Prospects of Bagasse as a Feasible Bio-fuel for
Electricity Generation in Pakistan – A Realistic
Approach
Engr. Akhtar Saeed
Department of Electrical Engineering, DHA Suffa University, Karachi - Pakistan
Email: a.saeed@dsu.edu.pk, akhtar_123@hotmail.com
Abstract—Pakistan is facing an acute shortage of electricity power
since former few decades. The main reason behind the fact is that
there has always been a lack of courtesy by the policy and decision
makers of the country towards enhancing the installed capacity of
the sector, as well as discovering other ways to implore the power
from renewable resources. Pakistan is an agricultural country
whose economy is primarily based on the agronomic yields, one of
which is sugarcane – a cash crop. Thru the process of extraction
of sugar from the sugarcane, a stuff named Bagasse is leftover
which has been evidenced as a viable bio-fuel. Numerous countries
across the globe are consuming Bagasse to generate electricity, but
regrettably in our country, this valued renewable resource has
mostly been thrown away as a mere trash. Keeping in view the
country's existing yield of Bagasse, Pakistan has an estimated
capacity of about 3000 MW of electricity generation by its usage.
The rest of the paper is structured as follows: The first part
involves a brief description of Bagasse, its recent usage and
significance as a bio-fuel across the globe. The second part
highlights its existing usage in Pakistan - stressing its importance.
The third part focuses the prospects of its consumption in the
country, based on both the existing as well as the projected
outputs. In the concluding part, some recommendations are
underscored for its optimal usage to counter the electricity
shortfall.
Keywords—Bio-fuel, bio-mass, bagasse, electricity generation,
electricity shortfall, renewable resource, sugar industry
I. INTRODUCTION
The global economy has been getting its foothold on the basis
of the available energy resources. Since the past century, the
world has largely been relying on the non-renewable energy
resources i.e. the fossil fuels, which are believed to be getting
depleted at an alarming rate [1]. Furthermore, the usage of the
non-renewable resources is been considered the sole
responsible for the global warming [2]. The main reason behind
this enormous consumption is the development via
technological advancements that have been evidenced
particularly in the past few decades.
Keeping in view the datum, a trend from the global economics
has been seen towards seeking the ways of harvesting energy
requirements from the renewable resources such as from Solar-
cells (photo-voltaic), wind-turbines, hydro-electric dams,
biomass etc. Among these, the solar-cells and the wind turbines
978-1-4673-6813-1/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE
have been the center of attraction as resource of renewable
energy, since both of these require mainly a one-time cost for
their installations with minimal maintenance. Also, the hydro-
electric dams have been used for the purpose but they require
larger setup cost as well as longer completion time required for
their proper functioning. Whereas the usage of biomass have
long been neglected as a source of energy on larger scales,
although it has been a primary source of energy for the rural
areas since a long time [3].
The consideration on the usage of biomass on the industrial
scale has just been recently addressed fully [4]. Biomass is
basically the waste product produced by living organisms such
as animal dung, leftovers as a byproduct during the process of
the refinement of crops such as maze, corn, sugar etc. In either
cases, the matter could be utilized as a handy renewable energy
resource whether by their direct combustion, thereby providing
heat energy or using the energy to run electrical turbines for the
process of electricity generation [5].
II. BAGASSE
A. A biofuel
When the sugarcane is being processed in the industry, a
byproduct along with refined sugar is formed known as Bagasse.
The word has been derived from the French diction baggage as
well as from the Spanish word bagazo, meaning trash or rubbish
[6]. The matter after some refinements has been proved to be a
good biofuel i.e. to generate heat as well as subsequent
generation of electricity in the sugar industry. This process is
often termed as cogeneration [7]. It has been seen that a ton of
sugar-cane produces about 300 kilograms of Bagasse (i.e. about
30%) [8], [9], [10]. Thus, for a continues supply of bagasse, a
sugar mill just needs to continue the refinement process thereby
producing a renewable resource required to meet almost all the
energy needs as well as generating surplus electricity.
Based upon an analysis, it has been envisaged that about 3-7
kg of bagasse is required per kWh generation of electricity [9].
