Thailand to produce 2 million litre of ethanol daily from cassava chips

Joseph Vackayil
Posted: 2008-04-14 22:27:19+05:30 IST
Updated: Apr 14, 2008 at 2227 hrs IST

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Cassava or tapioca has erupted into the first decade of the third millennium as a crop that can contribute to agro-industrial and small-farmer development in the tropics. It is the safest and most economic feedstock for the production of biofuel. The carbohydrate-rich cassava is a food crop, both for humans and animals, and also an ideal crop for biofuels. New processes and technologies are being developed by researchers for the cost effective production of ethanol from cassava.

The latest among them is the finding of scientists from the Kasetsart University, Bangkok and the Cassava and Starch Technology Research Unit of the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand, that cassava chips are the most suitable raw material for ethanol production. The production cost and time can be minimised through the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process as already implemented in bioethanol production from cereal grains.

Thailand produces about 20 million tonne of cassava a year. Researchers have found that cassava was a better feedstock to produce daily the required two million litre of ethanol for its 10% fuel substitution plan. About 80-90% of the roots are consumed by starch and the chip and pellet industry. The balance is available for ethanol production, unlike sugarcane or molasses, which are in short supply in Thailand.

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» ethanol production from cassava

Posted by Dr.P.Muralikkannan on 2008-08-21 09:00:00.330335+05:30
We would like to know more about ethanol production from cassava and ecnomics of cassava based ethanol production facilitieswe expect early reply in this regardswith regardsDr.P.Muralikkannan

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» Cost of ethanol from cassava

Posted by chummy mah on 2008-07-04 20:15:26.078272+05:30
At the current price of Bioethanol produced from sugar cane.It is impossible to produce the bioethanol using cassava as the prodction cost will be almost 30% more expensive.It is just a dream to use cassava as feed stock for ethanol production to complete with ethanol from sugar cane

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» Cost of ethanol from cassava

Posted by chummy mah on 2008-07-04 20:15:23.19834+05:30
At the current price of Bioethanol produced from sugar cane.It is impossible to produce the bioethanol using cassava as the prodction cost will be almost 30% more expensive.It is just a dream to use cassava as feed stock for ethanol production to complete with ethanol from sugar cane

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» ethanol from cassava

Posted by akash on 2008-08-22 18:35:44.366256+05:30
Do you mean to say that producing ethanol from casava is 30% more expnsive than using sugarcane? how does it compare with usung corn for ethanol?

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Thailand to produce 2 million litre of ethanol daily from cassava chips

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