Tons Of Sugarcane Research Articles

Integrated Analysis of Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and Column-Average CO2 Concentration in South-Central Brazilian Sugarcane Regions

Remote sensing has proven to be a vital tool for monitoring and forecasting the quality and yield of crops. The utilization of innovative technologies such as Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF) and satellite measurements of column-averaged CO2 (xCO2) can enhance these estimations. SIF is a signal emitted by crops during photosynthesis, thus indicating photosynthetic activities. The concentration of atmospheric CO2 is a critical factor in determining the efficiency of photosynthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between satellite-derived Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF), column-averaged CO2 (xCO2), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and their association with sugarcane yield and sugar content in the field. This study was carried out in south-central Brazil. We used four localities to represent the region: Pradópolis, Araraquara, Iracemápolis, and Quirinópolis. Data were collected from orbital systems during the period spanning from 2015 to 2016. Concurrently, monthly data regarding tons of sugarcane per hectare (TCH) and total recoverable sugars (TRS) were gathered from 24 harvest locations within the studied plots. It was observed that TRS decreased when SIF values ranged between 0.4 W m−2 sr−1 μm−1 and 0.8 W m−2 sr−1 μm−1, particularly in conjunction with NDVI values below 0.5. TRS values peaked at 15 kg t−1 with low NDVI and xCO2 values, alongside SIF values lower than 0.4 W m−2 sr−1 μm−1 and greater than 1 W m−2 sr−1 μm−1. These findings underscore the potential of integrating SIF, xCO2, and NDVI measurements in the monitoring and forecasting of yield and sugar content in sugarcane crops.

An Evaluation of the Land Available for Sustainable Sugarcane Cultivation and Potential for Producing Ethanol and Bioelectricity in Angola

With a predominantly humid tropical climate and a large area for expanding agricultural activities, Angola has in principle favorable conditions for bioenergy production. The focus of this study was to evaluate the availability of suitable land for producing sugarcane. This crop is highly efficient in converting solar energy into biomass for energy purposes in Angola. To this end, this paper outlines a method for data collection, processing, and analysis divided into three sections. The first section uses the GAEZ (Global Agroecological Zones) database and QGIS (Quantum GIS) software (version 3.22.5) to assess land availability for sugarcane cultivation in Angola, classifying the regions’ suitability into four levels. The second section supplements this with data from the FAOSTAT database, systematically excluding areas with restrictions, such as protected zones, land already used for other crops, and regions unsuitable for sugarcane. Finally, the third section employs an agricultural yield model to estimate the potential yield of sugarcane based on climatic parameters and the amount of bioenergy (ethanol and bioelectricity) able to be produced in the available land. Under these criteria, this study identified the existence of 6.3 Mha in lands of good agricultural suitability, with water resources, corresponding to 5% of the Angolan territory, distributed in seven provinces of the country, especially in the provinces of Cuando Cubango and Cunene, where 85% of the very suitable land under irrigation is located. Adopting a model of agricultural productivity, assuming irrigation and adequate agricultural practices, such area could produce approximately 956 million tons of sugarcane annually, which is significantly higher than the current production in this country. This amount of feedstock processed using current technology could potentially produce 81.3 GL of ethanol and 176.9 TWh of electricity with low GHG emissions per year, which is able to mitigate, as a whole, circa 60.3 MtCO2-eq/year by displacing gasoline in light vehicles and diesel and natural gas consumed in power generation.

Environmental impact and energy balance assessment in ethanol production from sugarcane molasses: A life cycle analysis in southern India

Blending ethanol with fossil fuels is regarded as an important measure to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies addressing overall greenhouse gas emissions and energy utilization during ethanol production from sugarcane in South India. This study represents a pioneering attempt to determine the emissions and resource utilization, enabling a comparison of the carbon footprint of the ethanol production process with that of using fossil fuels. The study employed the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and resource utilization. Data was obtained from field studies conducted at Gayatri Sugars Limited, Telangana state, India. The collected data was input into a life cycle analysis (LCA) model in which two cane trash treatment methods were evaluated: burning and mulching. In terms of emissions, the CO2 emissions for one ton of sugarcane were 43.86 kg during cultivation, 45.98 kg during transportation, 69.05 kg during burning of cane trash, and 6.37 kg during the production of one ton of ethanol. The overall energy yield ratio was found to be 15.795 MJ/MJf. Emissions from sugarcane farming and transportation stages were high, significantly contributing to a high carbon footprint. The net emission was significantly lower for the mulching process, which also improved soil characteristics and fertility. The outcomes provide valuable insights for academia, industrial decision-makers, and policymakers at both state and central government levels.

