Beet Sugar Factory Research Articles

Microorganisms in beet sugar production – perspective on technological opportunities and risks

The sugar industry has long faced challenges from microorganisms during production. Preventing sugar losses and microbial-related issues such as the formation of organic acids, gases like CO2 or H2, or slimy substances continues to be key concerns. Fortunately, process parameters such as high temperatures, low pH values and limited oxygen availability create unfriendly conditions for microorganisms, and antimicrobial agents have been developed to control microbial growth. However, a proactive approach would utilize the advantageous properties of microorganisms to break down undesirable substances and promote desirable ones. For example, acidic by-products from bacterial metabolism lower the pH and thus stabilize sugar beet cossettes during pressing. Additionally, beneficial metabolic processes have been recognized, such as preferentially utilizing monosaccharides instead of sucrose or selectively degrading undesired substances (e.g., converting nitrite into elemental nitrogen). Modern sequencing techniques continue to identify unknown bacteria with the potential to improve the process. Exploring these bacteria could offer valuable insights for a better microorganism management in beet sugar production. This perspective article discusses the microbial diversity in beet sugar factories and strategies for better utilization of microbial benefits, aiming for sustainable improvements in sucrose extraction. However, extensive research is necessary to identify and characterize suitable bacterial species and how best to exploit them.

Designing heat economy for a beet sugar factory with reduced evaporator station load from sugar house vapor intake

Designing heat economy for a beet sugar factory with reduced evaporator station load from sugar house vapor intake

Soil loss due to crop harvesting in highly mechanized agriculture: A case study of sugar beet harvest in northern Germany

Soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH) is a globally occurring and underestimated process that promotes soil degradation. Despite its negative effects on soil functionality and fertility SLCH has received comparatively little scientific attention to date. In Europe, sugar beets hold particular significance due to high production rates, while research in commercial mechanized farming of sugar beets is lacking. The aim of this study is to measure SLCH for sugar beets including nutrient and SOC losses using typical state of the art harvesters and compare that values to estimated SLCH provided by sugar beet factories. In addition, we tried to identify crop and soil variables that influence SLCH. Therefore, sugar beets and soil samples were collected for 14 sampling sites over a three-year period in Northern Germany to measure SLCH dependent on different crop characteristics, soil properties and weather conditions. The results indicate that SLCH is 0.064 kg per kg harvested sugar beet (SLCHspec) on the average, which corresponds to a loss of 5.7 Mg ha-1 harvest-1 (SLCHcrop). These numbers are higher than former comparable studies but also of about 83.3% higher than SLCH estimated by sugar beet factories. Additionally, amounts of SLCH considerably varied between years and fields, but also within fields. The most influential variables on SLCH are soil water content (SWC) and clay content, and we also observed that soil properties impact SLCH differently in relation to SWC. Moreover, we estimated that SLCH of sugar beets can lead to significant SOC and nutrient losses, latter resulting in direct costs for farmers of 18–34.4 € ha-1 harvest-1. The results confirm the importance of considering SLCH for soil degradation analyses and estimations and the need for models which spatially assess SLCH from field to global scales. This is important to explore soil conservation measures and strategies to reduce ongoing soil degradation especially in highly mechanized agriculture.

Recalcification stabilizes cadmium but magnifies phosphorus limitation in wastewater-irrigated calcareous soil

Long-term wastewater irrigation leads to the loss of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the tillage layer of calcareous land, which irreversibly damages the soil's ability to retain cadmium (Cd). In this study, we selected calcareous agricultural soil irrigated with wastewater for over 50 years to examine the recalcification effects of sugar beet factory lime (SBFL) at doses of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%. We found that SBFL promoted Cd transformation in the soil from active exchangeable species to more stable carbonate-bonded and residual species, which the X-ray diffraction patterns also confirmed results that CdSO4 reduced while CdS and CaCdCO3 increased. Correspondingly, the soil bioavailable Cd concentration was significantly reduced by 65.6–84.7%. The Cd concentrations in maize roots and shoots were significantly reduced by 11.7–50.6% and 13.0−70.0%, respectively, thereby promoting maize growth. Nevertheless, SBFL also increased the proportion of plant-unavailable phosphorus (P) in Ca8–P and Ca10–P by 4.3–13.0% and 10.7−25.9%, respectively, reducing the plant-available P (Olsen P) content by 5.2–22.1%. Consequently, soil P-acquiring associated enzyme (alkaline phosphatase) activity and microbial (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteria) community abundance significantly increased. Our findings showed that adding SBFL to wastewater-irrigated calcareous soil stabilized Cd, but exacerbated P limitation. Therefore, it is necessary to alleviate P limitations in the practice of recalcifying degraded calcareous land.

