TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Process: The pretreatment comprises: solubilizing the EPFB in the alkaline solution; preheating the resultant solution; mixing the solution to ensure a homogenous reaction; washing the resultant concentrated solution with acidified water; washing the treated sample with water; and drying the resulting sample. The catalytic pyrolysis comprises: (a) mixing the treated EPFB with a catalyst HZSM-5 (aluminosilicate zeolite) catalyst in an inert condition at a fixed temperature and under atmospheric condition; (b) forcing the vapor produced from step (a) to flow through a condenser; and (c) storing the liquid bio-oil obtained from step (b) separately from the non-condensable gaseous product. EXAMPLE - Empty palm fruit bunch (EPFB) (50g) was initially washed with water and solubilized in sodium hydroxide (25 wt/vol.%). The solution was preheated at 105 degrees C for 4 hours and mixed at 30 minutes intervals for homogenous reaction. The resultant concentrated solution was then washed with acidified water at pH 2. Then the solution was filtered to separate the concentrated sample and the remaining solution. Then the concentrated sample was washed with an acidified water (pH 2), and the remaining solution was further precipitated with sulfuric acid (20 vol/vol.%) to recover the lignin contents released in the solution during the pretreatment. Both the concentrated and the precipitated samples were then washed with water (PH 2) before subjecting for drying at 105 degrees C within 4 hours. Then pyrolysis was carried out by homogenously mixing the pretreated EPFB (30 g) with HZSM-5 (aluminosilicate zeolite) catalyst (5 wt.%) in an inert condition at 400 degrees C under atmospheric condition. The vapors produced from the reaction were forced to flow through a condenser and consequently condensed into liquid bio-oil product. The liquid product was collected in a round-bottomed flask while the non-condensable gaseous product was collected into a gas sampling port.