Bio-refinery concept using sweet sorghum
A typical Bio-refinery using sweet sorghum as feedstock may consist of the following technology system:
1. A modern farming system to grow sweet sorghum using the no-till farming system.
2. The harvesting system consists of a sugar cane harvester and support equipment.
3. A sugar mill style cane crushing line to extract the juice from the sweet sorghum stalk.
4. A juice clarification system
5. A juice fermentation system
6. The distillation system
7. The dehydration system
8. Vinasse treatment system
9. A co-generation plant using the bagasse as feedstock.
10. A bio-diesel plant using bagasse as feedstock. The bio-diesel will be used in the farming machinery to avoid the use of diesel derived from crude oil.
11. A bio-fertilizer plant producing the fertilizer using sugar and enzymes. This bio-fertilizer eliminates the use of Urea.
Products this bio-refinery produces is as follows:
1. Automotive grade ethanol
2. Potable alcohol for the drinking alcohol or chemical industries.
3. Electric energy to supply the plant and the surplus is sold to the local grid.
4. Organic fertilizer from the press mud and vinasse.
5. Bio-diesel from the bagasse for own use and surplus sold to local trucking companies.
6. Organic fertilizer for own use and surplus sold to local agricultural industries.
7. Soybeans which are grown in rotation with sweet sorghum.
8. Technical alcohol
9. Fusel oils
10. Animal food from the bagasse.
11. Sugar syrup from the sugar juice.
12. Bottled natural or gasified drinking water.
13. Dry-Ice from CO2.
Joice of co-product production is dependent on the local market situation.