Comparison of microbial communities and nitrite formation in two different beet sugar extraction systems

This study investigated nitrite formation in beet sugar factories, crucial due to tightening European Union directives for contaminants in feed material. Comparing two extraction systems (trough and tower), the trough system exhibited dynamic nitrite formation processes resulting in an average nitrite content of 14.35 mg/kg in raw juice. In the tower system, high nitrite levels and rapid degradation occurred in hot extraction areas, leading to an average nitrite content of 30.89 mg/kg in raw juice during sampling period. Microbial diversity analysis revealed a community shift, with Firmicutes dominating in hot extraction regions. Highly abundant amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) predominantly belonged to the genera Tuberibacillus and Geobacillus in both systems (Tuberibacillus: trough: 73%, tower: 67%; Geobacillus: trough: 41%, tower: 30%). Sequences related to bacteria relevant for nitrite metabolism varied between the two systems. Limosilactobacillus fermentum was more prevalent in the trough extraction system (6% relative abundance in raw juice), than in the tower system (0.5% relative abundance in raw juice). Similarly, Parageobacillus caldoxylolyticus was more abundant in tower extraction, especially in high-temperature zones like the countercurrent mixer (7% relative abundance). These findings provide insights into microbial processes, community structure, and potential strategies for early nitrite reduction in the extraction process.

Enhancing sugar beet yield and quality in Northeast China: Investigating the synergistic impact of sugar mill filter mud and biochar on black soil

In this study, different ratios of sugar beet sugar factory filter mud and biochar in different proportions were used to assess the effect of incorporating filter mud into the field on soil quality and its influence on two distinct sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) varieties: high-yielding KWS9147 and high-sugar KWS1176. The experiment was conducted in 2022 at the Hulan Campus of Heilongjiang University in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China. Eight treatments were employed, including CK1 (no filter mud or biochar application), CK2 (20 t/ha biochar), T1 (16.67kg/ha filter mud), T2 (16.67 t/ha filter mud + 20 t/ha biochar), T3 (33.33 t/ha filter mud), T4 (33.33 t/ha filter mud + 20 t/ha biochar), and T5 (50kg/ha filter mud). For sugar beets, parameters such as the SPAD value(Soil and Plant Analyzer Development, represents the relative content of chlorophyll), disease resistance (root rot and brown spot), tuber yield, and sugar content were evaluated. Soil analysis included nitrogen content, available potassium content, available phosphorus content, and soil sucrase, urease, and phosphatase activities. Results indicated that the combined application of 16.67 t/ha filter mud and 20 t/ha biochar had a positive impact on the growth indices, tuber yield, sugar content, effective phosphorus, and quick-acting potassium content in KWS1176. In contrast, for KWS9147, the most favorable effect was achieved with the application of 16.67 t/ha filter mud. This treatment improved plant leaf growth, increased tuber yield and sugar content, reduced root rot incidence, elevated alkaline dissolved nitrogen content in the inter-root soil, and enhanced soil phosphatase activity. Biochar application did not contribute significantly to these improvements. Therefore, returning sugar mill sludge to the field demonstrated its potential to enhance soil quality, promote the yield of sugar beet varieties, and improve resistance to root rot while also providing an eco-friendly solution for managing environmental issues related to sludge accumulation.

Soil Formation on Sugar Industry Waste in the Central Chernozemic Zone

Soils formed in treatment facilities of sugar beet factories in the forest-steppe zone of Kursk oblast were studied. Technogenic factors of soil formation associated with the industrial sugar beet activity and post-technogenic processes during the abandonment of treatment facilities are considered. The alternation of settling ponds and the earth walls separating them are the main factors determining “cellular” pattern of the soil cover. The mode of inflow and discharge and the composition of wastewater, as well as the duration of the abandonment of settling ponds determine the specifics of soils forming in the bottoms of the ponds. Mucky–humus quasi-gley stratified soils (Calcaric Gleysol) are formed in operating settling ponds under the periodic impact of sewage mixed with other wastes. When calcareous sewage sludge (press mud) is previously removed from abandoned ponds, dark-humus quasi-gley soils (Gleyic Cambisol) are formed in 30 years in the presence of perched water table, and quasi-gley zooturbated Chernozems are developed in 40 years under the conditions of periodic moistening. Soil formation in settling ponds with preserved sewage sludge and abandoned 20 years ago is noticeably intensive only in the upper 10–15 cm, and properties of the stratified sediment are preserved below. Dark-humus technogenic artistratified soils (Spolic Technosols) are identified there. Typical dark-humus soils (Eutric Cambisols (Organotransportic) are formed on earth walls in about 50–60 years, and incompletely developed strongly alkaline technogenic pelozems (Spolic Technosols (Transportic)) are formed on earth walls covered with calcareous sewage sludge; these soils consist of the virtually unchanged mixed material of technogenic sediments. All soils are alkaline and strongly alkaline and rich in organic matter, carbonates, phosphates, nutrients and some heavy metals from wastewater. According to the combination of properties, the soils of the sugar industry treatment facilities have no direct natural analogues in the central chernozemic region and are a vivid example of soils forming under extreme conditions of resource excess.