Effect of Alkaline Concentration and Temperature on Lignin Extraction from Sugarcane Bagasse

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is used in various applications, including the production of raw sugar, to be consumed, either directly as food or sugarcane juice. It is reported that 1 ton of sugarcane would generate nearly 280 kg of bagasse and they would be burnt up and leads to air pollution. In fact, sugarcane bagasse contains high lignin content, having Ultraviolet (UV) protection properties. The objective of this study is to determine the best concentration of sodium hydroxide and temperature to extract high yield of lignin for UV protection properties. In this project, sugarcane bagasse is collected from hawker stall in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia. The lignin composition in sugarcane bagasse was analyzed, giving 16.7± 4.8 wt% of sugarcane bagasse. Alkali extraction of sugarcane bagasse has been carried out by using different concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%) and temperatures (60 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, 140 °C) in water bath at a fixed time, 1 hour. According to the experiment conducted, the best condition is 10% NaOH concentration, temperature of 100 °C for 1 hour, as the highest yield of lignin can be extracted, which is 55.8±1.92 wt%, with a purity of 28.1±10.75%. Ultraviolet protection properties of lignin had been analyzed by determining the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). It was done by blending different concentration of lignin into a base cream. The SPF achieved for 5% lignin-blended cream was 4.76 and for 10% lignin-blended cream was 5.78 respectively.

Performance Analysis of Sugar Production in Ngadirejo Sugar Factory

The Ngadirejo Sugar Factory (PG) in Kras District, Kediri Regency is one of the business units whose productivity ranks second highest among the 9 PG subsidiaries of PT. Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) X, which reached 6,250 tons of sugar cane per day. With this high productivity, the quality of sap must always be maintained. This study aims to determine the performance of PG Ngadirejo sugar production from the aspect of raw sap, namely from the solution color value (ICUMSA), %brix, %pol, reducing sugar value, and pH to produce high-quality white crystalline sugar as well. Sap quality data from the quality assurance (QA) section of PG Ngadirejo for five days were taken and analyzed descriptively on the performance of the factory based on these parameters. %brix performance value; %pol; reducing sugar; pH; yield; ICUMSA; BJB; and the moisture content is 64 °Brix, respectively; 46 %; 6.2%; 5; 6-7%; 168.86-179.86 IU; 1.010 mm; and 0.02%. Based on the results obtained, the value of %brix, %pol, reducing sugar, ICUMSA, BJB, and water content have met the standards set by SNI. However, what needs to be improved is the yield value of white crystal sugar produced for 5 days which is still below the average value.

ENERGY AND CLEAN WATER POTENTIAL IN A CLOSED SYSTEM SUGAR FACTORY

The production and demand for sugar in Indonesia increases every year. This condition has the potential to make the sugar factory a model of a closed system sugar factory, because the increase in white crystal sugar (GKP) production will increase the by-products (bagasse, filter cake, molasses and wáter). The closed system sugar factory is a GKP factory integrated with the power generation and clean water treatment industries. In this model, the raw material for sugar cane is not only used as sugar but also as a source of renewable energy and clean water. The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential utilization of by-products in the form of bagasse, filter cake, molasses and water in white crystal sugar factories. The research method is mass balance using input, process and output data at the sugar factory and secondary data. The results of this study have provided information about the potential for energy and water in closed system sugar production. The energy potential for power generation from blotong is 1 730.2 MJ/ton GKP, molasses is 5 939.0 MJ/ton GKP. The energy consumption at the power plant from blotong is 56.1 MJ/ton GKP, molasses is 408 MJ/ton GKP. The potential for clean water from water treatment for 1 ton of GKP is 4.6 tons, equivalent to 0.4 tons of clean water per ton of sugarcane.

