Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
E TH ANO L F RO M S UG AR B EET
Xavier Chavanne and Patrick Sadones
Equipe Dynamique des Fluides Géologiques.
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Univ. Paris Diderot,
Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
Abstract
The chapter examines one of the product derived from sugar beets, i.e., ethanol
from agriculture plants used as a transportation fuel, or agro-ethanol. This substitute
for gasoline has been advocated since as early as the beginning of 20th century, as in
the case of other crops such as cane and corn. But, without some help - subsidizes
and incorporation mandates - it remains difficult to compete with petroleum products,
even when price of crude oil reaches $100 per barrel as it is presently. Nevertheless,
ethanol offers beet producers a protected market, which will no longer be possible in
the case of the global sugar market.
The topic is mainly described in the context of France, one of the largest producers
of sugar beets and its products. The chapter first provides some statistics of production
on sugar beet harvests, sugar from cane and beet and agro-ethanol in the world, France
and other major producers. The quantity of ethanol from sugar beet is still very modest
by comparison with ethanol production from cane (0,5 M tonne oil equivalent in 2012
against 12 Mtoe).
The chapter then describes the chain of processes from the farm to fuel dispenser
and assesses their energy requirements to produce one joule of agro-ethanol, taking
into account gains from by-products. The analysis determines the different physical
and technical parameters on which the industry efficiency depends: the specific con-
sumptions of the modern processes, concentrations of sugar, ethanol and dry matter in
the different liquids produced along the chain of processes, yields of conversion...
In spite of major efforts to save energy and increase the yields, consumption of
final energy by the industry is still large, equivalent to about 66% of the heat value
of its production. Further gains are more difficult as lot of limitations are intrinsic to
beets. By comparison, the production of ethanol from sugar cane requires only about
15%, thanks to the fiber constituent of cane, bagasse, which is used as a fuel in a
co-generation system at the factory.
With efficient processes, bagasse use can even
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