Publications & Reports
Fuel Alcohol Production From Post-Harvest Sugarcane Residue
Project Goals
- To develop alternate methods for open air sugarcane burning.
- To produce Fuel alcohol from sugarcane biomass.
- To make Hydrogen from agricultural residue.
- To optimize methods for maximum production of ethanol from sugarcane leaf.
- To identify microorganisms for fermentation of sugarcane waste.
Project Description
Sugar production is a major industry in Louisiana. In 2003, 804 producers from 23 parishes produced just over 1.2 million tons of sugar. One problem sugarcane farmers face is the post-harvest sugarcane residue in the form of leaf litter that is left after harvesting. At 3 to 10 tons residue per acre, it is a major impediment to farming practices. Currently farmers use open-air burning techniques to get rid of the residue. The open-air burning accounts for up to 21% of total air pollution in Louisiana, which is known to cause public health problems such as asthma and emphysema. Farmers are now under increasing pressure to find alternatives to open air burning. Research at Nicholls State University explores the possibilities of making alcohol from the sugarcane residue. A chemical pre-treatment process using alkaline peroxide was applied to remove lignin, which acts as physical barrier to cellulolytic enzymes. Two yeast strains including Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC strains 765 and 918 were used in the experiment. The pre-treatment process effectively removed lignin. Alcohol production in the culture sample was monitored using gas chromatography. The results indicate that ethanol can be made from the sugarcane residue. The fermentation system needs to be optimized for evaluating the economics of producing ethanol from the sugarcane residue. Production of hydrogen from sugarcane residue will be explored. The use of sugarcane residue for alcohol and hydrogen production will eliminate the open air burning practice in Southeast Louisiana, which will impact public health significantly in terms of reduction in asthma and emphysema incidences.
Economic Impact
The preliminary estimate on the economic impact as a result of the project is $ 25 to 50 million to the region of Southeast Louisiana. This includes production of ethanol, job creation, and reduction of public health problems such as asthma and emphysema.
Total Cost: $ 450,000/year
Budget
| Faculty and Senior Personnel Salary | $100,000 |
| Fringe Benefits | $25,000 |
| Graduate Students | $100,000 |
| Equipment | $100,000 |
| Materials and Supplies | $40,000 |
| Travel | $10,000 |
| Indirect Cost (20% of total direct cost) | $75,000 |
