Water Footprint of Bioethanol Production from Sugarcane in Thailand

Abstract

Following Thailand’s policy framework on bioenergy as stipulated in the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), ethanol use is encouraged and thereby results in increasing cultivation of sugarcane and other ethanol plants. Inadvertently, the use of scarce water resources has increased in tandem. This research aims to assess water footprint (WF) of sugarcane-based bioethanol production in Thailand. The study consists of into two parts, i.e., cultivation and ethanol production processes.

The study result shows WF of sugarcane of 226 m³/ton, which consists of green WF of 146 m³/ton, blue WF of 31 m³/ton, and grey WF of 49 m³/ton. Based on the AEDP ethanol production targets of 3, 6.2 and 9 million m³/day by 2011, 2016, and 2022, demand of water is thus anticipated at 18,041; 37,787 and 54,853 million m³/year, respectively. The promotion of ethanol use in such an agricultural country as Thailand is definitely poised to cause the competition for water resources in plant growing for human consumption and energy production. The results of this study can be applied to drawing up the future policy on water and to producing bioethanol in the manner that is the most efficient use of water resources.

Keywords: Water footprint, sugarcane, Bioethanol, water resource, Thailand