Dear Steve: The financial success of a cane juice-to-ethanol project will depend on a few key variables, such as:
1- Total fermentable sugars produced yearly per unit of land 2- Number of ratoons that can be harvested from each planting 3- Sugar cane production cost per unit of land 4- Capital cost of the distillery 5- Efficiency of Yeast and the Fermentation Process A few comments follow on the above: The best site in the world to produce sugar cane for direct fermentation to ethanol is Colombia, for the following reasons: a) In Colombia we can harvest cane all 365 days of the year, therefore, the distillery and harvesting equipment could run the year round without any interruption for lack of cane thus using the capital investment more efficiently than in a situation where you have a short harvest season. Therefore, depreciation cost/unit of ethanol product will be lower than in almost any other country of the world. b) By the implementation of the GADA Sugar Cane Production System, developed by our Research Foundation, we can produce around 38,000 kilograms of fermentable sugars/Hectare/Year that translate into some 20,000 liters fuel ethanol/Ha/Year. This yield seems to be, by far, the highest in the world. c) Under the GADA System, the productive life of sugar cane fields can be extended up to 20 years and more...Right now we can show 30 (thirty) year-old fields yielding more than 150 MT sugar cane/Ha/Year of cane planted for high sucrose content intended for sugar production. d) The GADA System affords the best way to lower production costs while simultaneously doing it in a sustainable fashion; Soil fertility is increased with each crop; It permits to minimize input of irrigation water; Application of N-K-P fertilizers are reduced to around 2 (two) kgs per MT of harvested cane. So much for the agricultural end, now comes the conversion of sugars to ethanol. As everybody knows, Saccharomyces Cerevisiare yeast strains convert the 6-carbon sugars present in the substrate into ethanol and CO2. Now, not all S. C. yeast strains possess all the desirable traits to do a good conversion job. Let us take a brief look at those "good" traits: a) Conversion speed. The best common yeasts will take between 15 to 20 hours or more to completely ferment a batch of sugary substrate, thus yielding generally only one batch per day. A better yeast should ferment three batches every 24 hours, for a 3 to 1 productivity ratio. b) Yeast's osmotic pressure resistance limits the amount of dissolved solids (sugars and minerals) in the substrate to be fermented. Most common yeasts can only tolerate substrates with a maximum of 18-20¼ Brix. A better yeast should be able to manage substrates of substantial more sugar content, in example, 35¼ Brix. A 35¼ Brix solution contains almost twice the amount of sugar than a 18¼ Brix solution, therefore, will be able to produce twice the ethanol per M3 of fermenter capacity in the same period of time. (If you factor the benefit of a) plus the benefit of b), then you have a yeast productivity 6 times greater per M3 of fermenter capacity for the Best Yeast Vs. the Common Yeast). c) At the end of the fermentation cycle one would want to save the yeast for the next batch in order to save in yeast propagation costs, Right? Well, if you happen to have a distillery that uses common yeasts, then you most have invested heavily in centrifuges and have incurred in high operation & maintenance costs, which adds to your production costs and LOWER your bottom line. On the other hand, if you happen to use a yeast that is "highly flocculent", then, you would not need to purchase centrifuges and your ethanol production costs will be lower. Another point in favor of a special yeast. d) Vinasse is an effluent of all ethanol distilleries. Vinasse is also known as "Spent wash", "Dunder", etc. With common yeasts that only prospers in very diluted substrates (18-20¼ Brix) the ratio of Vinasse-to-ethanol is around 14:1, that is, the Vinasse effluent is 14 liters per each liter of ethanol produced. By using a more efficient yeast, that has a higher Osmotic Pressure tolerance, then the effluent-to-ethanol ratio can be reduced to about 4 liters Vinasse per each liter of ethanol produced, without the use of any additional process equipment. Again, a lower capital investment and a lower Vinasse disposal or conversion cost. Another plus for the "better yeast". Now, we are almost done at this point, but wait, there are two final bonusses in favor or the "better yeast and process": e) All Saccharomyces Serevisiae yeasts have an "ethanol inhibiting point" or ethanol concentration tolerance. That is, as the ethanol concentration rises in the substrate being fermented, the yeast will react by inhibiting (not producing any more alcohol) when it reaches its cncentration limit. Common yeasts usually stop producing alcohol when the ethanol concentration reaches 5-6% in the broth (substrate). A yeast that possesses a higher ethanol concentration tolerance, for example 12% ethanol tolerance, will be more desirable for two important reasons: Reason number one: A fermented substrate (called wine) with 6% ethanol concentration WILL USE TWICE THE AMOUNT of thermal energy in the distillation process than a wine with 12% concentration. Main benefit: 50% energy saving! and, Reason number two: The distillation system for a wine with 6% ethanol concentration has to be TWICE AS LARGE as as a system meant to distill wine of 12% ethanol content. Benefits: Lower capital investment in the distillation system and lower production costs. If you wish to learn more about this extraordinary yeast that will BOOST your bottom line, kindly send me note. The same invitation is cordially extended to all forum members. The conclusion: If you plan to put up a fuel ethanol distillery, consider coming to Colombia, where we can turn out this renewable fuel at the lowest cost ever, or, we can help you implenent the "GADA Sugar Cane Production System" in existing sugar cane plantations in USA. In regards to the Fermentation Process described above, we represent the developers and can put you in direct contact with them. Kindly please, drop us a note at your earliest convenience. With best regards to you and to all, Luis R. Calzadilla VP Operations Fundaci˜n Sugar Cane Research Org. Developers of the "GADA Sugar Cane Production System" Cali, Colombia Tel (572) 557-0627 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 10:14 AM Subject: [biofuel] Re: Ethanol from sugar cane > With all of the changes in sugar imports and price supports.. > > Was wondering about setting up ethanol distillery for sugar cane in > south louisiana since this is a huge production area. > > Anyone have any information on places to go look for info > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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