Evaluación del rendimiento energético del bagazo de caña de un ingenio azucarero vs su aprovechamiento mediante gasificación

Humans have developed a dependency on fossil fuels since the industrial revolution (18th century); from this fact a current need arises whose tendency is to develop energy generation systems based on the use of renewable energy. Biomass is a resource that is widely available around the world, which is why the objective has been to implement technologies or processes, so that this abundant resource can be used. This is how gasification has become a leading process in this regard. A common type of biomass in Panama is sugarcane bagasse, which is nothing more than the residue that remains as a product once the sugar cane juicehas been extracted. The objective of this research is to make an evaluation of the energy performance of the sugarcane bagasse used in the sugar mills of Panama, as it is currently used for combustion and energy generation, so that we can compare them with the energy performance that it would present when the sugarcane bagasse is gasified, to determine which process is the most efficient for the production of electrical energy. To carry out this idea, it is planned to take as a sample at least two sugar mills in our country, since the properties of cane bagasse could vary from one mill to another, depending on the variety of the cane. Once the energy performance comparison has been made, the mills can be recommended for the relevant technology changes to improve their operation.