Soil Formation on Sugar Industry Waste in the Central Chernozem Zone

Soils formed in treatment facilities of sugar beet factories in the forest-steppe zone of the Kursk region were studied. The technogenic factors of soil formation associated with the industrial sugar beet activity, and post-technogenic processes, acting during the abandonment of treatment facilities, are considered. The alternation of settling ponds and the earth walls separating them is the main factor determining the kind of “cellular” pattern of the soil cover. The mode of inflow and discharge of wastewaters, their composition, as well as the duration of the abandonment of settling ponds determine the specifics of the soils formed in the bottoms of the ponds. In operating settling ponds, under the periodic impact of sewage mixed with other wastes, dark-humus quasigleyic soils are developed (Calcaric Gleysol). When ponds are abandoned with previously removed calcareous sewage sludge (press mud), in the presence of perched water dark-humus quasigleyic soils (Gleyic Cambisol) are formed in 30 years; and in conditions of a variable-humid regime, quasigleyic zooturbated Chernozems are formed in 40 years. In settling ponds with preserved sewage sludge abandoned 20 years ago, soil formation has been noticeably active only in the upper 10–15 cm; below, the properties of the layered sediment are retained. Dark-humus technogenic arti-stratified soils are identified here (Spolic Technosols). On the earth walls, dark-humus typical soils (Eutric Cambisols (Organotransportic) are formed in 70 years; on the surfaces covered with calcareous sewage sludge, underdeveloped highly alkaline technogenic pelozems (Spolic Technosols (Transportic) are identified, in which the mixed material of technogenic sediments remains practically unchanged. All soils are alkaline and strongly alkaline, rich in organic matter, carbonates, phosphates, nutrients and some heavy metals from wastewater. According to the combination of properties and characteristics, the soils of the sugar industry treatment facilities have no direct natural analogues in the Central Chernozem region and are a vivid example of soils developing under ext-reme conditions of “resource excess”.

Foam glasses made from green bottle glass and sugar beet factory lime as a foaming agent

Great waste production alongside limited natural resources represents huge environmental and economic problems worldwide. Sustainable waste management and industrial production can reduce pollution and gain some economic benefits. Eco-friendly thermal insulators such as foam glasses can be produced using secondary raw materials in open-loop recycling. Foam glasses were successfully produced using green bottle glass and sugar beet factory lime (SBFL), CaCO3-rich waste as a novel foaming agent. Glass powder was mixed with different amounts of SBFL, uniaxially pressed at 20 MPa, and sintered at different temperatures. The influence of sintering temperature and the addition of a foaming agent was examined. Obtained samples were mechanically, thermally, and microstructurally characterized. Results showed that samples sintered at 800 °C have the best properties. Obtained foam glasses can be used in a variety of industries where thermal insulation, non-flammability, and non-toxic materials are required.

Integration of heat pumps for decarbonization of beet sugar factories

Decarbonization of sugar factories for minimising the CO2-footprint has become a focus for sugar factories to survive in the contemporary world. Heat pumps can be a piece of the puzzle for meeting the challenge of elaborating the path to a green future. This paper explains the technological principles and shows some exemplary scenarios for integrating heat pumps into beet sugar factories. The scenarios demonstrate reductions between 2% and 30% of the total factory’s CO2-emissions. The potentials are limited by the local electricity-gas-price-relationship, which defines a lower limit in regards to operating costs equality.

Flash cooling crystallization: a novel technology for the sugar industry?

