Evaluation of the Alcohol Yield from Sugar Cane Bagasse in Small Existing Distilleries

Abstract

The gradual increase in the consumption of fossil fuels, coupled with the current economic and social situation, has created the need to seek alternatives for the self-sufficiency of territories, thereby promoting an increase in socio-economic wellbeing in the surrounding areas. Second-generation bioethanol derived from lignocellulosic waste from the agro-industrial sector is a biofuel with high potential, which can take advantage of existing infrastructure. In this line, several full scale experiments were performed in real environment in a distillery factory in the island of Gran Canaria. After performing acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis using sugarcane bagasse from the factory, it has been observed that good yields cannot be achieved without the pretreatment stage, with acid hydrolysis (<30%) and enzymatic hydrolysis (<79%) performing poorly. In comparison, alkaline pretreatment in enzymatic hydrolysis has shown superior conversion rates exceeding 80%. However, an optimal time has been sought for our working conditions to limit the formation of inhibitors, which would have a negative impact during the subsequent fermentation process.