Cost analysis of ethanol production from willow using recombinant Escherichia coli.
This study comprises a technical and economic analysis of the production of fuel ethanol by fermentation of a pentose-rich hydrolysate with recombinant Escherichia coli, strain KO11. Hydrolysate from steam-pretreated willow was used as raw material in calculations regarding the fermentation. The calculations were based on a feed capacity of 10 metric tons of dry willow per hour to the pretreatment stage, providing 35 metric tons of hydrolysate per hour, consisting of 45 g of sugars/L, to the pentose fermentation plant. A detoxification step was included, since the hydrolysate has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the E. coli KO11. The technical data used in the calculations were based on a kinetic fermentation model, which was developed from laboratory-scale experiments in a previous study. The economic analysis predicted an ethanol production cost of 48/L in the pentose fermentation plant, indicating potentially good economy. The detoxification cost constitutes 22% of this cost. Sensitivity analyses revealed that if the concentration of sugars in the feed to the fermentation was decreased by 40% to 27 g/L, the ethanol production cost was increased to 54/L. The production cost was increased to 50/L ethanol if the cell mass was recirculated to the fermentation stage 5 times instead of 20.
von Sivers
M
M
Department of Chemical Engineering 1, University of Lund, Sweden.
Zacchi
G
G
Olsson
L
L
Hahn-Hägerdal
B
B
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000191:economics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D007700:Kinetics; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism; D010429:Pentoses / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
D010429:Pentoses; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C036909:lignocellulose; D000431:Ethanol; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin