scholarly journals Economic feasibility of gasoline production from lignocellulosic wastes in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weixiang Guan ◽  
Sim-Ying Chua ◽  
Chi-Wing Tsang ◽  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Carol Sze Ki Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biomass Conversion ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Ruthenium Catalysts ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Catalytic Systems ◽  
Biomass Fractionation

AbstractIn this study, the conceptual process flowsheet was developed and the economic feasibility of woody biomass conversion to biofuel as feedstock was analysed by considering several promising experimental processes for lignin depolymerization, such as hydrodeoxygenation and hydrogenolysis, along with lignocellulosic biomass fractionation processes. The engineering simulation process toward the commercial production of bio-gasoline from lignocellulosic biomass using SuperPro Designer® was modeled. The compatibility of the end products with the current gasoline specifications was evaluated and various blending options were investigated to meet the octane number and Reid vapor pressure requirement of the product. The economic potential of the simulated engineering process was then evaluated from an economic perspective. The operating costs and capital investment of three scenario using three different catalytic systems were estimated and discussed to assess of the potential of commercializing of woody biomass valorization process. The main potential market segments were identified, including the process by-products such as xylose and cellulose pulp. From the economic evaluation study, it was found that selling the biomass fractionation products alone does have a greater profit than valorization of lignin to produce bio-gasoline, with net present value of RMB 22,653,000 and RMB 177,000, respectively at the same return on investment if the plant is set up in Hong Kong. It was also found that catalysts play a pivotal role in determination of the profitability in the valorization process, not only because of the price of the catalyst, but also the product distributions obtained with various types of it. To obtain the same gross profit, the sale price of bio-gasoline has to be set higher with platinum catalysts than with ruthenium catalysts (nearly 10 folds). Thus, catalyst development and process improvement are crucial in the establishment of bio-based circular economy.

scholarly journals A critical review of life cycle assessment studies of woody biomass conversion to sugars

2021 ◽  
Vol 379 (2206) ◽  
pp. 20200335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niamh Ryan ◽  
Polina Yaseneva
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Chemical Industry ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Biomass Conversion ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Inventory Data ◽  
Biomass Fractionation

Woody biomass could potentially become a viable raw material for the future sustainable chemical industry. For this, a suitable regulatory framework must exist, that would create favourable economic conditions for wood biorefineries. Such policies must be developed on the basis of scientific evidence—in this case, data supporting the environmental advantages of the bio-based feedstocks to the chemical industry. The most suitable methodology for comprehensive evaluation of environmental performance of technologies is life cycle assessment (LCA). In this review, the available LCA studies of woody biomass fractionation and conversion to bulk chemical feedstocks are critically evaluated. It has been revealed that the majority of the openly available studies do not contain transparent inventory data and, therefore, cannot be verified or re-used; studies containing inventory data are reported in this review. The lack of inventory data also prevents comparison between studies of the same processes performed with different evaluation methods or using different system boundaries. Recommendations are proposed on how to overcome issues of commercial data sensitivity by using black-box modelling when reporting environmental information. From several comparable LCA studies, it has been concluded that today the most environmentally favourable technology for wood biomass fractionation is organosolv. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 1)’.

Water and Power Consumption, Ethanol Production and CO2 Emissions: High-Scale Sugarcane-Based Biorefinery Toward Neutrality in Carbon

2019 ◽  
Vol 965 ◽  
pp. 87-95
Author(s):  
Raquel de Freitas Dias ◽  
Hudson Bolsoni Carminati ◽  
Ofélia de Queiroz Fernandes Araújo ◽  
José Luiz de Medeiros
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Power Consumption ◽  
Ethanol Production ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Process Data ◽  
High Scale ◽  
Cogeneration System ◽  
Fixed Capital Investment

The present work assesses water and power consumption, ethanol production and CO2 emissions in order to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of a high-scale sugarcane-based biorefinery and propose a scenario of full carbon and capture system, so the complex could become a sustainable carbon withdrawer from the atmosphere. This work is performed with the aid of professional software for a rigorous mass and energy balances simulation to achieve process data for plant technical and economic analysis. The combustion of sugarcane bagasse is the only source of energy of the plant, which provides steam for the distillery and generates electricity through cogeneration system. The ethanol production from sugars fermentation produces CO2 which, jointly with the CO2 from combustion, is released directly into the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Results demonstrate that for processing capacity of 1,000 t/h of sugarcane, the plant emits 0.7 tCO2 per ton of sugarcane, with net water consumption of 3,600 m3/h as make-up water to replace blowdown and evaporation losses in the cooling tower. The cogeneration system generates 320MW of net power for exportation as electricity. The economic analysis reveals a fixed capital investment of 910MMUSD and a net present value of 378MMUSD considering as revenues the ethanol produced and the electricity from cogeneration at an annual discount rate of 10%.

