Distillieries - Environmental Clearance

DistilleriesOther alcohols such as propylene glycol and the sugar alcohols may appear in food orbeverages regularly, but these alcohols do not make them alcoholic. Methanol (onecarbon), the propanols (three carbons giving two isomers), and the butanols (four carbons,four isomers) are all commonly found alcohols, and none of these three should ever beconsumed in any form. Alcohols are toxicated into the corresponding aldehydes and theninto the corresponding carboxylic acids. These metabolic products cause a poisoning andacidosis. In the case of other alcohols than ethanol, the aldehydes and carboxylic acidsare poisonous and the acidosis can be lethal. In contrast, fatalities from ethanol aremainly found in extreme doses and related to induction of unconsciousness or chronicaddiction (alcoholism).3.1.1 Industrial distillation process – historyThe first evidence of distillation comes from Babylonia and dates from the 2 ndmillennium BC. Specially-shaped clay pots were used to extract small amounts ofdistilled alcohol through natural cooling for use in perfumes. By the 3 rd century A.D.alchemists in Alexandria, Egypt, may have used an early form of distillation to producealcohol for sublimation or for colouring metal.In 1437 burned water (brandy) was mentioned in the records of the county ofKatzenelnbogen in Germany. It was served in a tall, narrow glass called a ‘goderulffe’Claims upon the origin of specific beverages are controversial, often invoking nationalpride, but they are plausible after the 12 th century A.D., when Irish whisky and Germanbrandy became available. These spirits would have had a much lower alcohol content(about 40% ABV) than the alchemists’ pure distillations, and they were likely firstthought of as medicinal Elixirs. Consumption of distilled beverages rose dramatically inEurope in and after the mid 14 th Century, when distilled liquors were commonly used asremedies for the Black Death. Around 1400 it was discovered how to distill spirits fromwheat, barley, and rye beers; even sawdust was used to make alcohol, a much cheaperoption than grapes. Thus began the ‘national’ drinks of Europe: jenever (Belgium and theNetherlands), gin (England), schnapps (Germany), grappa (Italy), akvavit (Scandinavia),vodka (Russia and Poland), rakia (the Balkans), poitín (Ireland). The actual names onlyemerged in the 16 th Century but the drinks were well-known prior to that date.3.1.2 Ethanol production– world scenarioWorld production of ethanol in 2006 was 51 giga litres (1.3×1010 US gal), with 69% ofthe world supply coming from Brazil and the United States. More than 20% of theBrazilian fleet of cars on the streets is able to use 100% ethanol as fuel, which includesethanol-only engines and flex-fuel engines. Flex-fuel engines in Brazil are able to workwith all ethanol, all gasoline or any mixture of both. In the US flex-fuel vehicles can runon 0% to 85% ethanol (15% gasoline) since higher ethanol blends are not yet allowed.Brazil supports the population of ethanol-burning automobiles with large nationalinfrastructure that produces ethanol from domestically grown sugarcane. Sugarcane notonly has a greater concentration of sucrose than corn (by about 30%), but also is mucheasier to extract. The bagasse generated by the process is not wasted, but is utilized inpower plants as a surprisingly efficient fuel to produce electricity.Figure 3-1 shows the unweighed means of adult per capita consumption across allcountries for total consumption, and beer, wine and spirits separately. Unweighed heremeans that the corresponding population size of countries was not used, and hence eachTGM for Distillery Industry 3-2 August 2010