New sugarcane varieties and year round sugar and ethanol production with bagasse-based cogeneration in Barbados and Guyana.

Abstract

THE SUGAR industries of Barbados and Guyana have been looking for ways to secure their industries in view of the increasingly uncertain sugar markets and a likely price reduction for export sugar. These industries have therefore been exploring opportunities to generate additional income from energy through the production of ethanol and electricity. New multipurpose cane (MPC) varieties with very high fibre content developed at the West Indies Central Sugar Cane Breeding Station (WICSCBS) in Barbados have been found to produce more biomass per hectare and a wider range of brix values when compared to the traditional sugar cane varieties. The MPC varieties are being tested and would be likely to complement older commercial varieties in the traditional crop period as well as during the out-of-crop season to supplement bagasse production for co-generation projects. These varieties are also being considered for the production of ethanol. In Barbados, the feasibility of a 12 month operation to produce electrical power as the principal product, with direct consumption raw sugar, molasses and fuel as co-products has been evaluated. Conventional sugarcane varieties would be grown on 40% of the present cane lands and MPC varieties on the rest of the estates. This project is anticipated to commence with the completion of a new multi-purpose production facility in 2009. In Guyana, the construction of a 8400 tonne cane per day (TCD) mill has commenced. This mill will supply 10 megawatts (MW) of power to the grid by co-generated electricity. A 12 million litres fuel alcohol distillery is likely to be attached to this factory. High fibre MPC varieties with acceptable levels of fermentable sugars are under evaluation for extending the supply of bagasse and contributing to fuel ethanol production in an extended crop season.