Alcohol Production

For alcohol production, fermentation section is considered to be the most crucial area which affects the utilization of molasses. Distillation section is the same for all distilleries irrespective of the fermentation strategy.

For fermentation, two types of processes are adopted by distilleries

•  Batch process

•  Continuous process

• Based on continuous process, different technology options are available with different fermentation strategies, like;
•  Biostil Process (with single fermenter system and yeast and weak wash recycle).

•  Hi-ferm Process (without yeast recycle).

•  Encillium Process (with a special flocculant yeast which does not require yeast recycle).

Amongst these, Encillium process is an indigenous breakthrough.

Advantages offered by these new continuous process technology options are in terms of increased yield of alcohol. No particular cost advantage is offered by any of these continuous process technology options over batch process, at least on a generic basis. Cost advantages may be derived by these options in specific cases, which have to be analysed on case to case basis.

Distillation Option

For distillation also, a new alternative is available to the industry called Pressvac. It is claimed that it may result in a saving of about Rs. 0.30/litre of alcohol by reducing the steam requirement. However, only one plant of Dhampur Sugar Mills Ltd. Is working on this system.

•  Possibility of utilization of alternative raw materials (in place of molasses) for alcohol production.

The issue was considered because after decontrol, it appears that if molasses prices increase, the cost of ethanol production from alternative raw materials may become competitive. However, the study has concluded that this option does not seem feasible even in distant future, because of the following reasons:

•  Low and geographically concentrated availability of these raw materials.

•   High capital and operational costs.

The option was important for the study because if these raw materials were to be utilized on a large scale, it may change the utilization pattern of molasses. If that was so, what would be the next utilization alternative of molasses.

However, the study has analysed that even if these raw materials are utilized in ethanol production, they are not going to influence the usage pattern of molasses.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN

- It is recommended in the study that molasses may be most gainfully utilized only it:

•  A consistent quality of molasses is supplied to the user industry.
•  Losses in storage, etc. is minimized.
•  Ethanol production is made more efficient.

- For ensuring the supply of a consistent quality of molasses, Bureau of Indian Standards should revise the standards of molasses so that the efficiencies of downstream industries is not affected. Here it needs to be mentioned that the recommendations relate only to checking the large fluctuations in the quality of molasses and does not imply that the quality should be improved. It is accepted that with increasing efficiency of sugar industry, quality of molasses is bound to deteriorate.

- For storage, IS specification No. 5521-1980, already laid down, should be followed to save this valuable raw material.

- For increasing the yields of alcohol from molasses, sufficient measures should be adopted by distilleries. As per the response collected from industry, batch process may also work as efficiently as a continuous process. However, certain modifications like:

•  Employing plate heat exchangers for ensuring better temperature controls.
•  Water should be checked regularly.
•  Sealing the open fermenters.
•  Recovery of by-products like carbon di-oxide should be adopted.

- LONG TERM CONSIDERATIONS

•  Exports should be the thrust area in the long terms. As has been studies in the report, India has only been a marginal player in the world market for both molasses and alcohol. Molasses and alcohol have never been in surplus in India and the quality produced is also substandard, as per international standards.

•   By improving the yields of alcohol and minimizing the losses of molasses, exports could be emerge as a good possibility for molasses utilization.

•   So far as development of other applications of molasses in the long run is concerned, it depends on the R&D capabilities of India. Technologies for the manufacture of these products is not available to any new entrant. Moreover, the world markets for these products are not expected to grow substantially. Hence these products do not offer much scope in future

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