In recent years the concept of flash cooling crystallization (FCC) has been (re)developed within Cosun Beet Company. Following the innovation stages from idea until realization, this concept was successfully tested in the thick juice campaign of 2021. The developed FCC concept has been operational on full-scale level for several weeks on the A-station at the Vierverlaten sugar factory. In this paper the idea, the integrated concept in existing factories and some main results are discussed. This includes the challenge between innovative breakthrough technologies versus the risks of integrating these kinds of technologies in large and efficient beet sugar factories.

ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT OF SUGAR PRODUCTION

Water usage of sugar beet factories is characterized by a high level of consumption and a large volume of generated wastewater with a high concentration of mineral and organic pollution. Artificial biological purification facilities are mainly used for purification of sugar production effluents. While a scheme with two-stage aeration tanks is the most widespread in our country,anaerobic-aerobic regimens are frequently used abroad. It is more cost-effective, since the oxidation of large amounts of organic substances exclusively under aerobic conditions is associated with high energy consumption. The use of anaerobic digestion at the first stage allows reducing the concentration of organic substances in effluents by 60-90%, while the post-purification of remaining contaminants is carried out in stage-two aeration tanks with lower energy consumption. To assess the appropriateness of using a digester in the system of purification facilities of a particular enterprise, it is necessary to have information on the effectiveness of digestion and the optimal purification regime of the wastewater of that particular enterprise. This work studies the process of anaerobic digestion of wastewater at one of the beet sugar factories in Ukraine. The experiments were carried out in a bioreactor with an upward flow of activated sludge. The method of mathematical planning of an experiment was used in order to shorten the duration of the research. As a result, data was obtained regarding the influence of determining factors (flow rate, pH, temperature) on biogas yield and substrate fermentation depth. Received data proves the effectiveness and prospects of using anaerobic digestion in the first stage of biological fermentation of wastewater at a sugar beet production.

Effects of Soil Application of Chitosan and Foliar Melatonin on Growth, Photosynthesis, and Heavy Metals Accumulation in Wheat Growing on Wastewater Polluted Soil

Due to freshwater scarcity in developing countries, irrigating the arable land with wastewater poses potential ecological risks to the environment and food quality. Using cheap soil amendments and foliar application of a newly discovered molecule “melatonin” (ML) can alleviate these effects. The objectives of this pot study were to evaluate the effectiveness of the sole addition of chitosan (CH) and sugar beet factory lime (SBL) in wastewater impacted soil, foliar application of ML, and combining each soil amendment with ML on the heavy metals (HMs) accumulation, growth, nutritional quality and photosynthesis in wheat. Results showed that CH was more effective than SBL for reducing HMs bioavailability in soil, HMs distribution in plants, improving photosynthesis, nutritional quality, and growth. ML application also influenced plant parameters but less than CH and SBL. The CH+ML treatment was the most effective for influencing plant parameters and reducing HMs bioavailability in the soil. Compared to control, CH+ML significantly reduced the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Co in roots, shoots, and grain up to 89%. We conclude that adding CH+ML in wastewater impacted soils can remediate the soil; reduce HMs concentrations in plants; and improve their photosynthesis, plant growth, grain yield, and nutrition.

Environmental Assessment of Emissions of Pollutants into the Atmospheric Air by Sugar Beet Factories

The results of environmental assessment of emissions of pollutants (pollutants), greenhouse gas CO2 and odor emissions from sugar factories into the air are presented. The discrepancy in the interpretation of industrial environmental control on the basis of the concept of the best available technologies (BAT) for the technological line of sugar production and the requirements of environmental legislation for a sugar plant as an anthropogenic object of monitoring is shown. To achieve the effect of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, twostage saturation of defecation juice was studied using jet technology. Various options of hardware design for the practical implementation of the injection process of saturation have been proposed.

Filtration principles and troubleshooting

Removal of the insoluble solids from the carbonatation juices in juice purification is often the bottle-neck in the beet slicing capacity of a beet sugar factory. It is crucial to produce good filterable precipitates in the different steps of juice purification, which in fact depends on the achieved particle size and particle size distribution of the formed precipitates. The principle of filtration will be described wherein permeability and thickness of the filter cake, as well as the juice viscosity are the most important parameters. The most likely causes of problems in the filtration of the 1st carbonatation, respectively 2nd carbonatation slurry will be presented. In addition, recommendations are given on how filtration problems can be solved. Some alternative ways of processing in order to get around particular filtration problems will be mentioned too.

Reduction of ammonia emissions and use of carbonatation vapors in sugar factories

Due to international agreements, there is a requirement to reduce ammonia emissions in beet sugar factories and to comply with the specified limit values. After looking at the sources of ammonia emissions in sugar factories, various ways of reducing these emissions are shown. In case of carbonatation exhaust gases in addition to reducing emissions, there is also the option of extracting heat from the exhaust gases and using it for technological purposes, which reduces the total energy consumption.

