Engineering of Biomass Cogeneration for 480 m³/h Bioethanol Plant in Colombia
Colombia
The biomass cogeneration project for the 480 m³/h bioethanol plant in Colombia utilizes bagasse, a by-product of sugarcane milling, as a renewable fuel. This biomass cogeneration facility produces 180 tons per hour of superheated steam, which powers a steam turbine capable of generating up to 43.5 MW of electricity, while also supplying low-pressure steam for the production process. IDOM has carried out the basic and detailed engineering for this innovative project.
An industrial complex for the production of bioethanol from sugar cane is being constructed in Colombia. The complex includes a bioethanol plant, a cogeneration plant that will produce 40 MW of power and 180 tph of steam for the Bioethanol plant and facilities for the treatment of waste from sugar cane. The milling of sugar cane, the process of extracting the juice from which ethanol is obtained, also produces a solid residue (bagasse) which can be used as fuel in the biomass boiler to produce steam. The output of electricity generated from this steam will be more than sufficient to meet the supply needs of the industrial complex; with any remaining power being exported to the Colombian grid. The complex will also include a system for the treatment of vinasse, a liquid by-product of the distillation of ethanol, which will then be mixed with ash from the combustion of bagasse to produce fertilizer.
