Gikonyo B. Sugarcane as Biofuel feedstock. Advances Toward a Sustainable Energy Solution

CRC Press. Apple Academic Press, Inc. 2015. - 336 p.
Sugarcane is one of the most efficient crops in converting sunlight energy to chemical energy for fuel. This volume brings together a collection of vital research on this topic, paving the way for ongoing investigations that will lead us to a more sustainable future.
The authors found that from an energy balance perspective, ethanol coproduction with electricity was superior to electricity production alone. The VD/BIGCC combination had the highest process energy efficiency of 32.91% while the CHPSC-EE has the lowest energy efficiency of 15.44%.
Regarding the economic comparison, the authors concluded that at the most conservative and optimistic pricing strategies, the ethanol production using VD/BIGCC had the highest internal rate of returns at 29.42 and 40.74% respectively. Ultimately, Petersen and his colleagues indicate that bioethanol coproduction from the hemicellulose fractions of sugarcane residues, with electricity cogeneration from cellulose and lignin, is more efficient and economically viable than the exclusive electricity generation technologies considered (at least under the constraints in found within a South African context).