Abstract

Large quantities of bagasse are regularly accumulated on open spaces around sugar factory thereby endangering fragile ecosystem. The sugar cane bagasse carbonization process can be put into effect as an environmentally friendly, energy self-providing continuous flow technology. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use bagasse for the production of high caloric value briquette to safeguard the environment from pollution. Bagasse sample was collected from Wonje sugar factory and carbonized in an oxygen deficient environment at Ethiopian Rural Energy Development and Dissemination Center Laboratory, Addis Ababa. The carbonized materials were mixed with clay and molasses as a binder in different ratio to make a briquette using briquette extruder machine. Caloric value of the briquettes produced from bagasse using clay and molasses as a binder in different ratio ranged between 3,529-4,064 and 3,964-4,442 cal/g, respectively. The highest caloric value using clay as a binder was in the ratio 20:80 and the lowest caloric value using molasses as a binder was in the ration 25:75. Further analysis showed that through conversion of bagasse from Wonji sugar factory into briquette, annually the factory could generate 3.1×10^-10 cal of energy and substitutes 13.01 m³ of firewood or save 0.13 to 0.16 ha of tropical forests from deforestation and have the potential to sequestrate 17.90 to 22.03 tons of carbon annually. Further, the study concluded that briquettes produced from bagasse could be used as a quality source of energy and bagasse waste management option around sugar industry.

Key words:  Energy, briquette, carbon sequestration, caloric value.