Integrated biodiesel production in Barralcool sugar and alcohol mill.

Abstract

Brazil started a National Biodiesel Program 30 years after having launched PROALCOOL - National Alcohol Program. By examining biodiesel and bioethanol, significant synergies can be seen in the production of these two biofuels and, for this reason, Dedini introduced the concept of 'Bioethanol-Biodiesel Integration' into the market in November 2004. The biodiesel installation is attached to and integrated into the sugar and alcohol mill, with a number of advantages, bringing cost reductions and minimised investments. In the agricultural sector, the concept of producing oil grains during cane renovation already exists, from which vegetable oil is extracted, i.e. the main feedstock for biodiesel. The second feedstock is bioethanol produced at the mill, and the integration enables optimisation by using existing installations, utilities and human resources. The energy is produced from sugarcane bagasse. A portion of the biodiesel produced fuels trucks, tractors and harvesters of the mill. Summarising, there is synergy in the cane crop and in the industry, as well as benefits in economics, energy and the production process. Considering such attractiveness, Barralcool Mill, in Brazil has built a biodiesel plant integrated into the mill, supplied by Dedini, which started operations in November 2006, with the following highlights: First in the world integrated with a sugar and alcohol mill; Flexible to use multiple feed stocks: vegetable oils and animal fat (beef tallow); World first continuous plant using ethyl route; and flexible to methyl route; 50 000 tonnes/year capacity. Barralcool Mill then becomes the first in the world producing 3 BIOs: bioethanol, biodiesel, and bioelectricity (surplus electricity produced from bagasse sold to the grid). This paper presents the Barralcool Mill case: biodiesel production using ethyl route, integration to the mill, and the derived benefits.