Anaerobic digestion of vinasse for the production of renewable energy in the sugarcane distillery

摘要

The expansion and diversification of new alternative energy sources in a sustainable and efficient way figures strongly among the major concerns of the industrialized world. Recent energy supply crunches and price spikes have propelled Vinasse a resourceful source for production of Renewable Energy and reduction in Greenhouse Gases to promote a circular economy. Providing cost-effective systems for the treatment, conservation and recycling of Vinasse and energy resources is definitively one of these challenges. Production of Vinasse is expected to increase substantially in India with the expansion of existing and development of new Sugarcane Distilleries. Financially viable, technically effective and innovative process technology for efficient physicochemical and biological treatments of Vinasse are ready for implementation for the production of Renewable Energy, such as Biogas, pipeline quality Renewable Natural Gas, Compressed Natural Gas for vehicular use, and by-product generation of Hydrogen and Liquid CO2, and the processed Vinasse as nutrient-rich organic liquid fertilizer with permissible levels of BOD and COD. A well-designed Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant with technologically advanced process offers an economic viable and environment-friendly use of Ethanol Distillery Spent Wash (Vinasse or Slop), Spent Lee and Sludge for local production of renewable energy compared with Aerobic Digestion (Composting), Incineration or the powder processes.