Sugarcane is a significant source of sugar around the world. It can yield a crop

Question

Sugarcane is a significant source of sugar around the world. It can yield a crop mass of between 107 to 126 metric tons per hectare, with an annual water requirement of between 1100 to 1500 mm per hectare. Sugarcane is typically composed of 12 to 16% soluble sugar. A 12-oz can of Coca Cola has approximately 8 teaspoons of sugar. The Coca Cola Company states that it takes 1.7 liters to produce 1 liter of Coca Cola in 2015, but it is unclear if this includes the virtual water embodied in the sugar used to sweeten it.

a) What is the minimum amount of water (in tons) required to produce 1 ton of sugar?

b) What is the maximum amount of water (in tons) required to produce 1 ton of sugar?

c) Assuming that the Coca Cola Company has not included virtual water for the sugar in its calculations, how much water in total, in liters, would it take to produce 1 liter of Coca Cola in Brazil?

d) Draw a process diagram showing the Coca Cola Company’s system boundary, and the one used to calculate the values in the question above.

Explanation / Answer

Ans:

(a) The minimum amount of water required to produce 107 tons of sugar = 1100

for 1 ton = 1100 / 107 = 10.28

(b) maximum amount of water = 1500 / 107 = 14.01

(c) 1.7 L of water to make 1 L of coca cola

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse S
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.