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The aim of this research was to evaluate mini-pilot scale production of lactic acid in a 2-L batch reactor through a catalytic reaction of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB). The OPEFB is a solid by-product from the oil palm industry with high cellulose content which is profoundly potential to be used as raw material to produce high-value derivative products such as lactic acid. The research methodology was conducted in three stages including pretreatment of OPEFB by using Sodium Hydroxide, characterization of pretreated OPEFB, and catalytic reaction. Overall, the results show that the yield of lactic acid produced from a mini-pilot scale was lower than that from the laboratory scale due to the lower intensity interaction and product deposit occurred during the process. The highest conversion of lactic acid in mini-pilot scale was obtained when the conversion of pretreated OPEFB was catalyzed by using PbCl2 compared to Ba(OH)2 with 84.13%-w/w and 45.28%-w/w successively. Likewise, in the laboratory scale, the highest conversion of lactic acid was also obtained by using PbCl2, which the yield was measured at 88.58%-w/w. For both catalysts which were observed, applying pretreatment by using alkaline hydrothermal method produced lactic acid whose yield was higher than that by using untreated OPEFB due to the amorphous properties of the pretreated OPEFB.