<![CDATA[Empty fruit bunches (EFB) are solid waste from the palm oil industry with potential as a biomass fuel. However, their high ash content can reduce combustion quality and energy efficiency. This study investigated the effects of POME acidity, EFB particle size, and their interaction on ash reduction and biomass fuel characteristics. A factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was applied with two factors: POME acidity (pH 4, 3.5, and 3) and EFB particle size (0–2, 2–5, and 5–10 cm). EFB was soaked for 5, 15, 30, and 60 min, with three replications. Ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, calorific value, and ash mineral composition were analyzed. Data were subjected to ANOVA followed by the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at a 5% significance level. The results showed that leaching with acetic-acid-enriched POME reduced EFB ash content under all treatment conditions. At 60 min, POME acidity, particle size, and their interaction significantly affected ash content (p < 0.05). The combination of 2–5 cm EFB particles and pH 3 produced the lowest ash content (4.10%), meeting the maximum requirement for solid biomass fuel according to SNI 8675:2018. This treatment also achieved a calorific value of 17.64 MJ/kg. Mineral analysis indicated that leaching removed ash-forming minerals, thereby improving the fuel quality of EFB.]]>
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