scholarly journals Techno-Economic Evaluation of Hand Sanitiser Production Using Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch-Based Bioethanol by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) Process

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 5987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Fahriz Perdana Harahap ◽  
Jabosar Ronggur Hamonangan Panjaitan ◽  
Catia Angli Curie ◽  
Muhammad Yusuf Arya Ramadhan ◽  
Penjit Srinophakun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Palm ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Simultaneous Saccharification And Fermentation ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Cellulose Content ◽  
Empty Fruit Bunch ◽  
Simultaneous Saccharification

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is a potential raw material abundantly available for bioethanol production. However, the second-generation bioethanol is still not yet economically feasible. The COVID-19 pandemic increases the demand for ethanol as the primary ingredient of hand sanitisers. This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of hand sanitiser production using OPEFB-based bioethanol. OPEFB was alkaline-pretreated, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was then performed by adding Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cellulose enzyme. The cellulose content of the OPEFB increased from 39.30% to 63.97% after pretreatment. The kinetic parameters of the OPEFB SSF at 35 °C, which included a µ max, ks, and kd of 0.018 h−1, 0.025 g/dm3, and 0.213 h−1, respectively, were used as input in SuperPro Designer® v9.0. The total capital investment (TCI) and annual operating costs (AOC) of the plant were $645,000 and $305,000, respectively, at the capacity of 2000 kg OPEFB per batch. The batch time of the modelled plant was 219 h, with a total annual production of 32,506.16 kg hand sanitiser. The minimum hand sanitiser selling price was found to be $10/L, achieving a positive net present value (NPV) of $108,000, showing that the plant is economically feasible.

scholarly journals Mini-Review on the Synthesis of Furfural and Levulinic Acid from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1234
Author(s):  
Zhiwei Jiang ◽  
Di Hu ◽  
Zhiyue Zhao ◽  
Zixiao Yi ◽  
Zuo Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Mechanism ◽  
Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽  
Catalytic System ◽  
Levulinic Acid ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Alternative Route ◽  
Catalytic Systems ◽  
Renewable Biomass ◽  
Platform Chemicals

Efficient conversion of renewable biomass into value-added chemicals and biofuels is regarded as an alternative route to reduce our high dependence on fossil resources and the associated environmental issues. In this context, biomass-based furfural and levulinic acid (LA) platform chemicals are frequently utilized to synthesize various valuable chemicals and biofuels. In this review, the reaction mechanism and catalytic system developed for the generation of furfural and levulinic acid are summarized and compared. Special efforts are focused on the different catalytic systems for the synthesis of furfural and levulinic acid. The corresponding challenges and outlooks are also observed.

scholarly journals Techno-economic feasibility analysis of a 3-kW PV system installation in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramhari Poudyal ◽  
Pavel Loskot ◽  
Ranjan Parajuli
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Performance Ratio ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Pv System

AbstractThis study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of installing a 3-kilowatt-peak (kWp) photovoltaic (PV) system in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study also analyses the importance of scaling up the share of solar energy to contribute to the country's overall energy generation mix. The technical viability of the designed PV system is assessed using PVsyst and Meteonorm simulation software. The performance indicators adopted in our study are the electric energy output, performance ratio, and the economic returns including the levelised cost and the net present value of energy production. The key parameters used in simulations are site-specific meteorological data, solar irradiance, PV capacity factor, and the price of electricity. The achieved PV system efficiency and the performance ratio are 17% and 84%, respectively. The demand–supply gap has been estimated assuming the load profile of a typical household in Kathmandu under the enhanced use of electric appliances. Our results show that the 3-kWp PV system can generate 100% of electricity consumed by a typical residential household in Kathmandu. The calculated levelised cost of energy for the PV system considered is 0.06 $/kWh, and the corresponding rate of investment is 87%. The payback period is estimated to be 8.6 years. The installation of the designed solar PV system could save 10.33 tons of CO2 emission over its lifetime. Overall, the PV systems with 3 kWp capacity appear to be a viable solution to secure a sufficient amount of electricity for most households in Kathmandu city.

