A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation

Commercial simulator Aspen Plus was used to simulate a biorefinery producing ethanol from sugarcane juice and second generation ethanol production using bagasse fine fraction composed of parenchyma cells (P-fraction). Liquid hot water and steam explosion pretreatment technologies were evaluated. The...

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Main Authors: Juliana Q. Albarelli, Adriano V. Ensinas, Maria A. Silva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:International Journal of Chemical Engineering
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/537408
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author Juliana Q. Albarelli
Adriano V. Ensinas
Maria A. Silva
author_facet Juliana Q. Albarelli
Adriano V. Ensinas
Maria A. Silva
author_sort Juliana Q. Albarelli
collection DOAJ
description Commercial simulator Aspen Plus was used to simulate a biorefinery producing ethanol from sugarcane juice and second generation ethanol production using bagasse fine fraction composed of parenchyma cells (P-fraction). Liquid hot water and steam explosion pretreatment technologies were evaluated. The processes were thermal and water integrated and compared to a biorefinery producing ethanol from juice and sugarcane bagasse. The results indicated that after thermal and water integration, the evaluated processes were self-sufficient in energy demand, being able to sell the surplus electricity to the grid, and presented water intake inside the environmental limit for São Paulo State, Brazil. The processes that evaluated the use of the bagasse fine fraction presented higher economic results compared with the use of the entire bagasse. Even though, due to the high enzyme costs, the payback calculated for the biorefineries were higher than 8 years for all cases that considered second generation ethanol and the net present value for the investment was negative. The reduction on the enzyme load, in a way that the conversion rates could be maintained, is the limiting factor to make second generation ethanol competitive with the most immediate uses of bagasse: fuel for the cogeneration system to surplus electricity production.
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spelling doaj-art-a28af563e8e64de68c1f79beaa8734662025-08-20T02:20:19ZengWileyInternational Journal of Chemical Engineering1687-806X1687-80782014-01-01201410.1155/2014/537408537408A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic EvaluationJuliana Q. Albarelli0Adriano V. Ensinas1Maria A. Silva2School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Avenida Albert Einstein 500, 13083-852 Campinas, SP, BrazilFederal University of ABC (UFABC), R. Santa Adélia 166, Bangu, 09210-170 Santo André, SP, BrazilSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Avenida Albert Einstein 500, 13083-852 Campinas, SP, BrazilCommercial simulator Aspen Plus was used to simulate a biorefinery producing ethanol from sugarcane juice and second generation ethanol production using bagasse fine fraction composed of parenchyma cells (P-fraction). Liquid hot water and steam explosion pretreatment technologies were evaluated. The processes were thermal and water integrated and compared to a biorefinery producing ethanol from juice and sugarcane bagasse. The results indicated that after thermal and water integration, the evaluated processes were self-sufficient in energy demand, being able to sell the surplus electricity to the grid, and presented water intake inside the environmental limit for São Paulo State, Brazil. The processes that evaluated the use of the bagasse fine fraction presented higher economic results compared with the use of the entire bagasse. Even though, due to the high enzyme costs, the payback calculated for the biorefineries were higher than 8 years for all cases that considered second generation ethanol and the net present value for the investment was negative. The reduction on the enzyme load, in a way that the conversion rates could be maintained, is the limiting factor to make second generation ethanol competitive with the most immediate uses of bagasse: fuel for the cogeneration system to surplus electricity production.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/537408
spellingShingle Juliana Q. Albarelli
Adriano V. Ensinas
Maria A. Silva
A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
International Journal of Chemical Engineering
title A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
title_full A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
title_fullStr A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
title_full_unstemmed A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
title_short A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
title_sort new proposal of cellulosic ethanol to boost sugarcane biorefineries techno economic evaluation
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/537408
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