Development of an Economic Refining Strategy of Sweet Sorghum in the Inner Mongolia Region of China

Two strategies for refining sweet sorghum to ethanol and feedstuff were investigated in the inner Mongolia region, a typical pastoral area in China. Strategy 1 is to conduct submerged ethanol fermentation from sweet sorghum juice followed by feedstuff production from bagasse by a mixed culture of Aspergillus niger and Geotrichum candidum. Strategy 2 is to conduct solid-state ethanol fermentation from dried sweet sorghum stalk followed by feedstuff production from residue after ethanol distillation by a mixed culture of A. niger and G. candidum. The economic analysis indicated that strategy 2 performed a higher net present value than strategy 1 and the ethanol price had the greatest impact oil the net present value.