Sugar industry development is the backbone to economic development of the nation. In India, Sugar industry is the second largest agro-based industry and it contributes significantly to the socio economic development of the nation.The distillery industry uses sugarcane molasses, cereals and other agro-products for producing alcoholic beverages. Two different raw materials sugarcane and beet are extracted from the sugar; both produce identical refined sugar. Sugar industry is also involved in making use of sugar complexes by manufacturing sugar, bioelectricity, bio-ethanol, bio-manure and chemical, paper and particle board factories and cogeneration plants. The various byproducts of the sugar industry also contribute to the economic growth of the nation by promoting a number of supplementary industries.
Unique Challenges faced by the sugar distillery and bioethanol industry
Distillery waste in the form of spent wash or stillage is one of the most complex , troublesome, and the strongest industrial organic effluents. Their polluting strength is very high due to the high content of biodegradable components. Color removal from spent wash and polishing of condensate are the major concerns for the effluent treatment units of the sugar and distillery industry. Supplementary products such as biogas face major purity/concentration issues due to sulfur traces and other organic content. Thus removal of tough biodegradable components, suspended solid and colloidal materials is the key to effective treatments of distillery wastewaters.