Decision support systems for assessment of biorefinery transformation strategies

Abstract

The development of integrated biorefineries is one of the currently proposed strategies for transforming into a low carbon bio‐economy. Although different biorefining technologies can be integrated into host mills such as the Kraft and thermomechanical pulp processes, it is important to select the most appropriate technology taking into consideration the specificities and on‐site constraints. In this work, a decision support tool was developed and applied to industrial case studies for biorefinery implementation. Firstly, the tool was used for scenario‐based simultaneous analysis of the technical, economic, and environmental impacts in a single platform for different biorefinery implementation strategies. Its robustness and flexibility were demonstrated by two comprehensive industrial cases covering biorefinery transformation strategies for a Kraft pulp corporation involving three sites and a newsprint corporation with two sites. The tool made it possible to elucidate the advantages of lignin recovery implementation at modern and median Kraft pulping sites. Also, it revealed the objective basis for selecting between lignin recovery, hemicelluloses extraction, and thermochemical platforms biorefineries. The most suitable plant capacity for profitability was determined in the case of repurposing a median or average integrated newsprint mill into a biofuel production facility based on the pyrolysis platform. In a modern integrated newsprint mill, it was shown that phenol‐formaldehyde (PF) resins production can significantly decrease production costs, diversify the product portfolio, and mitigate risks associated with the core product line.

Integrated Multiproduct Biorefinery for Furfural Production with Acetic Acid and Lignin Recovery: Design, Scale-Up Evaluation, and Technoeconomic Analysis

“…First, the total capital investment required for each biorefinery configuration was calculated by collecting and scaling the reference cost and capacity of each piece of equipment using the I-BIOREF software developed by CanmetENERGY Centre of Natural Resources Canada and published references. 40,46,47 The reference costs were also updated to 2019 values using the chemical engineering plant cost index (CEPCI) as shown in eq 3, where superscript x refers to the equipment-dependent scaling exponent that ranged between 0.6 and 0.8.…”

“…The objective of the technoeconomic evaluation was to quantify the performance of the alternative process configurations. First, the total capital investment required for each biorefinery configuration was calculated by collecting and scaling the reference cost and capacity of each piece of equipment using the I-BIOREF software developed by CanmetENERGY Centre of Natural Resources Canada and published references. ,, The reference costs were also updated to 2019 values using the chemical engineering plant cost index (CEPCI) as shown in eq , where superscript x refers to the equipment-dependent scaling exponent that ranged between 0.6 and 0.8. All the equipment was conventional, except for the membrane filtration system for which a separate costing approach was required. On the basis of the purchased equipment costs, multiplier factors were used to estimate the additional direct cost (piping, electrical, instrumentation and controls, installed buildings, process and auxiliary, service facilities, yard improvement, and capital spares) and the indirect costs (engineering and supervision, construction expense and contractor’s fee, legal expenses, and contingency).…”

Techno‐economic and market analysis of two emerging forest biorefining technologies

“…Technologies have recently been commercialized to extract lignin from pulp waste streams (e.g., LignoBoost, LignoForce), which must then be upgraded before it can be incorporated into downstream products 11 . There is now a significant body of research focused on upgrading and developing market applications for extracted lignin to improve the economics of existing pulp mills as well as future biorefineries 12,13 …”

“…A limited number of economic studies have been published detailing the cost to extract lignin from Kraft liquor, and to produce cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from pulp 12,14 . However, the economics of emerging biorefining technologies producing lignin and/or nanocellulose with a sugar co‐product from a raw forest feedstock are little known.…”

A Journey across Food & Chemical Engineering Dyad: Symposium in memory of Professor Khaled Belkacemi

“…The special section consists of sixteen accepted articles that were organized in four topics. The first gathers contributions on industrially important catalysis applications and energy conversion (Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis, molybdenum carbide catalysis, coal pyrolysis and gasification, biorefinery transformations, carbon dioxide biomass gasification, and baffled fluidized and bubble column reactors). The second topic picked up a couple of biotechnology applications (enzyme immobilization on magnetic nanoparticles and cell adhesion on collagen scaffolds).…”