Opportunities and constraints for the manufacture of bio-ethanol for transportation needs in Mauritius

Abstract: The Republic of Mauritius comprises a main island of an area of 1870km2 at latitude 200 south and longitude 580 east and several outer islands, all of volcanic origin. Mauritius has no known oil, natural gas or coal reserves and is therefore heavily dependent on imported energy sources. In 2012, some 458 ktoe of energy were used for transportation, representing an increase from 391 ktoe in 2009 and 418 ktoe of energy in 2010. The consumption of gasoline increased from 121 ktoe to 128 ktoe (+5.8%) and that of diesel oil from 155 ktoe to 162 ktoe (+4.5%). The consumption of aviation fuel increased from 110 ktoe in 2009 compared to 123 ktoe in 2010 (+11.8%) to 146 ktoe in 2012. In Mauritius the transport sector is the heaviest energy consumer, accounting for 48% of total energy imports and pollution problems in term of vehicular emissions which are more acute in towns where there is heavy vehicular traffic. Mauritius as an island state cannot have the benefit of interconnection facilities and the reliance on fossil fuels can only impact severely on the island in case of crisis In 2006, a comprehensive set of strategies regrouped under the Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy (MAAS) was thus prepared jointly between the Government of Mauritius and the stakeholders in the sugar sector with the objective to investigate the environmental challenges and considerations to produce a comprehensive set of strategies to maintain the commercial viability and sustainability of the sugar sector. The plan that emerged from the MAAS comprised several measures including the transformation of the sugar industry into a sugarcane cluster coupled with the production of a minimum of 30 million litres of ethanol annually. One local ethanol manufacturer is exporting ethanol on regular basis to foreign markets. Export of ethanol has the added advantage of bringing foreign currency to the country and would be encouraged. In line with the Maurice Ile Durable project, to provide with a long-term strategy to progressively reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuel, the implementation of an ethanol plant in the south of the island, after centralization of the sugar factory activities, has been considered. A case study has been carried out for setting up a 15 million liters dehydrated ethanol plant annexed to the sugar factory.  The cost analysis showed that the annual revenue from the ethanol plant will be $17, 250, 000 and that the payback period will be of 2.9 years. It has been concluded that centralization of sugarcane industry provides with feedstock, with steam and power and minimize transportation costs, thereby increasing the operational and economical cost of ethanol production plant. The amount of molasses that will be produced at each cluster will be some 45 000 tons of molasses and for optimized operating plant, producing more than 20 million liters of dehydrated ethanol, final molasses will have to be outsourced from the other sugar factories on the island.