San Carlos Bagasse Cogeneration
As sweet as sugar – using sugar cane for clean energy
Category:
Renewable energy
•
Country:
Ecuador
Overview
What is it all about?
The San Carlos sugar mill, in Ecuador, has cut itself loose from fossil fuels. Instead, it is relying on a renewable energy source – the leftovers from its own business. The remnants from processing sugar cane is called bagasse. By burning bagasse and using that for energy, the mill has enough to power the factory and more.
How does it work?
The San Carlos plant uses the steam-Rankine cycle, the primary technology for creating electricity from biomass. The sugar cane remnants are burned in a boiler to generate heat that warms water, creating steam. The steam pressure turns a turbine, generating electricity. The steam condenses and recovered.
Besides using the steam to make electricity, the excess heat from the process is also captured and used to heat buildings. This is known as a combined heat and power, or cogeneration, system, and is very efficient.
How reductions happen
This sugar factory is powered entirely by the burning of waste organic material, a renewable energy source. It is even producing excess electricity which can be sold back to the grid and used in place of electricity produced in fossil-fuelled thermal power plants, meaning a double saving for the environment.
Participants
- Owner: Sociedad Agricola e Industrial San Carlos S.A.
- Developer: Sociedad Agricola e Industrial San Carlos S.A.
- PDD consultant: Econergy Brasil
- Verifier: SGS United Kingdom
- Equipment supplier: Caldema, TGM, WEG
- Constructor: Santos CMI
CO2 reductions and energy output
Power production
(Electricity, MWh)Power production (Electricity, MWh)
Milestones
- 31 October 2003 Project initiation:
- 30 November 2003 Project approval:
- 31 January 2004 Construction started:
- 30 June 2005 Project commissioned:
- 30 June 2005 Construction completed:
- 04 July 2005 Project started producing emissions:
- 14 December 2005 PDD was submitted to validator:
- 22 December 2005 Validation was complete:
- 05 March 2006 Project was registered:
Location data
Location
Address:
Elizalde 114 y Pichincha, Marcelino Mariduena, Guayas Province, Ecuador
About the region
Wildlife
The country is one of the world’s most ecologically diverse. Around 15% of the world’s bird species are native to Equador.
The country is also famous for the Galapagos Islands, home to the Galapagos turtles and inspiration for Charles Darwin.
Interesting facts
Equador takes its name from the equator, which runs through the country.
The historic center of the capital, Quito, was one of the first UN World Heritage Sites.
Elizalde 114 y Pichincha
Downloadable documents
- PDD
Adobe PDF (3.6 MB)
Description
Project Design Document
- Monitoring Report
Adobe PDF (137 KB)
Description
This document reports the Emission Reductions generated by the San Carlos Bagasse Cogeneration Project.
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