Bioenergy from stillage anaerobic digestion to enhance the energy balance ratio of ethanol production

dc.contributor.authorFuess, Lucas Tadeu
dc.contributor.authorGarcia, Marcelo Loureiro [UNESP]
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade de São Paulo (USP)
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-07T15:38:54Z
dc.date.available2015-12-07T15:38:54Z
dc.date.issued2015-10-01
dc.description.abstractThe challenges associated with the availability of fossil fuels in the past decades intensified the search for alternative energy sources, based on an ever-increasing demand for energy. In this context, the application of anaerobic digestion (AD) as a core treatment technology in industrial plants should be highlighted, since this process combines the pollution control of wastewaters and the generation of bioenergy, based on the conversion of the organic fraction to biogas, a methane-rich gaseous mixture that may supply the energetic demands in industrial plants. In this context, this work aimed at assessing the energetic potential of AD applied to the treatment of stillage, the main wastewater from ethanol production, in an attempt to highlight the improvements in the energy balance ratio of ethanol by inserting the heating value of methane as a bioenergy source. At least 5-15% of the global energy consumption in the ethanol industry could be supplied by the energetic potential of stillage, regardless the feedstock (i.e. sugarcane, corn or cassava). The association between bagasse combustion and stillage anaerobic digestion in sugarcane-based distilleries could provide a bioenergy surplus of at least 130% of the total fossil fuel input into the ethanol plant, considering only the energy from methane. In terms of financial aspects, the economic gains could reach US$ 0.1901 and US$ 0.0512 per liter of produced ethanol, respectively for molasses- (Brazil) and corn-based (EUA) production chains. For large-scale (∼1000 m(3)EtOH per day) Brazilian molasses-based plants, an annual economic gain of up to US$ 70 million could be observed. Considering the association between anaerobic and aerobic digestion, for the scenarios analyzed, at least 25% of the energetic potential of stillage would be required to supply the energy consumption with aeration, however, more suitable effluents for agricultural application could be produced. The main conclusion from this work indicates that anaerobic processes should be considered the core technology to treat stillage, based mainly on the attractive relation energy generation-financial return and on the possibility to keep the advantages inherent to the common fertigation when using the treated effluent in agriculture.en
dc.description.affiliationLaboratory of Biological Processes, São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), 1100 João Dagnone Avenue, 13563-120, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
dc.description.affiliationInstitute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, 1515 24-A Avenue, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
dc.description.affiliationUnespInstitute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, 1515 24-A Avenue, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
dc.description.sponsorshipFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
dc.description.sponsorshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 2010/04101e8
dc.description.sponsorshipIdCNPq: 470010/2013e4
dc.format.extent102-114
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.07.046
dc.identifier.citationJournal Of Environmental Management, v. 162, p. 102-114, 2015.
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.07.046
dc.identifier.issn1095-8630
dc.identifier.lattes4801145654206305
dc.identifier.orcid0000-0002-6002-3840
dc.identifier.pubmed26233583
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/131623
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherElsevier B. V.
dc.relation.ispartofJournal Of Environmental Management
dc.relation.ispartofsjr1,161
dc.rights.accessRightsAcesso restrito
dc.sourcePubMed
dc.subjectAnaerobic digestionen
dc.subjectBioenergy generationen
dc.subjectEconomic benefitsen
dc.subjectEnergy recoveryen
dc.subjectStillageen
dc.titleBioenergy from stillage anaerobic digestion to enhance the energy balance ratio of ethanol productionen
dc.typeArtigo
dcterms.rightsHolderElsevier B. V.
unesp.author.lattes4801145654206305[2]
unesp.author.orcid0000-0002-6002-3840[2]
unesp.campusUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas, Rio Claropt

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