The tariff is bagasse is often termed in terms to its equivalent
value of the conventional fuels. In general, 1 ton bagasse could
be taken equivalent to the fuel oil of 0.173 tons (about $80/ton),
likewise equivalent to the bituminous coal of about 0.263 tons
(about $55/ton). It could be derived from the facts that per ton
of bagasse is about US$ 13.8 to 14.5 having a moisture content
of about 50%, i.e. a rounded figure of $15 per ton could be taken
for per ton price of bagasse [11].
TABLE I. ELECTRIC GENERATION PER TONNAGE OF
B. Bagasse as a biofuel around the world
BAGASSE WITH CERTAIN STEAM CYCLES
The world has witnessed the feasibility of bagasse as a
Steam Profiles Steam Power Bagasse
biofuel in the past decade. Many nations have adopted the
(bars/oC) Produced Generated required
method of cogeneration in the sugar mills to meet the heating (Tons) (kW) (tons/MWh)
requirements as well as generating a substantial amount of 21/340 2.50 227.3 4.5
electricity including: Brazil [10], Turkey [12], Zimbabwe [13],
India [14], Australia [15], etc. 32/380 2.43 286.0 3.5

Being the world’s largest producer of sugar, Brazil has made 42/400 2.40 313.0 3.2
the usage of bagasse as a biofuel in reality [10]. Together with 45/440 2.33 328.0 3.0
the production of ethanol from sugar, bagasse has also been
produced to meet the demands of heating and electricity 67/480 2.27 378.0 2.6
generation purposes. Australia’s huge sugar industry has been 87/510 2.24 401.0 2.5
consuming Bagasse for its energy requirements since over a
century [15]. Mauritius – our near neighbor generates about 22% 110/535 2.21 427.0 2.3
of its electricity demands alone from exploiting renewable
resources including bagasse [16]. III. POTENTIAL OF BAGASSE IN PAKISTAN
As the economy of a country mainly depends on its industrial
prosperity, a country would never prosper without a perpetual
C. Benefits of Consuming Bagasse supply of power to their industries. Pakistan is an energy-thirst
Numerous advantages have been observed by consuming nation while at the same time, it is highly regarded as an agro-
bagasse as a biofuel [17]: economic country [19]. So, in order to meet the energy demands,
we must exploit the available resources of renewable energy to
1. The environment is thus saved by the dust meet the demands without the need of expending a huge foreign
pollution instigated by bagasse transportation, as exchange on buying the fossil fuels [20].
the facilities of cogeneration are usually resided in Pakistan is a big producer of many cash crops such as wheat,
a nearby facility of the sugar industry. rice, sugarcane etc. Such crops could also be expedited to extract
2. Gas emissions during cogeneration from Bagasse biomasses and biofuels while at the same time meeting the food
produces substantially lower levels of greenhouse demands with zero-additional cost. Being the fifth largest
emissions as correlated to the fossil fuel yielder of sugarcane in the world [7], Pakistan has a strong
combustions. If bagasse is left to rot by itself, it potential in the bagasse market. While the bitter fact is that till
produces methane gas during disintegration which now, this valuable and available renewable resource of the
is roughly 27 times more damaging to the ozone country has not gained much significance for its optimal
layer in contrast to the carbon dioxide. utilization. Based upon United Nations (UN) statistics, the
3. The need of a rural area to be connected with a annual production (in thousand metric tons) of Bagasse in
national power grid is eliminated, as such Pakistan from 1990-2010 is shown as in [21].
cogeneration systems are usually regionalized in IV. PROSPECTS OF PAKISTANI BAGASSE
nature.
4. The process aids a sugar mill to work standalone There are various sugar mills primarily situated in Sindh and
wholly in terms of energy needs, as an ideally- Punjab producing sugar to meet the country demands. But on the
contrary, we have not fully utilized the available resource of
operated cogeneration plant ultimately and
Bagasse from the process, which may prove to be a valuable
hypothetically meets 100% of its energy source of electricity in the country. The sugar mills have a good
necessities. potential to generate about 3000 MW or even more of electricity
5. The power from the plant may be put in a national- TABLE 2
grid to provide sustenance in the electricity deficit.
