Technical and environmental assessment of sugarcane straw and eucalyptus forest residues as feedstocks for biorefineries at São Paulo State

• Grant number: 18/20173-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): November 15, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Acordo de Cooperação: BBSRC, UKRI
• Principal Investigator: Carla Kazue Nakao Cavaliero
• Grantee: Guilherme Pessoa Nogueira
• Host Institution: Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (NIPE). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/50612-8 - An integrated approach to explore a novel paradigm for biofuel production from lignocellulosic feedstocks, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/10439-6 - Life cycle assessment of second-generation biorefineries based on sugarcane straw and eucalyptus forest residues as feedstocks, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Agricultural waste management is a topic of intense discussion and extends to food crops, energy crops and even forestry, to which sugarcane and eucalyptus cultures are no exceptions. Sugarcane straw and eucalyptus forest residues play an important role in soil coverage and protection, but excess can also be a problem, since issues such as pest proliferation and accidental fires may arise. There is, therefore, an optimum amount to be left on field, allowing some retrieval of these materials. Both residues are valuable sources of lignocellulosic sugars and potential feedstocks for biorefineries. Power generation is the most common application of these residues in the industry, but this as the only application contradicts a core concept of biorefineries: optimum valorization of biomass. Such facilities should present a wide product portfolio, including value added products, in order to make this business attractive. Another great challenge of bioenergy production is to ensure its sustainability in a broader sense, economically, environmentally and socially speaking. In this context, this project aims to evaluate the technical feasibility and environmental sustainability of using these residues to feed an integrated biorefinery. Process design and simulation on Aspen Plus will be carried out to provide mass and energy balances for the production of ethanol, electricity and biochemicals. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the main products will be performed, considering a regional scale in São Paulo state. The resulting profiles will then be compared with their established counterparts (such as gasoline and 1G ethanol). With this, an integrated biorefinery process design, fed by non-conventional biomasses, is to be presented as an environmentally sustainable alternative for the bioeconomy context. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERRARI, F. A.; NOGUEIRA, G. P.; FRANCO, T. T.; DIAS, M. O. S.; CAVALIERO, C. K. N.; WITKAMP, G. J.; VAN DER WIELEN, L. A. M.; FORTE, M. B. S.. The role of ionic liquid pretreatment and recycling design in the sustainability of a biorefinery: a sugarcane to ethanol example. GREEN CHEMISTRY, v. 23, n. 22, OCT 2021. (17/24520-4, 19/19976-4, 18/20173-0, 15/50612-8, 19/10439-6)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

NOGUEIRA, Guilherme Pessoa. O potencial de biorrefino de resíduos de colheita no Estado de São Paulo: abordando aspectos técnicos e ambientais. 2022. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos Campinas, SP.