Quality of technological limestone quality as an important aspect of the efficiency of sugar beet factories

The authors studied 252 samples of limestone mined in 2014-2020 on the territory of 5 fields located in 2 regions of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation. Limestone quality was assessed by the content of calcium carbonate and associated impurities. According to the results of the assessment, a number of deposits were formed in decreasing limestone quality. The highest quality was noted at the East-Bernikovskoe deposit (Tula region), containing on average 95.3% of calcium carbonate. Through the example of 10 beet sugar factories located in 5 regions of the Central Federal District, the influence of the quality of limestone on its consumption in sugar production was assessed. The authors studied the data on the consumption of limestone of the considered deposits at sugar beet factories, which was used in the period from 2014 to 2020. According to the results, a number of deposits were determined to increase the consumption of limestone in the production of sugar, which coincided with a number in terms of decreasing quality. A lower consumption of limestone was noted at beet sugar factories that used limestone from the East-Bernikovskoe (in average 3.81% during the studied period). Therefore, the choice of limestone of a certain deposit for the use in sugar production is a factor in enhancement of operating efficiency of beet sugar factories.

Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Environmentally Exposed to Multiple Stressors in Egypt.

Chemical pollution poses adverse effects on aquatic organisms, including altered gene expression. This study, therefore, investigated the hepatic expression of biomarkers of exposure and effect in Oreochromis niloticus inhabiting the drainage canal of a sugarbeet factory (an industrially polluted habitat) and the Nile River (a reference habitat). Compared to the Nile River, the drainage canal contained significantly elevated levels of heavy metals (Cd, Fe, Mn, Co, and Pb), nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, chemical oxygen demand, and biological oxygen demand. The liver of O. niloticus from the drainage canal accumulated significantly higher concentrations of the heavy metals. O. niloticus from the drainage canal had significantly higher hepatic expressions of genes related to oxidative stress (GSTa, GPx, and NRF2), metal toxicity (MT), endocrine disruption (Vtg), and hypoxia (HIF1a) and a significantly lower hepatic expression of the apoptosis-associated CAS gene. CYP1A (a detoxification biomarker) expression did not exhibit significant differences. These results provide insights into complex adaptive responses of O. niloticus to multiple chemicals and support the utilization of molecular biomarkers as warning signals for water pollution.

The beet sugar factory of the future

The beet sugar industry is facing several challenges for the future. The climate change is requiring a transition from the traditional fossil fuel to a greenhouse gas neutral energy source. The available possibilities for this purpose will be outlined in this paper. The recent EU sugar market reform has markedly increased the competition between sugar companies and the resulting lower sugar price has a significant impact on the profit margin of sugar production. In order to keep up with these challenges it is key to make an appropriate use of the available opportunities to improve the cost-efficiency of sugar beet processing. The different means to advance the sugar business are better asset utilization, continuous process improvement, introducing innovative process technologies and further developing a sugar factory into a biorefinery with a further valorisation of (co-)products and wherein synergy is obtained between different on-site process operations. Why and how these different available tools can improve the competitiveness of sugar factories will be discussed in detail. A proper combination and choice of the suggested changes and opportunities will enable sugar factories to get prepared for the future.

Recycling of sugar crop disposal to boost the adaptation of canola (Brassica napus L.) to abiotic stress through different climate zones

We need to produce higher foods even under declining natural resources to feed the projected population of 9 billion by 2050 and to sustain food security and nutrition. Abiotic stress has adversely affected canola crop and oil quality especially in sandy soils. To combat this stress, adaptation at the farm level using new and cost-effective amendments are required. Field trials were conducted in two different climatic zones to determine the efficacy of cane molasses, bagasse ash, sugar beet factory lime, and their compost mixtures to improve soil quality and heat stress-adapting canola. The results showed a significant improvement in bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, organic matter content, and available macronutrients of sandy soil and subsequent canola growth, yield, quality and water productivity due to the application of the tested soil amendments, particularly those mixed with compost. Despite the estimated reduction of yield by 18.5% due to heat stress, application of sugar beet lime and compost mixture not only compensated for this reduction but also increased the seed yield by 27.0%. These findings highlight the value of recycling compost-based sugar crop disposal as a cost-effective technology to boost crop tolerance to abiotic stress, ensuring sustainable agriculture and food security in arid environments.