Assessing the Benefits and Economic Feasibility of Stand Improvement for Central Hardwood Forests

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyang Wang ◽  
Wu Ma ◽  
Lenny D Farlee ◽  
Elizabeth A Jackson ◽  
Guofan Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Study Region ◽  
White River ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
Incentive Program ◽  
Quality Incentive

Abstract Stand improvement (SI) has been widely accepted as an effective forest management tool. Yet most studies on its economic feasibility for nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners are outdated and focus on the single stand level. The objective of this study was to conduct an economic assessment of SI’s effects and feasibility in hardwood stands for a case study in the White River Basin in Indiana. It is shown that SI could make these forests more productive and sustainable than the prevalent “hands-off” practice by enhancing the timber value of the residual stand (TV), generating regular timber income, and to some degree, reversing the decline in oak dominance. On average, a 25% increment in the TV could be achieved. Although costly for some NIPFs, once combined with voluntary financial incentive programs, SI could meet landowners’ demands for low-cost, high-return investment options. In particular, participation in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program could, on average, increase the net present value of timber income from thinning activities by nearly $1,600 per hectare over the course of 30 years. The spatial analysis revealed that there existed considerable spatial heterogeneity in SI benefits and impacts, suggesting that public incentive programs should be spatially targeted to achieve greater efficiency. Study Implications This study found that stand improvement (SI) could significantly improve the timber value of forestland in the central hardwood region. Participation in voluntary conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, could alleviate part of the SI cost thus making it an attractive investment opportunity for private landowners. For the study region, the White River Basin in Indiana, the results suggested that there existed substantial variations in SI’s effectiveness across space. This implied that program administrators of voluntary incentives could improve the efficiency of public funds allocation by considering this spatial variation when evaluating landowners’ applications for incentives.

Economic considerations and decision support tool for wastewater reuse scheme planning

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hochstrat ◽  
D. Joksimovic ◽  
T. Wintgens ◽  
T. Melin ◽  
D. Savic
Keyword(s):  
Water Reuse ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Economic Considerations

The reuse of upgraded wastewater for beneficial uses is increasingly adopted and accepted as a tool in water management. However, funding of schemes is still a critical issue. The focus of this paper is on economic considerations of water reuse planning. A survey of pricing mechanisms for reclaimed water revealed that most schemes are subsidised to a great extent. In order to minimise these state contributions to the implementation and operation of reuse projects, their planning should identify a least cost design option. This also has to take into account the established pricing structure for conventional water resources and the possibility of gaining revenues from reclaimed water pricing. The paper presents a case study which takes into account these aspects. It evaluates different scheme designs with regard to their Net Present Value (NPV). It could be demonstrated that for the same charging level, quite different amounts of reclaimed water can be delivered while still producing an overall positive NPV. Moreover, the economic feasibility and competitiveness of a reuse scheme is highly determined by the cost structure of the conventional water market.

scholarly journals Design of self-healing catalysts for aircraft application

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Calabrese ◽  
Pasquale Longo ◽  
Carlo Naddeo ◽  
Annaluisa Mariconda ◽  
Luigi Vertuccio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ruthenium Catalysts ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Catalytic Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aerospace Applications ◽  
Healing Efficiency ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Aircraft Application

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the relevant role of the stereochemistry of two Ruthenium catalysts on the self-healing efficiency of aeronautical resins.Design/methodology/approachHere, a very detailed evaluation on the stereochemistry of two new ruthenium catalysts evidences the crucial role of the spatial orientation of phenyl groups in the N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in determining the temperature range within the curing cycles is feasible without deactivating the self-healing mechanisms (ring-opening metathesis polymerization reactions) inside the thermosetting resin. The exceptional activity and thermal stability of the HG2MesPhSyncatalyst, with the syn orientation of phenyl groups, highlight the relevant potentiality and the future perspectives of this complex for the activation of the self-healing function in aeronautical resins.FindingsThe HG2MesPhSyncomplex, with the syn orientation of the phenyl groups, is able to activate metathesis reactions within the highly reactive environment of the epoxy thermosetting resins, cured up to 180°C, while the other stereoisomer, with the anti-orientation of the phenyl groups, does not preserve its catalytic activity in these conditions.Originality/valueIn this paper, a comparison between the self-healing functionality of two catalytic systems has been performed, using metathesis tests and FTIR spectroscopy. In the field of the design of catalytic systems for self-healing structural materials, a very relevant result has been found: a slight difference in the molecular stereochemistry plays a key role in the development of self-healing materials for aeronautical and aerospace applications.

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