Infestation of early shoot borer, top borer and root borer in sugarcane varieties in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Sugarcane is the most important crops in Uttar Pradesh. The largest producing and growing state of sugarcane in the nation is Uttar Pradesh. In UP, sugarcane was grown on 27.40 lakh hectares in 2020–21. The state claimed that 22,32 crore tons of sugarcane were produced during the most recent sugar season (October 2020–September 2021). Top shoot borer can result in a 20–30% production loss for farmers. Shoot borer (Chilo infuscatellus snellen), top borer (Scirpophaga excerptalis), root borer (Polyocha depressella swinhoe) is major pest of Sugarcane during summer season in almost all the cane growing tracts in India. Damage occurs at the initial stage of crop growth resulting in killing young shoot up to 26-65 percent. Although a large number of insecticides have been recommended for its control, yet besides causing several adverse effects on the environment, the application of insecticides in grown up stage of sugarcane becomes real serious problem.

Modeling and techno-economic analysis of a hybrid sugarcane plant fed by vinasse biogas and bagasse surplus for electricity generation

The growing demand for electricity from renewable energy sources has motivated sugarcane producers to improve the power generation capacity of their plants. In this regard, the present work aims to contribute to the energy recovery process from two sugarcane byproducts: bagasse and vinasse. A novel hybrid combined cycle is devised to use the bagasse surplus generated during the sugarcane season to produce high enthalpy steam for a dedicated condensing turbine. A gas turbine, fed by vinasse biogas vinasse, is used to provide thermal energy to the steam bottoming cycle. Concomitantly, steam for the sugar and ethanol is produced by the existing sugarcane cogeneration system. This approach allows to increase the plant's electricity generation. From a prescribed milling capacity, a conventional sugarcane plant is modeled and validated at steady-state regime. Then, a hybrid plant, designed to consume the bagasse surplus and the vinasse biogas, is presented, and compared to the conventional plant. During the off-season, in the absence of vinasse and biogas, an off-design option is proposed to keep the system running full-time. Results showed that the hybrid plant electricity generation (kWhel) is 7.2–41.5% higher than the conventional plant. The economic feasibility of retrofitting a typical sugarcane plant (live steam parameters at 68 bar/480 °C, for example), by means of a hybrid combined cycle, points to an internal rate of return of around 22.3% and payback period of 5 years. A parametric analysis was carried out showing that, for a process steam consumption below 540kg of steam per tons of sugarcane milled, there will always be leftover bagasse of the season, regardless of the conventional plant steam profile. The production of vinasse required for the hybrid system ranges from 310 to 375 L by tons of sugarcane milled (TC), values within the range of existing sugarcane plants (156–910 L/TC). In addition, the plant operating time can be extended in the off-season, from 200 to 330 days per year, with electrical efficiency achieving around of 27% in this period. In conclusion, the proposed system moves towards the advancement of clean and sustainable electricity generation in the sugarcane industry.

Soil stabilization using waste “Bagasse ash and lime”: A review

Sugarcane, with an annual global production of over 1907 million tons, is cultivated in approximately 110 countries worldwide. India alone generates around 376 million tons of sugarcane each year. The processing of sugarcane in alcohol and sugar factories results in the generation of sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) as a byproduct. SBA contains a considerable amount of silica, which, when introduced to soil, reduces its plastic behavior without altering its engineering properties. Soil stabilization is a critical technique employed to enhance and improve soil characteristics, thus strengthening it for construction purposes. Soils exhibiting plastic behavior are generally unsuitable for construction activities and require stabilization. Chemical stabilization is achieved using various materials or waste products with cementitious properties, such as bagasse ash and lime. This review paper presents a thorough examination of the numerous research efforts conducted in the field of soil stabilization, utilizing lime and SBA as admixtures in varying proportions. The findings of these studies indicate that SBA not only improves the performance of the stabilized soil but also reduces the overall material cost in most cases. Therefore, the valorization of SBA in the production of soil blocks presents a genuinely cost-effective and environmentally sustainable waste management solution.

