Press Mud : Sugarcane Byproduct
Sugarcane byproduct press mud can help generate 460,000 tonnes of compressed biogas (CBG) valued at Rs 2,484 crore.
- Press Mud is often known as filter cake or press cake.
- It is the agricultural waste obtained when cane juice is repeatedly filtered before being sent for sugar extraction.
- The filters are cleaned periodically, and the waste is deposited in the yard of the mill.
- Nearly 3 to 4 percent of press mud is obtained when one tonne of cane is crushed.
- At present, mills recycle this agricultural waste as manure by composting it and supplying it to the farmers in the area.
- It can be utilised as a feedstock for biogas production through anaerobic digestion and subsequent purification to create compressed biogas (CBG).
- It is very useful for crops and horticulture because of its richness in various micronutrients.
- It has been acknowledged as a valuable resource for green energy production.
- Issue with press mud is Storing press mud proves challenging as it undergoes gradual decomposition, resulting in the breakdown of organic compounds.
- Compressed biogas (CBG) is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.
- After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has a pure methane content of over 95%.
