USING J-ALL to NATURALLY CONVERT VINASSE INTO FERTILIZER
The Problem
The untreated effluent from ethanol production is environmentally damaging and as the cost of complete industrial treatment is so high, some plants in Europe have become uneconomical and closed.
A wide range of technologies have been trialled for a large-scale environmentally acceptable solution, but all have been unsuccessful.
Using the constituents of vinasse as fertilizer is effective on a smaller scale, where farmers spray vinasse on their fields, but excessive use can lead to a negative impact on plant and soil health as well as groundwater due to the mineralisation in the soil and an imbalance of bacteria and fungi.
Introduction
When treated with J-All`s organic product, vinasse, is an excellent agricultural fertilizer due to its fundamental elements. The blending of vinasse with J-All stimulates bacterial, enzyme and fungi activity transforming organic substances into humic material by improving mineral and nutrition integration, stimulating soil thus avoiding soil fatigue.
Plant nutritional stresses are prevented as the organism activity and organic material create mineral nutrients available to the plant on demand.
These organisms can introduce up to 100 kg of nitrogen per hectare, whilst removing a similar amount from the air leading to a financial and logistical saving.
Composting
Alongside vinasse, three other waste materials are produced:
- Ashes
- Filter cake
- The centre of bagasse (medulla)
The J-All comprehensive composting procedure should be used, together with vinasse, to additionally produce a high-quality solid fertilizer to supplement/replace other standard fertilisers.
Conclusion
The production of ethanol is increasing across the world. Vinasse removal methods by gasification or dehydration or any other method has not yet been very effective.
Considered both an effluent waste and a fertiliser, biological conversion can solve both the environmental and the fertilisation problem.
Logistical problems could be overcome if the vinasse producer could supply direct to the user, eg. a lorry delivering to the mill could also remove the vinasse to the end-user.
