Techno-economic assessment of integrating methanol or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a South African sugar mill.
This study considered an average-sized sugar mill in South Africa that crushes 300 wet tonnes per hour of cane, as a host for integrating methanol and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, through gasification of a combined flow of sugarcane trash and bagasse. Initially, it was shown that the conversion of biomass to syngas is preferably done by catalytic allothermal gasification instead of catalytic autothermal gasification. Thereafter, conventional and advanced synthesis routes for both Methanol and Fischer-Tropsch products were simulated with Aspen Plus® software and compared by technical and economic feasibility. Advanced FT synthesis satisfied the overall energy demands, but was not economically viable for a private investment. Advanced methanol synthesis is also not viable for private investment since the internal rate of return was 21.1%, because it could not provide the steam that the sugar mill required. The conventional synthesis routes had less viability than the corresponding advanced synthesis routes.
Department of Process Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Abdul M
AM
Petersen
Department of Process Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Somayeh
S
Farzad
Department of Process Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Electronic address: jgorgens@sun.ac.za.
Johann F
JF
Görgens
D001272:Atmosphere; D056804:Biofuels; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004560:Electricity; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D005740:Gases; D007221:Industry; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry; D013019:South Africa
D056804:Biofuels; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005740:Gases; C036909:lignocellulose; D000431:Ethanol; D008031:Lignin; D000432:Methanol
Integrated biofuel synthesis; Optimising syngas production; Techno economic assessment