Process modeling and analysis of pulp mill-based integrated biorefinery with hemicellulose pre-extraction for ethanol production: a comparative study.
Pulp and paper mills represent a major platform to use more effectively an abundant, renewable bio-resource - wood. Modification of the modern day pulp mills into integrated forest biorefineries (IFBR) presents an excellent opportunity to produce, in addition to valuable cellulose fiber, co-products including fuel grade ethanol and additional energy, thus resulting in increased revenue streams and profitability and potentially lower the greenhouse gas emissions. A process model to simulate the integrate forest biorefinery manufacturing pulp and other co-products has been developed. This model has been used to compare three integrated biorefinery scenarios: the conventional Kraft pulping process, the pulp mill-based IFBR with hemicelluloses extraction prior to pulping for ethanol production, and the pulp mill-based IFBR with both pre-extracted hemicelluloses and the short fiber for ethanol production. Based on a fixed feedstock throughput of 2000 dry Mg wood/day, results show that the pulp mill-based IFBR with both pre-extracted hemicelluloses and the short fiber cellulose converted to ethanol can produce 0.038 MM m(3) (10.04 MM gal) ethanol per year at a minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) of $491/m(3) ($1.86/gal). The economic feasibility of IFBR can be further improved by using further improvements in the pre-extraction process, other biomass such as corn stover for producing ethanol, and taking advantage of the economies of scale.
Huang
Hua-Jiang
HJ
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Kaufert Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Ramaswamy
Shri
S
Al-Dajani
Waleed Wafa
WW
Tschirner
Ulrike
U
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D005285:Fermentation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010209:Paper; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013783:Textile Industry; D014197:Trees
D011134:Polysaccharides; D000431:Ethanol; C007916:hemicellulose