobic ponding systems and chemical coagulation continue to dominate the industry but are increasingly challenged by long retention times, high land requirements, methane emissions, and recurring chemical costs.
Hydroleap’s white paper explores how electrochemical technologies can provide an alternative approach to treatment for both palm oil mills and refineries.
The company’s integrated treatment system combines:
- HL-EC (Electrocoagulation) for removing suspended solids, oil, grease, and reducing organic loading
- HL-EO (Electrooxidation) for polishing treated water through further COD/BOD reduction, colour removal, odour treatment, and disinfection
The white paper also shares validation findings from actual POME treatment conditions, demonstrating:
- 92% COD reduction
- >99% TSS removal
- Full decolourisation
- Treatment times of approximately 20–30 minutes without chemical pre-treatment
Hydroleap noted that the modular and chemical-free nature of the system allows for easier retrofitting into existing operations while reducing sludge generation and methane emissions associated with traditional ponding systems.
Beyond compliance, the paper positions sustainable wastewater management as an operational opportunity for the palm oil sector, particularly as producers seek to improve water reuse, reduce environmental impact, and align with evolving sustainability frameworks such as RSPO and ISPO.
The white paper further outlines how compact electrochemical systems may help address challenges related to scalability, footprint constraints, and increasingly stringent discharge standards across the APAC region.
Hydroleap stated that it hopes the publication will contribute to broader discussions around the future of sustainable wastewater treatment in the palm oil industry and support operators exploring alternative treatment approaches.
If you’d like to read it, you can find it here: Revolutionizing Palm Oil Wastewater Treatment – A Hydroleap Whitepaper