Productivity and technological quality in sugarcane ratoon under subsoiling between planting rows in the northeast region of Brazil

Different soil management systems can change the sugarcane yield and quality parameters for sugar/ethanol production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of subsoiling on the inter-row of sugarcane ratoons after the second harvest on productivity and technological quality. Productivity was estimated in tonnes of sugarcane per hectare (TSH), and technological quality parameters were apparent sucrose percentage (Pol) and total sugar recoverable per hectare (TRS). The apparent sucrose percentage and total recoverable sugar were measured in tonnes per hectare, corresponding to the parameters TSH and total recoverable sugar in tonnes per hectare (TTRSH), respectively. This research was carried out at the Experimental Sugarcane Station at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco in the northeast region of Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used, with two treatments: conventional tillage and inter-row subsoiling. Subsoiling provided a significant gain of stalk yield of 5.53 tonnes per hectare. The other parameters evaluated did not differ significantly.

Effect of Micaschist Powder in Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) Farming on Ferrallitic Soils of Mbandjock (Cameroon, Central Africa)

This study evaluates the fertilizing potential of micaschist powder in sugarcane farming on ferrallitic soils of the Mbandjok area in Cameroon. These soils are poor in exchangeable cations and assimil able phosphorus, very acidic, with low to moderate CEC. An experimental design, which consisted in a randomized Fischer block, is composed of six replications of five treatments:T0: conventional fertilization (Ureemulticote 39 00, 150 kg ha-1; MAP, 125kg ha-1; KCl,250kg ha-1) T0-M1: T0 + 5 t ha-1of Micaschist powder, T0-M2: T0 + 7 t ha-1of Micaschist powder, NP-M1:N and P supply, conventional dose (no KCl) + 5 t ha-1of Micaschist powder, N-M2: N supply, conventional dose (no P and K) + 7 t ha-1of Micaschist powder. The experiment was carried out between October 2015 and February 2019. During this period, soil samples were collected, sugarcane was planted and monitored with great care in order to determine the parameters indicative of the growth and yield of sugarcane plants. The results indicate an important increase of the sugarcane yield during the three years of experiment, on soils where micaschist powder was added, compared to the control. Concerning the percentage of lift and voids, the T0-M1 treatment had 3% of voids compared to the T0 (9%) treatment which is the reference fertilizer; for Tillers parameter, T0-M1 (338 stems) performs very well during the experiment compared to the T0 (297stems) and for the growth parameter, T0-M1 treatment was good increasing from 182 cm in the first year to 280 cm in the second year. This suggests that micaschist powder has a positive and significant effect on the growth components. For the yield of sugarcane, the best result of tons of sugarcane (TC) was obtained with T0-M1 treatment which increased from 77.15 TC ha-1 in the first year to 86.13TC ha-1 in the third year. The overall results indicate that using micaschist powder as fertilizer can enhance sugar cane yield with a long lasting residual effect of rock powder.

Potentiality of Pressmud as an Additional Material in Soil Amendments to Enhance Soil Fertility and Strength Ability

In Malaysia, there are some accumulation of sugar refinery byproducts with a lot of this material not being utilized in a productive manner, while, these byproducts had the great potential when mixed into agricultural soils as organic fertilizer with many of benefits that can improve soil health, and sustainable agronomic productivity. Pressmud or known as filter cake is a by-product of sugar industry and for every 100 tons of sugarcane crushed about 3 tons of pressmud cake is left behind as by-product. This studies carried out on this material have not properly summarized their characteristics properties that they can be used as aid for future works. Data from tests involving pressmud samples from Malayan Sugar Manufacturing (MSM) Prai Berhad, Penang which was part of a larger collection was analyzed. The physicochemical properties of pressmud characterization as well as leaching test were carried out. The physicochemical and engineering properties involved compaction behavior, permeability, cation exchange capacity (CEC), compressive stress test and its surface functional groups. The leaching test method included batch equilibrium test and column test. The optimum value of water content in pressmud was determined in the compaction test. It was found out that pressmud has higher optimum water content value was observed. The permeability test of pressmud gave value in ranges of 1.84 x 10-5 cm/s. The Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of pressmud indicated value in the range of 99 to 101 meq/100 g. The high cation exchange capacity indicated that pressmud was believed to be primarily responsible for sorption of metal ions. It can be concluded that pressmud having the capability to remove heavy metals through CEC process. Pressmud also showed higher compressive strength value. Batch equilibrium test glaringly showed that pressmud have the capability to remove from 53.6%-93.8% metal removed from metal solutions for Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Nickle (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn). From the result of column test, pressmud alone was able to retain efficiently all the heavy metals as these metals did not reach 1 (relative concentration) until 10 pore volume (PV.) indicating that pressmud was a good mixture material as it can assist in adsorption of heavy metals. Based on the characterization study, removal efficiency and column test, pressmud has great potentiality to be used as an additional material in soil amendments to enhance soil fertility and strength ability.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Sugarcane Milling System Operations Based on a Deep Data-Driven Model

