Author | Muscat, J |
Date Accessioned | 2015-04-14 |
Date Available | 2015-04-14 |
Issued | 2014 |
Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/11079/14266 |
Abstract | As the Australian sugar industry embarks on the opportunity to value add from its waste
streams our industry will become more sustainable into the future. This project has
investigated the opportunity to replace the coal feedstock at the Racecourse Mackay Sugar
co-generation facility with fibre, produced from fibre crops such as Kenaf and Sunn Hemp to
power the steam boiler to generate electricity. The co-generation unit produces 31mwh of
electricity and is powered by bagasse the waste stream from the sugar process and coal
when the bagasse runs out. 30,000 tons of coal is burnt firing the steam boiler to generate
electricity in conjunction with bagasse, the coal feedstock would require 90,000 tons of fibre
to allow for the total replacement of coal. The fibre feedstock would also attract a green
certificate value as the product is a renewable source. |
Abstract | Mackay Fibre Producers (MFP) has produced the fibre crops for testing at Mackay Sugar, it
has also investigate how the product would be prepared to allow it to be handled by the
current bagasse handling system at the sugar mill. MFP produced Kenaf and Sunn Hemp for
trials to be tested by Mackay Sugar, samples were taken and analysed by SGS lab to
determine the combustion test and the residues left after the burning of the product. MFP
has tested two harvesting processes and presented the two forms to Mackay Sugar. The bulk
density of the two forms of product have been established, this information will be utilized in
the business case. The MFP grower group has worked with members of the engineering and
management team at Mackay Sugar Limited to develop the results compiled by this project. |
Abstract | MFP has successfully produced Kenaf(cannabis hibiscus) and Sunn Hemp (crotalaria juncea)
for testing at the Racecourse Mackay Sugar factory and delivered the product in a billet form
as well as a foraged state.
The kenaf hasn’t successfully flowed through the bagasse handling system, the fibre stands
wrapped with componentry which could not be tolerated having the potential to choke feed
systems. The chorine value’s of Kenaf were also outside the boiler specified levels which
would have a detrimental effect on corrosion within the boiler. At this stage Kenaf would not
be suitable as a feedstock to produce co-generation.
However Sunn Hemp has met the feedstock criteria’s from the perspective of flowing
through the current bagasse handling system, chorine levels are also at an acceptable level,
the product calorific value will also meet an acceptable level. Sunn Hemp could be an
alternative feedstock for the co-generation unit at the Racecourse Mackay Sugar Co generation unit. |
Language | en |
Publisher | BSES |
Part of Series | Internal report; 2014 GGP063 2011/063 |
Subject | Fibre crops |
Subject | Electricity generation |
Title | Investigating renewable feedstocks such as (Hibiscus Cannabis – Kenaf and Crotalaria Juncea – Sunn Hemp) for generation at Mackay Sugar Limited : final report GGP063 |
Keywords | Mackay, Feasibility study |