The Sugarcane Agroindustry in Guatemala utilizes waste in a Circular Economy system. A clear example of this practice is the use of sugarcane bagasse as a valuable source for renewable energy generation.
Circular Economy aims to promote the reuse, recycling, and renewal of resources instead of following the traditional “use and dispose” model. Sugarcane bagasse is a fibrous residue left as a byproduct after extracting sugarcane juice in the sugar industry. Instead of being discarded, sugar mills use this residue for renewable energy generation.
Sugarcane bagasse is used as fuel in boilers to generate steam. This steam is then used to produce electricity through a process called cogeneration. This form of renewable energy generation offers multiple benefits for both the Sugarcane Agroindustry and the environment.
Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels
By harnessing sugarcane bagasse as an energy source, the need for using fossil fuels like coal or oil to produce electricity is reduced. This contributes to the diversification of energy sources and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, thus aiding in the fight against climate change.
Fossil fuels are non-renewable natural resources formed over millions of years; burning them releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The gradual shift away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy is crucial to addressing current environmental and social challenges.
The utilization of sugarcane bagasse as a source of renewable energy is a concrete and successful example of how circular economy can be integrated into agroindustry to promote more sustainable practices.
By turning waste into a valuable resource, energy generation from sugarcane bagasse benefits both the Sugarcane Agroindustry in Guatemala and the environment. This practice can serve as a model for other industries and pave the way for a more circular and planet-friendly economy.
During his speeches, Alfredo Vila, president of the Latin American Sugar Producers Association -UNALA- and the Guatemalan Sugar Producers Association -Asazgua- explained that the Guatemalan Sugar Industry has implemented systems for the efficient use of water, renewable energy, and care of the soil, and has been recognized as an international benchmark in good practices and recognized due to its work into achieving the SDGs.
The sugar factories are self-sufficient, this means that they produce the energy they consume, the rest they sell to the national and regional electricity market.
The CG02-163 sugarcane variety, currently occupying the largest planted area in the country
The sugar mills associated with Asazgua operate under a strict labor and environmental policy and distribute each year around US$402 million in wages and salaries, in addition to providing complementary health services to their collaborators. In a study prepared by Asazgua, the economic footprint or spill of sugar in Guatemala is more than US$ 1,188 million and reaches 90% of the country’s municipalities.
The maximum available power of the Cogeneration Plants to deliver to the grid during the Zafra was 562 (MW) megawatts, which is equivalent to 2 times the maximum capacity of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam, the plant with the highest electricity generation capacity in Guatemala. For this, more than 6.4 million tons of cane biomass, a product of the sugar production process, were used.
The Guatemalan Sugar Industry has an installed generation capacity of 1020 MW, this makes them self-sufficient in the energy field since they generate their own energy and the surplus is sold to the National Interconnected System (SNI). 63% of the energy produced during the 2020/21 harvest was injected into the SNI to meet national demand and exports to Central America and Mexico; and the remaining 37% was used for the operation of the sugar mills.