The extraction of sugarcane juice is the first step of sugar production. The optimal values of process indicators and the set values of operating parameters in this process are still determined by workers' experience, preventing adaptive adjustment of the production process. To address this issue, a multi-objective optimization framework based on a deep data-driven model is proposed to optimize the operation of sugarcane milling systems. First, the sugarcane milling process is abstracted as the interaction of material flow, energy flow, and information flow (MF-EF-IF) by introducing synergetic theory, and each flow's order parameters and state parameters are obtained. Subsequently, the state parameters of the subsystems are taken as inputs, and the order parameters-including the grinding capacity, electric consumption per ton of sugarcane, and sucrose extraction-are produced as outputs. A collaborative optimization model of the MF-EF-IF of the milling system is established by using a deep kernel extreme learning machine (DK-ELM). The established milling system model is applied for an improved multi-objective chicken swarm optimization (IMOCSO) algorithm to obtain the optimal values of the order parameters. Finally, the milling process is described as a Markov decision process (MDP) with the optimal values of the order parameters as the control objectives, and an improved deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm is employed to achieve the adaptive optimization of the operating parameters under different working conditions of the milling system. Computational experiments indicate that enhanced performance is achieved, with an increase of 3.2 t per hour in grinding capacity, a reduction of 660 W per ton in sugarcane electric consumption, and an increase of 0.03% in the sucrose extraction.

Integrated sugarcane biorefinery for first- and second-generation bioethanol production using imidazole pretreatment

Sugarcane bagasse (SB) is a potential source for second-generation bioethanol production. Imidazole appears as a cheap green solvent that has demonstrated high efficiency in lignocellulosic biomass delignification. The main objective of this work was the use of imidazole-pretreated SB aiming the integration of first and second-generation bioethanol production in sugarcane mills’ plant. Optimized conditions (160 °C for 1 h) were applied in imidazole-pretreatment of SB. The results showed significant cellulose enrichment (167.3%) and decrease of amorphous compounds (lignin and hemicellulose), leading to a 100% conversion of glucan to glucose after enzymatic hydrolysis. Bioethanol production reached 10.4 g.L−1 at 12 h by S. cerevisiae and 11.7 g.L−1 after 30 h by P. stipitis, which represents a bioconversion yield of 77.6% and 91.5%, respectively. The imidazole-pretreatment of SB is a promising way to integrate the production of first and second-generation bioethanol, improving in 37% the total bioethanol production and reaching 110.3 L of bioethanol per ton of sugarcane. Imidazole showed great perspective for biofuel production, leading to an efficient process for waste valorization, increase of bioethanol productivities in sugarcane biorefineries.

Design and Development of Sugarcane Leaf Stripper

Background: India is the second largest producer of sugarcane in the world. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Bihar are Indian states have maximum production of sugarcane. During 2019, approximately 307 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was produced in India, which is nearly 11.8 per cent of the global sugarcane production. Sugarcane crop has very long leaves. Stripping of sugarcane leaves is a major problem, which requires labor-intensive effort. Therefore, to resolve this problem, a tractor operated sugarcane stripper machine was designed using the computer aided design (CAD) software. Methods: In main frame of CAD design, a power transmission system, transportation system, feed hopper conveyer, sugarcane de-topper and a stripper system were designed. This machine will reduce human drudgery. Currently, this sugarcane stripper machine is getting very good acceptance nationwide. Further research has been undertaken at Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. This machine was designed. Result: Use of this machine will also help in reducing the cost and time of operation. In future, this machine will help in improving quality of stripping as well as ensuring effective utilization of the resources. The Design and development of sugarcane leaf stripper machine will play a significant role.

