Economic Feasibility and Comprehensive Evaluation Model Analysis on Solid-Catalyzed Bio-Diesel Production
Considerable attention has been given to bio-diesel as a surrogate to fossil fuel reserves and associated environmental problems of burning them. However, the high costs of bio-diesel production remain the main problem in making it competitive. Bio-diesel and glycerol are obtained by reacting virgin vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst or non-catalyst via transesterification. A conceptual process of heterogeneous SnO-catalyzed transesterification is designed based on the condition of 333K and atmospheric pressure, using methanol and waste oil with a molar ratio of 10:1 as raw materials. In this paper, the economic feasibility analysis based on static payback time, dynamic investment payback period, Financial Net Present Value and Return on Investment, is elaborated for 10kton/y capacity transesterification units. Comprehensive evaluation model on four typical methods are done, taking the following factors into consideration including natural resource utilization, impact on environment, economic feasibility and sustainable development of society. As a result, Heterogeneous acid-catalyzed transesterification seems more transcendent.