SUGAR CANE ALTERNATIVES FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION AT THE CUBAN SUGAR FACTORIES

摘要

Electricity in Cuba is produced mainly in thermal power plants burning fossil fuel; the price of fossil fuel indicates the necessity to develop other energy sources such as sugarcane biomass. A case study is made for a sugar factory of 7000 tonnes/day crushing capacity operating all year round in order to determine the different alternatives and sources of sugarcane biomass that can be used as fuel. Sugarcane bagasse, high fibre sugar cane (HFSC), and the sugar cane crop residues (SCCR) are considered, as well as an analysis of the grinding of the whole cane (WC). There are factories where it is possible to use middle steam pressure to cogenerate and generate electric energy all year in order to satisfy the electric energy needs of close towns or the national grid. It is also possible to use high-pressure steam technology to achieve higher generation. With 110-130 kWh/tonne cane, these installations can be considered as independent power plants. In order to achieve economical results producing electric energy at sugar factories and to be able to work all year round, it is necessary to use a second fuel, and sugarcane biomass is the first alternative to be considered. The sugar cane crop residues, the high fibre sugar cane, the saved bagasse and the whole cane processing are alternatives to be considered in order to generate additional electric energy. To operate at a certain capacity of generation, sugarcane biomass can satisfy the criterion to operate year round.