Estimating technological parameters and stem productivity of sugarcane treated with rock powder using a proximal spectroradiometer Vis-NIR-SWIR

This study aimed to evaluate the use of proximal Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy to estimate technological parameters and tons of sugarcane per hectare (TSH) with the application of rock powder to the soil. It was carried out in an Arenosol area in Paranavaí , Brazil. The treatments were arranged within a split-plot system, designed in randomized blocks with four repetitions. For the experimental plots, inputs supplying calcium, magnesium, and sulfur were applied, whereas inputs supplying potassium were used for the subplots. The first and second cycles (sugarcane) were completed at 14 and 26 months, respectively, after the inputs application. During both growth cycles, technological parameters of the crop and of the TSH were determined. In addition, the stem spectrum of the crop was collected with a Vis-NIR-SWIR proximal spectroradiometer for later prediction of the parameters and TSH through the Partial Least Square Regression technique. It was possible to adjust models in the prediction phase with R 2 p > 0.50 and RPD p > 1.50 for all evaluated attributes, with emphasis on three variables, namely purity, reducing sugars, and brix, which had R 2 p and RPD p values above 0.86 and 2.75, respectively. The results show that proximal Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy can be used to predict technological parameters and TSH of sugarcane with the application of rock powder. It offers advantages in relation to usual methods, since it is less time-consuming and low-cost, moreover it does not involve the use of toxic reagents. • The application of rock powders enabled a wide diversity of spectral curves. • Technological parameters and sugarcane yield can be quantified by Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy. • The SWIR region was important for the construction of the PLSR model. • Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy is presented as an alternative to the analyses of sugarcane.

Effect of Production Costs on the Price per Ton of Sugarcane: The Case of Brazil

The costs of agricultural inputs added to those of labor represent almost a third of the total cost of Brazilian sugarcane production. This study analyzes the behavior of the price per ton of sugarcane in Brazil, relating it to the main production costs of this cultivation. Twelve price indicators from January 2015 to December 2020 were evaluated. First, the data were adjusted to a multiple linear regression model to identify the significant variables on variation in the price per ton of sugarcane. Then, the Monte Carlo simulation was used to measure the level of certainty of occurrence of these variables, and forecasts were obtained from the adjustment of ARIMA models. The results showed the influence of the costs of diesel oil, two agricultural pesticides, and daily laborers on the price of sugarcane, besides an increasing trend of its, providing relevant short-term projections for decision-making about investments in the agribusiness sector.

Biochar from sugarcane bagasse for reactive dye adsorption considering a circular economy approach

Ethanol from sugarcane has advantages over fossil fuel in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the air quality in cities. However, ~280kg of sugarcane bagasse, an agro-industrial waste, are still generated during the processing of 1 ton of sugarcane. In this paper, the sugarcane bagasse, was converted into activated biochar (AB) and the physicochemical properties and morphology of the AB were determined. The potential absorbent for reactive blue 19 dye (RB19) onto AB under different conditions was studied, considering the pH influence, adsorption isotherms, kinetic studies and thermodynamic parameters. Finally, a preliminary circular economic analysis was also performed. The characterization of AB showed microtubes of up to 1µm diameter and cavities lower than 0.5µm, with a specific surface area of 687m2/g and an iodine number of 656mg I2/g. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm resulted in the best fit for the experimental data, with maximum adsorption of 58.1 mg/g at pH 2 and 31.4mg/g at pH 5. The adsorption took place in the first 2h, following a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic experiments showed that higher temperatures improved the removal efficiency by ~10% and that the process is endothermic. The preliminary circular economic analysis for AB preparation revealed a cost of 2.18USD/Kg of adsorbent. This study indicates that AB is an economical material for large-scale wastewater treatment in textile industries, offering an alternative pathway for the agro-industrial waste generated during the ethanol production.

