Evaluation of Electric Power Generation from Sugar Cane Waste

Paper from the AFRC 2014 conference titled Evaluation of Electric Power Generation from Sugar Cane Waste by J. Pohl.

First, this paper begins with discussion of the properties of the waste products and location of major sugar cane growing areas in Queensland, Australia. This includes chemical analysis of sugar cane biogases and waste products, photographs of the waste to be burned, biogases (sugar can sheaf) and trash (leaves and waste left in the field). Use of the energy from sugar cane waste will displace CO2 emissions in Queensland by up to 100 %. Second this paper evaluates using a life cycle economic analysis the cost and efficiency of three techniques to use the sugar cane waste to generate electricity; 1) improve the efficiency of exiting low pressure steam boilers, 2) use a high pressure steam cycle, and 3) use an advanced gasification combined cycle. The fluidized bed co-generation technique was found to be the most cost effective. Finally, this paper presents the design and construction of a 5 MWt pilot scale combustor which will be used to evaluate the potential problems of burning sugar cane waste and converting that energy to electricity to export to the grid.