Potential of Ethanol production using molasses fermentation in a sugar plant

Due to globalization, privatization and liberalization; sugar industry has to face the domestic as well as international competition. Thus, for survival of the industry, cost effectiveness and economics of by-products become very vital. The aim of this work is to assess the potential, in the short term, for fuel ethanol production by using intermediate molasses in a sugar plant in central India. The by-product plant can support the existing plant to improve the general economy, financial viability, economic status of sugarcane growers and workers by way of paying higher prices for sugarcane crop and also create more employment opportunities in the rural areas by setting up industries based on sugarcane by-products. For assessing the amount of Ethanol production an experimental study has been carried out which find out the amount of ethanol production via fermentation process of molasses sample acquired from the plant. It gives more fine results as the quality of sugarcane changes from place to place.