title: Techno-economic evaluation of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil--a case study of Hong Kong.
abstract: Fossil fuel shortage is a major challenge worldwide. Therefore, research is currently underway to investigate potential renewable energy sources. Biodiesel is one of the major renewable energy sources that can be obtained from oils and fats by transesterification. However, biodiesel obtained from vegetable oils as feedstock is expensive. Thus, an alternative and inexpensive feedstock such as waste cooking oil (WCO) can be used as feedstock for biodiesel production. In this project, techno-economic analyses were performed on the biodiesel production in Hong Kong using WCO as a feedstock. Three different catalysts such as acid, base, and lipase were evaluated for the biodiesel production from WCO. These economic analyses were then compared to determine the most cost-effective method for the biodiesel production. The internal rate of return (IRR) sensitivity analyses on the WCO price and biodiesel price variation are performed. Acid was found to be the most cost-effective catalyst for the biodiesel production; whereas, lipase was the most expensive catalyst for biodiesel production. In the IRR sensitivity analyses, the acid catalyst can also acquire acceptable IRR despite the variation of the WCO and biodiesel prices.
authors: School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. sanjibkarmee@gmail.com.
authors: Sanjib Kumar
authors: SK
authors: Karmee
authors: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. rdpatria@ust.hk.
authors: Raffel Dharma
authors: RD
authors: Patria
authors: School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. carollin@cityu.edu.hk.
authors: Carol Sze Ki
authors: CS
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006723:Hong Kong; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000191:economics; D014866:Waste Products / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D010938:Plant Oils; D014866:Waste Products