6. A huge amount of the foreign exchange being Annual Yield of Bagasse in
spent on buying fossil fuels is consequently saved
by fulfilling the energy needs to some extent using
Pakistan
bagasse cogeneration. (metric tons; thousand)
20000
D. Power Generation using Bagasse 15000
10000
Based upon different boiler setups, it has been seen that 5000
electricity is generated against their respective amount of 0
Bagasse as under [18]:
 solely by the usage of Bagasse [22], [23].
Another report from National Electric Power Regulatory
Authority (NEPRA) highlighted that during the year 2011-12
alone, Pakistan yielded about 14.4 million tons of Bagasse (at
30% by ratio to sugarcane) by crushing about 48 million tons of
sugarcane in 86 sugar-based mills countrywide. The report
suggested that this much amount of Bagasse was ample to
produce electricity of about 1400 MW of surplus net power
generated from the cogeneration-based power plants that may be
added in the national grid [24]. It is pertinent to note that the
sugar crushing season is mainly carried out in the winter period
in which Pakistan witnesses its lowest electricity production
chiefly due to shortage in the supplies of water and gas. This fact
would eventually help the country to meet its energy
requirements [25], [26].
The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) under
the Ministry of Water and Power of Pakistan has also
highlighted the importance and need using bagasse as a biofuel
in the country [27]. NEPRA has also taken necessary
proceedings for determining the tariff (upfront costs) for the
prospective power projects based on bagasse-based
cogeneration [24]. The Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy
Technologies (PCRET) is also encouraging these days to
venture biomass prospects in the country [28].
V. RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
The need of the hour has already called to ponder and reflect
on the importance and the need of implementing bagasse-based
power co-generations in the Pakistani sugar-mills. Based on the
facts highlighted and presented, certain recommendations are
hereby underlined for the policy makers and implementers of the
country as the prospective guidelines:
1. The low steam pressure-based existing boilers being
operated for the cogeneration process should be
enhanced so as to optimize the boilers’ efficiencies,
thereby increasing the net electricity generation.
2. As an alternate to the national-grid, sugar-mills situated
in or nearby the rural areas may possibly offer the
surplus electricity to their respective villages and towns,
thereby experiencing minimum line losses.
3. Regulatory authorities like NEPRA etc. should offer
some relief and subsidiary policies to the sugar-mills for
promoting the bagasse-based cogeneration processes.
4. PCRET should initiate Research & Development
(R&D) projects based on bagasse based cogeneration to
explore hidden prospects in the country.
5. Necessary steps should be taken by the governing
bodies to encourage and facilitate a swift flow of the
Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the cogeneration
avenues.
VI. CONCLUSION
Pakistan requires a sustainable energy support for both the
industrial as well as the domestic needs in order to be in pace
with the developmental advances around the world. The main
hurdle behind this achievement is the lack of perpetual supply
of energy particularly in the form of electricity, mainly due to
dependency on fossil fuels for the generation. We need to look
on the alternate sources of renewable energy in order to meet the
required energy targets. Bagasse would prove to be a viable
source of renewable energy for Pakistan, as the country has a
sustained sugar industry. By its optimal usage, the nation may
counter substantially the ongoing load-shedding crisis as well as
able to save a huge foreign exchange.
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BIOGRAPHY
Engr. Akhtar Saeed is a Telecommunications Engineer by qualification and
an academician by profession. He got his Bachelors of Engineering degree in
Telecommunications from Hamdard University, Karachi in 2010 and
subsequently pursued his post graduate degree; Masters of Engineering in
Telecommunications from NED University of Engineering and Technology,
Karachi in 2014. He is currently associated with DHA Suffa University,
Karachi - Pakistan as a faculty member in the department of Electrical
Engineering. He has actively been participating in research-related activities
and has published research papers in various international conferences and
journal. Prime research interests of Engr. Akhtar include Wireless Sensor
Networks, Satellite Engineering and Renewable Energy technologies. He is a
registered engineer at Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).