Sugarcane Straw Recovery for Bioenergy Generation: A Case of an Organic Farm in Colombia

In Latin America, the energy potential from sugarcane straw, such as tops, secondary stalk, and leaves, has been debated, but the literature associated with organic crops and its implementation for energy purposes is limited. Sugarcane straw is either left in the field for soil recovery or used for animal feed. This paper presents an analysis of using organic sugarcane straw for energy generation. We have characterized the physicochemical properties of this organic sugarcane straw, including caloric value, moisture, carbon, and ash content, and have explored the environmental benefits of using biomass to replace coal as an energy source. The study showed that it is possible to achieve the replacement of coal using 16% of the residual biomass, with the benefit of generating lower CO₂ emissions compared to coal combustion. Additionally, emissions derived from transporting the biomass from the field to the farm are 68% lower than those involved in transporting coal. The residual biomass from the organic crop showed similar properties relative to bagasse. The use of organic sugarcane straw biomass will result in the reduction of energy costs and will generate green energy with lower emission of CO₂.