Techno-economic analysis for a sugarcane biorefinery: Colombian case

Area of Science:

• Biomass energy and biochemicals
• Sustainable industrial processes
• Techno-economic analysis

Background:

• Colombia's sugarcane industry currently focuses on sugar, fuel ethanol, and electricity.
• Existing biorefineries have limitations in feedstock utilization and product diversification.
• There is a need to explore advanced conversion pathways for enhanced value generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a techno-economic analysis of sugarcane biorefinery scenarios in Colombia.
• To compare different conversion pathways for sugar, fuel ethanol, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), anthocyanins, and electricity.
• To identify the optimal biorefinery configuration for economic, environmental, and social performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Aspen Plus software for process simulation and evaluation.
• Analyzed productivity, energy consumption, and economic viability for each scenario.
• Compared two novel biorefinery scenarios against the Colombian base case.

Main Results:

• The integrated production of fuel ethanol and PHB from combined sugarcane bagasse and molasses demonstrated the highest performance.
• This configuration outperformed the base case in economic, environmental, and social metrics.
• Specific feedstock distribution and technology choices significantly impact overall biorefinery efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Sugarcane biorefineries integrating fuel ethanol and PHB production are technologically and economically feasible in Colombia.
• Recommendations are provided for optimizing implementation based on economic, environmental, and social factors.
• Diversification beyond traditional sugar and ethanol production enhances the value chain and sustainability.