Abstract
ABSTRACT The global demand and production of primary energy is expected to grow at a rate of 1.4 % per year by 2035. In the same period, the production of renewable energy is expected to grow at a rate of 6.6 % per year, rising from 3 % to 9 % of world primary energy. Therefore, the biofuels supply assumes a strategic role for world energy security. In this context, sorghum is a promising alternative in the bioenergetic sector, due to its agronomic characteristics and adaptability to limiting edaphoclimatic conditions. This study aimed at evaluating the productive potential of three sorghum agronomic groups (biomass, saccharin and forage), as well as chemically characterizing the biomass of these materials. For that, a field experiment was carried out using a randomized block design, where agronomic and chemical characteristics (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash), as well as moisture contents, were evaluated. The biomass sorghum cultivars presented a high yield (about 30 t ha-1 of dry stalk), being, for this reason, more suitable for the generation of solid biofuels, i.e., direct burning. On the other hand, the forage sorghum cultivars presented a lower lignin content in the stalks, in relation to the other cultivars, being indicated for the generation of liquid biofuels. It is also worth mentioning the possibility of producing second-generation bioethanol from saccharin sorghum bagasse. Therefore, sorghum presents different use potentials that may be exploited by the bioenergy sector according to the agronomic group and plant physical part.
Highlights
Brazil stands out as one of the world’s largest bioenergy producers
A promising strategy to leverage the bioenergy production and address the shortcomings of the sugar and ethanol industry would be the inclusion of other sources of raw material in the off-season of sugarcane, in order to reduce the idle production of industrial platforms and improve the competitiveness of the sector
The biomass sorghum cultivars evaluated in this study produced an average of 40 t ha-1 of dry mass in approximately five months
Summary
Brazil stands out as one of the world’s largest bioenergy producers. In the specific case of ethanol, it is the second largest producer, only behind the USA. The Brazilian bioenergy sector has faced crises, given the oscillation in the price of ethanol, seasonality in production and climatic variations (Brasil 2014). Research has made significant advances in innovation and technology, in the conversion of raw materials to various biofuels (biodiesel, biokerosene, biogasoline, pellets, etc.) and biomaterials (biopolymers, bioplastics, etc.) (Goldenberg 2009). In practice, these advances suffer with the technical and economic feasibility of obtaining the final product (energy or biomaterial) at competitive prices. A promising strategy to leverage the bioenergy production and address the shortcomings of the sugar and ethanol industry would be the inclusion of other sources of raw material in the off-season of sugarcane, in order to reduce the idle production of industrial platforms and improve the competitiveness of the sector. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has stood out as a raw material for energy generation, given its high yield in a short time and high calorific power (Unica 2012)
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