Barbados Sugar Cane Bound for Biomass

Barbados Sugar Cane Bound for Biomass

"Alternative and additional uses of (sugar) cane and its components are essential to create new higher value-added products, to diversify the (Barbados) economy and provide a measure of stability, self-sufficiency and vitality."

Ontario, Canada - August 25, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] Sugar cane residues in Barbados don't have the same market guarantee as sugar production does, but Tekron and Vydexa Industrials were contracted to move the biomass into the fuel alcohol market. The companies will prepare a feasibility study for Barbados Sugar Industries (BSIL), and hopefully restructure the fledgling sugar cane industry in Barbados.

The study objective is to develop an industrial base for production of fuel alcohol and other higher value products from sugar cane biomass. It will encompass all aspects necessary for decision-making relating to technologically sound and profitable utilization of sugar cane biomass residues that are left after conventional sugar extraction.

Industry options for the island include a biomass to ethanol plant, or cane biomass as an export to biotechnological and alkochemical industries. Ethanol production could provide the island with a domestic and clean fuel source, and reduce the expensive need to import fuel. Creating de-centralized energy production could form a basis for future CO2 trade-off and negotiation under the Kyoto protocol.

Sugar cane production is 15 percent of the Barbados domestic export market, and the industry employs several thousand people. Alternative and additional uses of cane and its components are essential to create new higher value-added products, to diversify the economy and provide a measure of stability, self-sufficiency and vitality.

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