Design of a 100-Tonnes/Day Sugar Production Plant
Engineering a full-scale industrial process for refined sugar from sugarcane.
Project Type: Group Design Project (Bachelor’s Programme)
Year: 2017
Institution: Covenant University (Nigeria)
Award: Third Place – NSChE 2017 National Students’ Annual Project Design Competition
Context
Sugar production remains a critical agro-industrial process across emerging economies, with increasing demand for higher-efficiency plants, better resource utilization, and improved product quality. Traditional sugar manufacturing methods face challenges related to extraction efficiency, energy intensity, waste handling, and process optimization.
This group design project focused on developing a complete industrial plant capable of producing 100 tonnes/day of refined white sugar (99.9% purity) from locally grown Saccharum officinarum sugarcane. The design incorporated milling, clarification, evaporation, crystallisation, centrifugation, affination, melting, decolourisation, drying, and bagasse-based cogeneration. The objective was to deliver a technically sound, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable plant configuration suited to Nigerian agricultural and industrial conditions.
This group design project focused on developing a complete industrial plant capable of producing 100 tonnes/day of refined white sugar (99.9% purity) from locally grown Saccharum officinarum sugarcane. The design incorporated milling, clarification, evaporation, crystallisation, centrifugation, affination, melting, decolourisation, drying, and bagasse-based cogeneration. The objective was to deliver a technically sound, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable plant configuration suited to Nigerian agricultural and industrial conditions.
Research Objectives
1. Develop a Complete Process Model
We built a fully mass- and energy-balanced model covering all units: cane preparation, milling, lime clarification, multiple-effect evaporation, crystallisation, centrifugation, refining, and drying. The model quantified sucrose recovery efficiencies, bagasse generation, water usage, steam demand, and overall plant yield.2. Construct a Detailed Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
A full PFD was produced, mapping juice extraction, purification steps, evaporation stages, crystal growth, molasses separation, colour removal, and sugar drying. This diagram served as the basis for equipment sizing, heat-duty calculations, and utility integration.3. Perform a Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA)
Capital and operating costs were evaluated across milling equipment, evaporation trains, crystallisers, boilers, dryers, labour, and utilities. The TEA established the financial feasibility of the 100-TPD plant and highlighted cost drivers such as steam generation and crystallisation energy requirements.4. Conduct an Environmental & Sustainability Assessment
The project examined waste streams (bagasse, filter cake, molasses), energy recovery via bagasse-fired boilers, process emissions, and opportunities for resource optimization. Bagasse cogeneration was shown to significantly reduce external energy needs and improve plant sustainability.Key Findings
1. Technical Performance
Milling efficiency of 95% enabled strong sucrose extraction. Clarification achieved 96% impurity removal, improving downstream evaporation.
Multiple-effect evaporation (triple effect) reduced steam consumption while achieving target syrup concentrations (~60% solids).
Crystallisation and centrifugation produced refined sugar with final moisture reduced to 0.2% after drying.
2. Energy & Process Efficiency
Bagasse (~30% of cane input) supplied sufficient fuel for boiler and steam generation. Heat integration across clarifiers, evaporators, and crystallisers minimized external heat demand.
Mechanical and thermal design ensured realistic industrial operability.
3. Economic & Environmental Insights
The proposed plant demonstrated:Feasibility under Nigerian agricultural conditions.
Reduced reliance on fossil fuels due to bagasse-based cogeneration.
Scalable design adaptable to larger production capacities.
Opportunities for by-product valorisation (molasses, filter cake, bagasse).
Overall Impact
This project produced a complete engineering design for a sugar production facility capable of delivering 100 tonnes/day of refined white sugar, using locally available feedstock and sustainable process integration. The work showcases how agricultural value chains can be strengthened through efficient process engineering, energy recovery, and optimized chemical operations.
The project received Third Place at the 2017 NSChE National Student Project Design Competition, recognizing its technical depth, process integration, and industrial relevance.
Tools & Methods
Mass & Energy Balancing
Process Design & Modelling
Equipment Sizing
Heat Integration
Techno-Economic Evaluation
Environmental Assessment
Process Design & Modelling
Equipment Sizing
Heat Integration
Techno-Economic Evaluation
Environmental Assessment
Access the Full Report
Read Full Report