https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2025.020
Published: Kem. Ind. 75 (1-2) (2026) 41–50
Paper reference number: KUI-20/2025
Paper type: Original scientific paper
Download paper:  PDF

Effect of Vinasse, a Sugar Factory Waste, on Biomethane Production under Industrial-scale and Mesophilic Conditions

M. Ödek, A. E. Yüzbaşıoğlu, D. Tümük, A. Yetgin, D. D. Bay, C. Avşar and A. O. Gezerman

Abstract

In this study, the potential for biomethane production from vinasse, a waste by-product of sugar factories, was evaluated in a biogas unit under mesophilic conditions. The organic raw materials used in the biomethane potential (BMP) experiment were mixed with fermenter liquid (inoculum) at defined rates after laboratory determination of dry matter (%) and volatile solids (%). The facility was then simulated in a gas mesophilic environment for 30 days to monitor the gas output. Industrial challenges associated with the use of vinasse as a sugar factory waste in biomethane production, and the impurity values such as possible contamination during the supply of vinasse, can be evaluated as limiting factors. The biogas produced in the reactor contained CH₄, CO₂ and H₂S gases. The ratio of inoculum to solid content in the organic matter was used to calculate the biomethane yield by means of the BMP device of the organic additives used in the study. When the biogas production from sugar factory waste was examined under one-year storage conditions, it was observed that optimisation of the stored waste would enable production under industrial conditions. According to the findings of this study, vinasse was used to produce biomethane, demonstrating its potential for industrial-scale waste management aligned with circular economy principles.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Keywords

starch, vinasse, inoculum, volatile solids, mesophilic conditions, biomethane production potential