In this study, potassium hydroxide catalyst supported on palm shell activated carbon was developed for
transesterification of palm oil. The Central Composite Design (CCD) of the Response Surface Methodology
(RSM) was employed to investigate the effects of reaction temperature, catalyst loading and methanol to oil
molar ratio on the production of biodiesel using activated carbon supported catalyst. The highest yield was
obtained at 64.1 °C reaction temperature, 30.3 wt.% catalyst loading and 24:1 methanol to oil molar ratio. The
physical and chemical properties of the produced biodiesel met the standard specifications. This study
proves that activated carbon supported potassium hydroxide is an effective catalyst for transesterification of
palm oil.