Sugarcane bagasse cogeneration in Belize: A review

Sugarcane is the most important crop for the economy of Belize. Sugar is Belize's largest contributor to the agricultural sector with exports approximating US$70,000,000 for the year 2015. The biomass residue from the sugar production process, bagasse, is used to generate electricity through cogeneration. The single cogeneration plant in the country contributes about 15% of electricity to the national grid. Belize currently imports about 42% of its electric energy needs from Mexico, and to date, this is the country's most reliable energy source. With energy needs of the country projected to rise at a rate of 4% per annum, and with the costly import of energy, there exists the need to explore the expansion of co-generation energy technologies to increase local energy generation output to the national grid. The current work reviews the state of bagasse cogeneration in Belize and assess its potential for further expansion.