BASED on 2012-13 data on cane crushing and sugar production released by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and assuming a 30pc average yield rate of bagasse from crushed sugarcane, 15m tonnes of bagasse were available in that year to potentially produce about 1,500MW electricity.
The sugarcane crushing season normally lasts 120-150 days, whereas co-generation power plants based on bagasse could be operative for 300 days. For the remaining period, the plants can use cotton stalks, rice straws, maize cobs etc
