How to reduce CO2 emissions from sugar factories, to meet clients and authority’s requirements.

Abstract

In the years to come there will be a political requirement for the industry to emit less CO2, and the political goal is CO2-neutral production, sooner or later. Sugar factories that ignores the CO2 emissions, risk to be out of business in the long run. Carbon labelling on consumer products, might result in diversified prices, depending on the CO2 emissions for the specific sugar factory. The first step in becoming CO2 neutral is to replace the existing drum dryer with a steam dryer. The cost of this is app. 250 € for the yearly saving of a ton of CO2. At this first step the CO2 has been reduced by app. 33% from the factory. The steam dryer is proven technology that has been in industrial operation since the 90´ties. Second step is to burn the steam dried sugar beet pulp in the boiler, and the factory will be CO2 neutral, except for the limekiln. There will be some excess sugar beet pulp, depending on the sugar factory efficiency. Biogas is an alternative that can be considered. If all pulp is made to biogas, app. 70% of the fuel required can be produced. Fossil fuel, or biogas from other product must be added. With no pulp for sale to the feed marked, this feed must be produced elsewhere. This leads to an increase in CO2 emissions, as agriculture will pollute while producing this missing feed, therefore no net CO2 reduction. That is the feed or fuel discussion. As a future perspective, the sugar factories with the gasifier, can in the offseason produce a gas that can be utilized in a methanol reactor. This power-to-X is not relevant yet, but might become big business in the future. The fuel in the offseason could be straw, wood chips or other CO2 neutral fuel.