Optimizing the Use of Musa spp. Waste in the Design of an Ethanol Production Plant

There is much in the scientific literature regarding the energy value of bioethanol, whether it is sustainable as a transition fuel and what impacts the production could have on food resource availability. This paper addresses these issues through the development of an energy self-sufficient ethanol plant. The plant utilizes waste Musa spp (banana) as the feed stock thereby making no additional demands food production. Solar energy and bioenergy provide thermal and electrical inputs to the process. The energy return on investment for this plant was calculated and a financial model drawn up to determine the economic feasibility of the plant. In one scenario, the operational cost of ethanol production is ￡0.39/litre with a profit before tax of ￡44,000 per year for a 460,000 litre facility. This scenario results in a maximum selling price for ethanol of ￡0.45/litre at an IRR of 11% for a 15 year operation which is comparable to current petrol prices. Furthermore, the process used is very simple and appropriate for small developing countries. The study focuses on the island of St. Lucia which is a banana producing state in the West Indies and concludes that establishment of an ethanol plant is possible with the right financial support with the benefit of reducing imports of petroleum products, improving the balance of payments and creating employment.