Bioelectricity versus bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse: is it worth being flexible?

Table 9 Main data for first generation ethanol production

Input	Value	Unit
Sugarcane flow	500	tonne/h
Sugarcane TRS (Total Reducing Sugars)	15.86	% w/w
Cleaning section
Sugar losses	1.5	%
Cleaning efficiency	70	%
Water flow	1	kg/kg of sugarcane
Sugar extraction section
Sugarcane bagasse humidity	50	% w/w
Sugar recovery (first mill)	70	%
Sugar recovery (total)	96	%
Duty	16	kWh/tonne of fiber
Water flow	30	% w/w
Sugarcane juice treatment section
CaO flow	2	kg/tonne of juice
CaO concentration	10	% w/w
Heating final temperature	105	°C
Steam used	53698	kg/h
Water losses in flash	6495.5	kg/h
Polymer	3534	kg/h
Polymer concentration	0.05	% w/w
Sugar losses (decanter)	6.8	%
Sludge humidity	50	% w/w
Clarifier temperature (after decanter)	92	°C
Sugar losses (filter)	5.6	%
Filter cake humidity	70	% w/w
Water flow (filter)	116	%
Sugarcane juice concentration section
Evaporators area	8000	m²
Outlet sugar concentration	21.4	% w/w
Steam consumption	190584	kg/h
Steam produced	181657	kg/h
Pressure of steam produced	2.5	bar
Fermentation section
Fermentation yield	89	%
Yeast concentration (wine)	14	% w/w
Wine ethanol concentration	9	°GL
Yeast concentration (after separation)	70	% w/w
Ration of yeast rich stream / sugar solution	33	% w/w
Ethanol purification section
Specific steam consumption (1G)	2.7	kg/L of ethanol
Specific ethanol production (1G)	91.6	L/tonne of sugarcane
Specific vinasse + phlegm production (1G)	10.1	kg/L of ethanol

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