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Uttar Pradesh sugar mills have the combined potential to generate 8,000-9,000 MW of energy through co-generation and other methods.
There are about 125 operational sugar mills in UP in the private and cooperatives sectors. While some mills have cogeneration units running on bagasse (sugarcane byproduct), some private mills also have coal-fired thermal power units attached to their complexes.
“The cogeneration by sugar mills in UP is not up to potential. They could be run yearlong for generating power,” Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI) president Dr G S C Rao told Business Standard here.
Sugar is the largest organised agro-based industry in UP supporting 4 million farmers’ families. Other industries viz. molasses, bagasse, power (cogeneration) etc are supported by sugarcane, whose annual economy is estimated over Rs 30,000 crore.
STAI is organising three-day Sugar Expo in Lucknow beginning September 26 to discuss technological issues related to sugar sector in the aftermath of deregulation.
Issues related to ethanol blending in fuel, water management, farm mechanisation, new sugarcane varieties etc would be discussed threadbare at the convention, which would be attended by over 1,200 delegates, including industry, sugar technologists, farmers etc.
“Farm mechanisation is difficult in sugarcane farms in UP because of small sized land holdings. The solution is to employ customised mechanisation,” he said.
Rao lamented UP was the only place in the world, where rejected cane varieties was still being procured for crushing at competitive prices,” he said.
Rejected varieties constitute almost 25-30 per cent of the annual cane production in UP. They have lower sugar recovery percentages, thus giving lesser sugar output.
The state sugar sector is facing a crisis of sorts with the private mills baulked down by cane arrears of Rs 2,400 crore for 2012-13 season.