The Environmental Profile of Ethanol Derived from Sugarcane in Ecuador: A Life Cycle Assessment Including the Effect of Cogeneration of Electricity in a Sugar Industrial Complex

The present study compiles a life cycle inventory for Ecuadorian sugarcane-derived ethanol production to quantify its environmental performance and identify the life cycle stages that cause major impacts. The scope of this study encompasses a cradle-to-gate analysis that includes the agriculture, the milling, the distillation, and the co-generation of electricity. This assessment is modeled using the OpenLCA v1.10.3 software. Two functional units (FU) were established in this study: “1 ton of sugarcane at-the-farm-gate” for the agricultural stage and “1 L of ethanol at-the-plant-gate”. A hybrid attributional and consequential life cycle analysis (LCA) approach has been followed. Economic allocation (EA) and system expansion (SE) were used to take co-products into account in the milling and co-generation of electricity stages, respectively. The co-generation stage is analyzed in three different scenarios: (i) average mix displacement scenario where the surplus electricity produced in the co-generation stage is displaced; (ii) marginal technology displacement scenario where the marginal surplus electricity is displaced from the mix and (iii) no displacement scenario. The global warming potential (GWP) impact at the farm gate level was reported as 53.6 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2eq.) per ton of sugarcane produced. The two main contributors of the agricultural stage correspond to N2O lixiviation and volatilization with 34% followed by the diesel used in agricultural machinery with 24%. The GWP for 1 L of ethanol produced was reported as 0.60 kg CO2eq. based on the average mix displacement scenario. No displacement scenario has a GWP impact of 0.84 kg CO2/liter of ethanol The distillation stage has the highest contribution to GWP impact with approximately 61% followed by the agricultural stage with 47%. The co-generation stage reports a contribution of −8.4% due to the surplus electricity displacement. The scenarios where the system expansion method is applied have a lower GWP impact compared to the scenario where no surplus electricity is displaced. Regarding terrestrial acidification potential impact, 0.01528 kg of SO2eq. was reported at the ethanol production level especially due to the nitrogen and phosphorous content in the vinasse produced from the distillation process. The marine eutrophication impact for 1 L of ethanol produced was 0.00381 kg of Neq. due to the content of nitrogen contained in the vinasse and the use of nitrogenous fertilizers in the agricultural stage. Finally, to create more eco-friendly Ecuadorian sugarcane and ethanol industries, sustainable and less polluting processes should be sought to reduce the environmental burdens. Companies should apply industrial symbiosis and circular economy strategies to produce lesser environmental loads within the ethanol production chain. The sugarcane industrial sector should also promote the surplus electricity production in order to gain credits.

Key prospects and major development of hydrogen and bioethanol production

Cheap Production of bioethanol from renewable lignocellulosic waste has the imperative potential to economically cut burgeoning world dependency on fossils while reducing net emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), a principal greenhouse gas (GHGs). This paper highlights key benefits and status of bioethanol production technologies, aiming mainly on recent developments and its key potentials in Pakistan. Most sector of Pakistan economy heavily rely on the energy and power that is being produced using traditional approaches like from oil and hydel. However, the sedimentation in dams cut-down the energy generation and overwhelmed severe energy crisis that are witnessed since last decade. Thus, Pakistan must go to avail alternative sources of energy like hydro, biomass and solar so that energy security can be ensured to recover the tremendous loss of economy. Renewable biomass is abundantly available in Pakistan which can be used to produce bioethanol and electricity. Currently, 22 distilleries are producing the ethanol from sugar cane bagasse and out of these only 8 distillation units are producing motor fuel grade ethanol. The current bioethanol production of country is about 403,500 tons/year along with 2423 tons of biodegradable waste available in major cities. In addition, Pakistan produces 6.57, 0.5, 0.66, and 2.66 million tons of sugarcane, corn, rice, and wheat straw per annum, respectively. This biomass can produce 1.6 million liters of bioethanol which can produce approximately 38% of Pakistan's electricity annually. Despite having large potential, Pakistan is still producing a few volumes of ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. The production of bioethanol can be boosted using (I) pretreatment of agricultural biomass by alkali (II) enzymatic and bacteria-based hydrolysis of the biomass (III) post-hydrolysis using pressurized steam above 100 °C (IV) Fermentation of the biomass@ 7–10 h and (V) and (VI) distillation of bioethanol. This study recommends (1) increase R&D capacities mainly in the west and central regions of Pakistan, (2) initiate mega-projects to promote integrated bio-ethanol production at agriculture farms by providing 1/3 subsides, (3) purchase of bioethanol directly from the major agricultural farms, (4) produce bioethanol related manpower from the key research institutes as specified in this study.