Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic IChemE Malaysia Awards 2020 went virtual for the first time in its history from 18:00 to 18.30 on Monday 19 October 2020.

A message from the Royal Patron of IChemE Malaysia, Her Royal Highness Queen of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Tuanku Zara Salim, was shown to finalists during the online ceremony.

View the article in full >>

Award categories

PETRONAS were victorious in four of eight categories and also secured four highly commended entries.

Sumwin Solutions triumphed in the palm oil category for their new patented technology and process to reduce the levels of a potentially harmful chemical compound from palm oil to fully meet European standards, enabling edible products to be marketed successfully in European countries.

Palm Oil Award

Winner: Sumwin Solutions Malaysia: Patented 3MCPDE and Glycidyl Esters (GE) Mitigation Technology

Summary of winning entry

European regulatory body European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has already set the standard for the level of 3 monochloropropane 1-2 diol esters (3MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) in vegetable oils, including palm oil. These components have been proven to be carcinogenic and are harmful for human consumption. Not meeting the EFSA guideline makes marketing of palm oil for edible applications extremely difficult. All alternate technologies have huge capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), maintenance cost and are not environment friendly. Sumwin's patented breakthrough technology overcomes all these problems by offering low CAPEX, low OPEX and avoiding emulsification virtually eliminates oil loss in wash water thereby making it an environmentally friendly process. The global vegetable oil industry would benefit greatly from this innovation.

Commenting on his achievement Mr. Unnithan said:

“Humbled & honoured to win the IChemE Palm Oil Award 2020 and to be included as a finalist in the IChemE Global Awards. Sumwin would like to thank all customers, suppliers, employees, MPOB (Malaysian Palm Oil Board) and other stakeholders who have contributed to this success. As a practitioner in the Palm Oil industry for 28 years and as a Fellow of IChemE, I am pleased that Sumwin's Patented 3 MCPDE & GE mitigation technology can be adopted by the industry at the lowest CAPEX & OPEX”

Ir. Qua Kiat Seng, IChemE’s Malaysian board member and POPSIG founder, in congratulating Mr. Unnithan said:

“I have been following the developments on this matter over the past decade and we are really proud that a chartered chemical engineer in Malaysia is able to offer a technological solution to the vegetable oil industry.”

Highly commended

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Sime Darby Research and Yayasan Sime Darby: Zero Waste Technology

Prof. Ir. Dr. Law Chung Lim, Chair of IChemE’s Malaysian Board, said:

“Congratulations to all of our winners tonight. This is recognition by your peers of the work you are doing day in, day out that demonstrates how you are helping to solve worldwide issues to advance chemical engineering’s contribution for the benefit of society.

“Since its inception in July 2006, we have seen a growing participation from various industries in the IChemE Malaysia Awards. We hope to see that trend continue in the coming years to showcase and encourage more joined up thinking and collaboration between STEM professionals so that chemical engineers and the profession remain at the forefront of innovation as the world evolves.”

Global Awards

Winners of the IChemE Malaysia Awards will automatically be entered into corresponding categories at the IChemE Global Awards, which will be delivered virtually through a series of webinars in November. Winners of the Global Awards are eligible for the overall award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemical and Process Engineering.