Feasibility Assessment of Converting Sugar Mills to Bioenergy Production in Africa

Author(s)

Lima Verde Leal, Manoel Regis ^[1] ; Dal Belo Leite, Joao Guilherme ^{[2, 3]} ; Chagas, Mateus Ferreira ^[1] ; da Maia, Rui ^[4] ; Barbosa Cortez, Luis Augusto ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CNPEM, Brazilian Bioethanol Sci & Technol Lab CTBE, POB 6192, BR-13083970 Campinas - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Nipe, Interdisciplinary Ctr Energy Planning, Rua Cora Coralina 330, BR-13083896 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Fed Univ Southern Frontier UFFS, Av Fernando Machado 108E, POB 181, BR-89802112 Chapeco - Brazil

^[4] Tech Univ Mozamb UDM, Av Albert Lithuli 418-38, Maputo - Mozambique

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Feagri, Sch Agr Engn, Av Candido Rondon 501, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AGRICULTURE-BASEL; v. 6, n. 3 SEP 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

World sugar production has consistently overrun demand in the past five years. Moreover, in 2017 the European Sugar Regime will expire, ending the quota system and preferential sugar prices, largely affecting small producers, particularly in Africa. Diversification emerges as an option for sugar-oriented mills. Two evident alternatives are ethanol and electricity production that allow better use of molasses and cane fibers, respectively. Molasses is the cheapest feedstock for ethanol production, while the cane fibersin the form of bagasseare readily available at the mill. The transition from sugar to sugar, ethanol and electricity may require substantial investment capital, yet our results show that significant progress can start at relatively small cost. In this work, we use simulations to explore the impact of ethanol and electricity production in an existing sugar mill in Mozambique. In spite of the large amounts of energy obtained from ambitious scenarios, such as Ethanol-2 and Ethanol/EE, molasses-based ethanol (Ethanol-1 scenario) seems more attractive in economical and infrastructural terms. High opportunity costs for molasses, low oil prices and enabling institutional conditions, such as mandatory blending mandates, to promote bioenergy remain a challenge. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/00282-3 - Bioenergy contribution of Latin America, Caribbean and Africa to the GSB project - LACAF-Cane I
• Grantee: Luis Augusto Barbosa Cortez
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants