Transition of a South African sugar mill towards a biorefinery. A feasibility assessment

The survival of the sugar industry in South Africa is under threat due to an unstable and low sugar price, high production cost and old infrastructure. At present, coal and sugarcane bagasse are used as fuels in an inefficient boiler to generate the heat and electricity required by the plant. Moreover, the residues produced during the sugarcane agriculture stage are burnt in the field causing serious concerns in the nearby rural areas. The...