The sweet sorghum opportunity: A complementary source of low-cost fermentable sugars for biofuel

As a complementary feedstock to sugarcane, sweet sorghum offers the existing sugar-based biofuels industry a flexible, low-cost crop that can be utilized in existing harvest and processing infrastructure. In recent field tests of new "sweet x sweet" hybrids, yields of both extractable fermentable sugars and biomass have been comparable to sugarcane, with attractive production costs on a per-unit basis. Moreover, sweet sorghum may be grown on land less suited to sugarcane production, and in many regions, harvested prior to the start or following the end of the traditional sugarcane production season. Forward-thinking biofuel companies interested in sweet sorghum are working directly with seed companies to better understand and identify potential project applications, specifically with respect to selection of optimal hybrids, and to develop optimal processing, cultivation and supply chain parameters. By working together, energy crop developers and industry participants can capitalize on a near-term opportunity to expand production, more fully utilize existing sugarcane assets and lower production costs.