Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
Environmental Guidelines for
Sugar Manufacturing
Industry Description and Practices decolorization, evaporation, crystallization, and
finishing. Decolorization methods use granular
The sugar industry processes sugar cane and activated carbon, powdered activated carbon,
sugar beet to manufacture edible sugar. More ion exchange resins, and other materials. This is
than 60% of the worlds sugar production is a highly seasonal industry, with season lengths
from sugar cane and the balance is from sugar of approximately 6 to 18 weeks for beets and 20
beet. Approximately 10% of the sugar cane can to 32 weeks for cane.
be processed to commercial sugar and uses
approximately 20 cubic meters of water per Waste Characteristics
metric ton (m3/t) of cane processed. Sugar cane
contains 70% water; 14% fiber; 13.3% saccharose The major air emissions from sugar processing
(about 10 to 15% sucrose); and 2.7% soluble and refining result mainly from the combustion
impurities. Sugar canes are generally washed of bagasse (fiber residue of sugar cane), fuel oil,
and then juice is extracted from them. This juice or coal. Other air emission sources include juice
is then clarified to remove mud, evaporated to fermentation units, evaporators, and sulfitation
prepare syrup, crystallized to separate out the units. Approximately 5.5 kilograms (kg) of fly
liquor, and then centrifuged to separate ash per metric ton of cane processed (or 4,500
molasses from the crystals. Sugar crystals are mg/m3 of fly ash) is present in the flue gases
then dried and may be further refined before from the combustion of bagasse.
bagging for shipment. In some places (for Sugar manufacturing effluents typically have
example, in South Africa), extraction of juice is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (1,700-
performed by a diffusion process which can 6,600 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in untreated
give higher rates of extraction with lower effluent from cane processing and 4,000-7,000
energy consumption and reduced operating and mg/L for beet processing), COD (2,300-8,000
maintenance costs. For processing sugar beet mg/L from cane processing and up to 10,000
(water concentration 75%, sugar concentration mg/L in beet processing), total suspended
17%), only the washing, preparation, and solids (up to 5,000 mg/L), and high ammonium
extraction processes are different. After content. The wastewater may contain pathogens
washing, the beet is sliced and the slices are from contaminated materials or production
drawn into a slowly rotating diffuser where a processes. A sugar mill often generates odor
countercurrent flow of water is used to remove and dust, which need to be controlled. Most of
sugar from the beet slices. Approximately 15 m3 the solid wastes can be processed into other
of water and 28 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy products and by-products. In some cases,
is consumed per metric ton of beet. Refining of pesticides may also be present in the sugar cane
sugar involves removal of impurities and rinse liquids.
decolorization. The steps generally followed
include affination (mingling and
centrifugation), melting, clarification,
495
496 Sugar Manufacturing
Pollution Prevention and Control processed with an aim to achieve 0.3 to 0.6 m3/t
of beet processed.
Good pollution prevention practices in sugar
manufacturing focus on the following main Treatment Technologies
areas:
• Reduce product losses to less than 10% by Pretreatment of effluents consists of screening
better production control. Perform sugar and aeration normally followed by biological
auditing. treatment. If space is available, land treatment
• Spraying of molasses on the ground is a or pond systems are potential treatment
disposal practice which should be discouraged. methods. Other possible biological treatment
• Minimize storage time for juice and other systems include activated sludge and anaerobic
intermediate products to reduce product losses systems which can achieve a reduction in the
and their discharge into the wastewater stream. BOD level of over 95%.
• Give preference to less polluting Odor control by ventilation and sanitation
clarification processes such as those using may be required for fermentation and juice
bentonite instead of sulfite for the manufacture processing areas. Biofilters may be used for
of white sugar. controlling odor. Cyclones, scrubbers, and
• Collect waste product for use in other electrostatic precipitators are used for dust
industries such as the use of bagasse in paper control.
mills and as fuel. Co-generation systems for
large sugar mills generate electricity for sale. Emission Guidelines
Beet chips can be used as animal feed.
