Balance energético de la producción de bioetanol a partir de mucílago de cacao CCN-51 en los cantones Camilo Ponce Enríquez y La Troncal

Abstract

This research will determine the energy balance of the production of bioethanol from the CCN-51 cocoa mucilage using the methodology of EROI (energy returned on energy invested), making a study of the energy expenditure by stages, being the first the agricultural stage , from the cultivation of cocoa, to its post-harvest preparation as a function of the percentage of mucilage contained in the cocoa pod and the second the production of bioethanol as such, data that will be obtained through energy audits in each stage, which consist of compilation of energy information in terms of machinery, transport and other inputs involved in obtaining a product through inventories, field analysis and information provided by the company or compiled bibliographically, which will allow us to clearly define energy costs in each. It will seek to obtain an energy return rate higher than unity, which would allow the implementation in the country of this biofuel. In the same way, the energy return rate of the cocoa mucilage will be compared with that of sugar cane, aspiring to be superior in at least one unit, which would confirm its feasibility.