Biorefining of lignocellulosic feedstock--Technical, economic and environmental considerations.
Biorefinery, an example of a multiple products system, integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power and chemicals from biomass. This study focuses on technical design, economic and environmental analysis of a lignocellulosic feedstock (LCF) biorefinery producing ethanol, succinic acid, acetic acid and electricity. As the potential worldwide demand of succinic acid and its derivatives can reach 30 million tons per year, succinic acid is a promising high-value product if production cost and market price are substantially lowered. The results of the economic analysis show that the designed refinery has great potentials compared to the single-output ethanol plant; even when the price of succinic acid is lowered or the capital investment doubled. In terms of eco-efficiency, the LCF biorefinery shows better environmental performances mainly in global warming potential due to CO(2) fixation during acid fermentation. The overall evaluation of the eco-efficiency depends on the importance attached to each impact category.
Luo
Lin
L
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. luo@cml.leidenuniv.nl
van der Voet
Ester
E
Huppes
Gjalt
G
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000821:Animal Feed; D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D004560:Electricity; D004867:Equipment Design; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000737:chemistry
C036909:lignocellulose; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000431:Ethanol; D008031:Lignin; D019802:Succinic Acid; D019342:Acetic Acid