The untapped potential of sweet sorghum as a bioenergy feedstock

As world energy demand increases, alternative sources of renewable energy are required. Sweet sorghum has great potential as an alternative bioenergy feedstock. It is a highly productive and versatile crop that can be cultivated in temperate climates. However, the freshly pressed juice is not stable, and must be processed immediately, making it difficult to operate a large plant in a short harvest season. The relatively low technology conversion process for sweet sorghum lends itself to rural, decentralized processing, and it is this scenario that should be further pursued in order to fully utilize its potential. This article will discuss critical issues and various processing options for production of ethanol from sweet sorghum.