Optimal efficiency of biomass conversion from bio-based byproducts to biofuel production in the Ethiopian sugar industry: A case study in Wonji-Shoa sugar factory, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Energy is one of the essential inputs for socio-economic, and geo-political strategies in nation building. Among potential interests, lignocellulosic biomasses constitute a prime source of biofuel and other value-added products. The thermochemical approach resolve to the degradation of cellulosic biomass into fragments of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose. From the fragmented components, extraction of fermentable and hydrolysable sugars could be obtained through various combined process steps and finally converted into desired products (alcohols, alkanes, CO, H 2 ). In this research, an average of wet bagasse (C 30 H 120,11 O 53,84 ) with 49.28% moisture content; dry bagasse (C 30 H 46,65 O 17,11 ); dry molasses (C 30 H 56 O 28 ) and dry filter cake (C 30 H 51.14 O 22.7 ), were taken for the conversion analysis, with sulphur and nitrogen remained neglected. Adopting gasification as a proposed approach on all of the incoming wet bagasse (16.53 kg/s), mobilizes 6907 kg of water or 5.03% of total water in it. Since, the factory is characterized by low energy efficiency, using a large fraction of the bagasse produced as fuel in the cogeneration system to supply the process energy requirements. The possibility of selling surplus electricity to the grid and utilizing surplus byproducts as an input for the other processes has motivated to enhance more efficient cogeneration systems and process thermal integration.