Sugar cane cultivation in Sri Lanka may provide an alternative to petroleum as ethanol, used in motor fuel and as a fuel additive, is a by-product of the sugarcane industry.
The Sugar cane Research Institute recently commemorated 25 years of research and its Chairman C.S. Weeraratna, in a statement issued on this occasion, said Sri Lanka spent Rs.364 million on petroleum imports in 2008. This constitutes almost about 25% of the value of the country’s imports and about 40% of the value of its exports. In view of the high costs involved in importing crude oil, Dr. Weeraratna said it is extremely important to start producing and using alternatives to petroleum.
Dr. Weeraratna explained that ethanol is suitable alternative and is an important by-product of the sugarcane industry, made from molasses.
This is the portion of the sugar cane juice which contains sugars other than sucrose (what is normally consumed) and a number of other organic compounds. One of the compounds formed during fermentation of molasses is ethanol. In addition to sugar, about 12 million litres of ethanol, are produced annually at two factories in Sevanagala and Pelwatta.
Dr. Weeraratne said sugar cane production in Sri Lanka which started in the 1840’s has contracted over the past two decades with only two companies, Pelwatta Sugar Industries and Sevanagala Sugar Industries, involved in the commercial production of sugar, leading to a total annual expenditure of Rs.20 billion on sugar imports. In the 1990’s, sugarcane was cultivated in 25,000 hectares but has presently come down to 15,000 hectares, mostly in the Moneragala District.
Dr. Weeraratna said sugar cane is the only crop cultivated in Sri Lanka for the manufacture of sugar although there are crops such as coconut, kitul and palmyrah which can be used to manufacture sugar based substances such as jaggery and treacle. The Hingurana sugar factor which was closed for a long time has started to cultivate sugar cane and Dr. Weeraratna added that the Kantale Sugar Industry will start cultivation of sugarcane in Kantale in the near future. |
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