Prospects of sugarcane milling waste utilization for hydrogen production in India

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 35; no. 8; pp. 4164 - 4168
• Main Authors: Singh, S.P., Asthana, R.K., Singh, A.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Series: Energy Policy
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Bacterial fermentation; Bagasse; Composting; Cost-effectiveness; Economic analysis; Economic data; Energy; Energy economics; Energy sources; Exact sciences and technology; Fermentation; Fuels; General, economic and professional studies; Hydrogen; India; Industrial waste; Natural energy; Studies; Sugar industry; Sugarcane; Waste materials; Waste recycling; Asia; India; Brazil; Hydrogen; Bagasse; Bacterial fermentation; Technicoeconomic study; Production; Sugar cane; Feasibility; Cost analysis
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2007.02.017

Cane-sugar producing countries also generate sufficient waste (bagasse) that is mostly utilized “on-site” as a replacement to coal in specialized boilers. In addition to sugar and molasses, about 25% by-product of the cane milling is bagasse that still retains 2.5% sugar on dry wt. basis.This paper deals with the prospects of bagasse fermentation for hydrogen production. It seems relevant, as India and Brazil are the major sugarcane producers in the world. The results obtained confirm bagasse, annually generated to a tune of 40 Mt (million tons) in India, can be diverted from the conventional burning or composting to fermentative hydrogen production in a cost-effective way. The processing cost of bagasse for hydrogen production ( 3 N m 3 ) equivalent to 1 L petrol is about half. The system optimization for accessibility of polysaccharides in bagasse and the use of genetically efficient bacterial strains for agrowaste-based hydrogen production seems the ideal option for clean energy generation.