Bioenergy production in Central America: Integration of sweet sorghum into sugar mills

L. Cutz, S. Sanchez-Delgado, U. Ruiz-Rivas and D. Santana

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2013, vol. 25, issue C, 529-542

Abstract: This paper aims to evaluate the potential for electricity and ethanol production in Central America using sweet sorghum as an energy crop. Three scenarios were built to analyse sweet sorghum production in terms of the land where it can be cultivated: cropland, sugarcane land in fallow and land in continuous production (intercropping system). The land under permanent crops was not considered for this evaluation. We propose the integration of sweet sorghum into Central American sugar mills, by using the existing machinery to process it. The short growing period of sweet sorghum would allow the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants and distilleries to operate outside the sugarcane crushing season using sorghum bagasse and molasses as raw materials. This production could be performed 1month before, and 1month after the sugarcane season.

Keywords: Central America; Sweet sorghum; Electricity; Ethanol; Sugar mills (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:25:y:2013:i:c:p:529-542

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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2013.05.007

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