Implementation of automated control systems for sugar production technological processes in Ukraine: environmental aspects

Abstract

The article reveals environmental impact assessment of sugar production. According to modern requirements, the efficiency of a company's operations should be determined not taking into account the cost of the final products only, but using a comprehensive strategic assessment of the energy efficiency of the technological process and the environmental impact. For the development of modern technologies, an important driving force is the creation of ways aimed at reducing the use of raw materials, water and energy, that, in turn, minimize the wastes and the environmental impact. Providing more complete and productive use of electricity, natural gas or coal, fresh water is possible through the implementation of efficient automated control systems at sugar factories in Ukraine. It was determined that the main environmental impact of sugar industry enterprises is emissions into the atmosphere as a result the use of fossil fuels and storage pulp at landfills. In this case, toxic substances (for examples, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particular matter) and greenhouse gases causing climate change are formed (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and methane). The discharge of sugar factories is dangerous due to high organic matter (according to the BOD) and might cause eutrophication in water bodies. The complex impact on water objects, soils and air quality is also enhanced through the storage of pulp as sugar production waste at landfills with no further processing (drying, granulation, anaerobic conversion). In order to environmental assessment of sugar production automated control systems, the determination of the greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the use of electricity generated by Ukraine's unified energy system, natural gas, calcination of limestone and storage of pulp has been carried out. It was determined the implementation of effective automated control systems of sugar production is able to reduce natural gas consumption (up to 17%) and electricity (about 4%) and lower the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, the main greenhouse gases, significantly. The rough environmental tax reduction for the enterprise (in European prices) is estimated due to the improvement of the automation production system supplemented by the modernization of pulp processing.