title: Process design and economic analysis of a hypothetical bioethanol production plant using carob pod as feedstock.
abstract: A process for the production of ethanol from carob (Ceratonia siliqua) pods was designed and an economic analysis was carried out for a hypothetical plant. The plant was assumed to perform an aqueous extraction of sugars from the pods followed by fermentation and distillation to produce ethanol. The total fixed capital investment for a base case process with a capacity to transform 68,000 t/year carob pod was calculated as 39.61 millon euros (€) with a minimum bioethanol production cost of 0.51 €/L and an internal rate of return of 7%. The plant was found to be profitable at carob pod prices lower than 0.188 €/kg. An increase in the transformation capacity of the plant from 33,880 to 135,450 t/year was calculated to result in an increase in the internal rate of return from 5.50% to 13.61%. The obtained results show that carob pod is a promising alternative source for bioethanol production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Campus La Muralla, C/ Doctor Fleming S/N, E-30202 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain. ssegado@upct.es
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Segado
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: de Los Ríos
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hernández-Fernández
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godínez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Juan
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000191:economics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000191:economics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005685:Galactans / Q000191:economics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology / Q000379:methods*; D008351:Mannans / Q000191:economics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D018803:Models, Economic; D053149:Plant Gums / Q000191:economics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005685:Galactans; D008351:Mannans; D053149:Plant Gums; D000431:Ethanol; C017471:locust bean gum