Viability of using cassava as feedstock for bioethanol production in Fiji

Abstract

Ethanol production from renewable resources has received attention due to increasing petroleum shortage. One such renewable resource that has been identified is cassava starch. Cassava starch is extracted from root crop, cassava (Manihot esculenta (Crantz)) and is readily available in Fiji. Many countries such as China, Thailand and India are already having success in producing high starch yielding cassava varieties that can be used for ethanol production. The current paper investigates the viability of producing ethanol from locally available cassava varieties in Fiji. Starch was extracted from the roots of ten different cassava varieties available at two different research stations in Fiji. The sedimentation technique was used to extract starch from cassava roots and some properties of the extracted starch were also determined. In the case of Koronivia Research Station (KRS) the variety Nadelei had the highest starch yield (23.1 %) whereas Coci had the highest starch yield (23.3 %) for Dombuilevu Research Station (DRS). The paper discusses and compares starch yield obtained from Fiji cassava varieties with some other countries and make recommendations on how starch yield from Fiji cassava varieties can be increased. Finally, the paper provides recommendations on enhancing the viability of cassava as a source of bioethanol in Fiji. It also assesses the resources available in Fiji currently to make cassava bioethanol in Fiji a viable proposition.