The potential use of sweet sorghum as a non-polluting source of energy

In order to counter worsening air pollution in Turkey caused by increasing energy demands, an experimental study has been undertaken at the TUBITAK-Marmara Research Centre to determine possibilities of using energy-friendly plant sweet sorghum as an alternative fuel. The fuel properties of sweet sorghum have been compared with those of various Turkish lignites in terms of emission of polluting gases. The carbon and sulphur contents and the average calorific value of this plant were found to be 44.0%, 0.09% and 4100 kcal/kg, respectively, indicating that low-quality lignites may be partially replaced by sweet sorghum with a consequent reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gas. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.