• Optimize the use of water and cleaning Emission levels for the design and operation of
chemicals. Procure canes washed in the field. each project must be established through the
Prefer the use of dry cleaning methods. Environmental Assessment (EA) process, based
• Recirculate cooling waters. on country legislation and the Pollution
Continuous sampling and measuring of key Prevention and Abatement Handbook as applied to
production parameters allow production losses local conditions. The emission levels selected
to be identified and reduced, thus reducing the must be justified in the EA and acceptable to
waste load. Fermentation processes and juice MIGA.
handling are the main sources of leakages. Odor The following guidelines present emission
problems can usually be prevented with good levels normally acceptable to the World Bank
hygiene and storage practices. Group in making decisions regarding provision
of World Bank Group assistance, including
Target Pollution Loads MIGA guarantees; any deviations from these
levels must be described in the project
Since the pollutants generated by the industry documentation.
are very largely losses in production, The guidelines are expressed as
improvements in production efficiency (as concentrations to facilitate monitoring. Dilution
detailed in the previous section) are of air emissions or effluents to achieve these
recommended to reduce pollutant loads. guidelines is unacceptable.
Approximately 90% of the saccharose should be All of the maximum levels should be
accounted for and 85% of the sucrose can be achieved for at least 95% of the time that the
recovered. Recirculation of water should be plant or unit is operating, to be calculated as a
maximized. proportion of annual operating hours.
Wastewater loads can be reduced to at least
1.3 m3/t of cane processed, and plant operators Air Emissions
should aim to achieve rates of 0.9 m3/t or less
with recirculation of wastewater. Wastewater Particulate matter and sulfur oxide emissions
loads from beet processing should be less than should be less than 100 milligrams per normal
4m3/t of sugar produced or 0.75 m3/t of beet cubic meter (mg/Nm3) (in some cases, up to
497 Sugar Manufacturing
150 mg/ Nm3 for small mills with less than 8.7
megawatts (MW) heat input to the boiler) and Ambient Noise
2,000 mg/Nm3, respectively. Nitrogen oxide
emissions should be less than 260 nanograms Maximum Allowable Leq
per joule (ng/J) (750 mg/Nm3) for solid fuels (hourly), in dB(A)
and 130 ng/J (460 mg/Nm3) for liquid fuels. Receptor Daytime Nighttime
Odor controls should be implemented where 07:00 - 22:00 22:00 - 07:00
necessary to achieve acceptable odor quality for Residential; 55 45
nearby residents.
institutional;
educational
Liquid Effluents
Industrial; 70 70
The following effluent levels should be commercial
achieved:
The emission requirements given here can be
Effluents from Sugar Manufacturing consistently achieved by well-designed, well-
Parameter Maximum value operated and well-maintained pollution control
milligrams per systems.
liter (mg/L)
Monitoring and Reporting
pH 6-9
BOD5 50 Monitoring of air emissions should be on an
COD 250 annual basis with continuous monitoring of the
Total suspended solids 50 fuel used. Only fuels with acceptable levels of
Oil and grease 10 ash and sulfur should be used. Monitoring of
the final effluent for the parameters listed above
Total nitrogen (NH4-N) 10
should be carried out at least on a daily basis, or
Total phosphorus 2 more frequently if the flows vary significantly.
Temperature increase less than or equal Effluents should be sampled annually for
to 3oC1 biocides to ensure that they are not present at
1 The
significant levels.
effluent should result in a temperature increase
of no more than 3 degrees Celsius at the edge of the Monitoring data should be analyzed and
zone where initial mixing and dilution takes place. reviewed at regular intervals and compared
Where the zone is not defined, use 100 meters from the with the operating standards so that any
point of discharge. necessary corrective actions can be taken.
Records of monitoring results should be kept in
Biocides should not be present above an acceptable format. These should be reported
detection levels or should be less than 0.05 to the responsible authorities and relevant
mg/L. parties, as required, and provided to MIGA if
requested.
Note: Effluent requirements are for direct
discharge to surface waters.
Ambient Noise
Noise abatement measures should achieve
either the following levels or a maximum
increase in background levels of 3 dB(A).
Measurements are to be taken at noise receptors
located outside the project property boundary.
498 Sugar Manufacturing
Key Issues
The following box summarizes the key
production and control practices that will lead
to compliance with emission guidelines:
• Monitor key production parameters to
reduce product losses to less than 10%.
• Design and operate the production
system to achieve recommended
wastewater loads.
• Recirculate cooling waters.
• Collect wastes for use in low-grade
products.
Further Information
The following are suggested as sources of
additional information (these sources are
provided for guidance and are not intended to
be comprehensive):
Economopoulos, A.P. 1993. "Rapid Inventory
Techniques in Environmental Pollution." In
Assessment of Sources of Air, Water and Land
Pollution. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Bank, Environment Department. 1995.
"Industrial Pollution Prevention and
Abatement: Sugar Manufacturing." Draft
document.
