Multiobjective optimization of economic and environmental performance of Fischer-Tropsch biofuels production integrated to sugarcane biorefineries

Author(s)

Bressanin, Jessica Marcon ^{[1, 2]} ; Geraldo, Victor Coelho ^[1] ; Magalhaes Gomes, Francisco de Assis ^[3] ; Klein, Bruno Colling ^[1] ; Chagas, Mateus Ferreira ^{[1, 4]} ; Barbosa Watanabe, Marcos Djun ^{[1, 2]} ; Bonomi, Antonio ^[1] ; de Morais, Edvaldo Rodrigo ^{[1, 2]} ; Cavalett, Otavio ^{[2, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CNPEM, Brazilian Biorenewables Natl Lab LNBR, BR-13083100 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Sch Food Engn FEA, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Inst Math Stat & Sci Comp IMECC, BR-13083859 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Sch Chem Engn FEQ, BR-13083852 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Norwegian Univ Sci & Technol NTNU, Dept Energy & Proc Engn, Ind Ecol Programme, NO-7034 Trondheim - Norway

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS; v. 170, OCT 15 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a subject of high importance at a global level. The expansion of advanced liquid biofuels use can contribute to increase the sustainable bioenergy deployment while reducing GHG emissions in comparison to fossil fuels. In this study, the economic and environmental perfor-mance of a biorefinery involving biomass gasification followed by Fischer-Tropsch (FT) liquid biofuels pro-duction associated to sugarcane value chain is explored through a multiobjective optimization approach. The biorefinery configurations investigated include different biomass combinations, and the possibility of integrating the thermochemical processes to a first-generation ethanol distillery or operating it as a stand-alone plant. Different biomass mix considering conventional sugarcane, energy-cane and eucalyptus are considered in the optimization strategy. A Design of Experiments with a second-order polynomial regression technique is used to fit a metamodel from detailed and high-fidelity spreadsheet-based process models. Internal Rate of Return and avoided GHG emissions per agricultural land occupation are used as objective functions. The Pareto-optimal curves show the best performance possibilities and allows to identify the most suitable biorefinery configura-tions. Results indicate there is an economic benefit from the integration between the thermochemical process and conventional first-generation ethanol mills. An increase in cane and eucalyptus processing capacities tends to improve the economic performance due to the gain of scale. A higher proportion of energy-cane processed leads to better environmental performance as it reduces both the GHG emissions and the demand for agricultural land. In contrast, a greater share of energy-cane present trade-offs on the economic performance in the integrated biorefinery caused by the higher energy demand and lower ethanol production, but a minor effect is observed on the stand-alone configuration. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/50403-2 - Valorizing the decentralized biomass production chain for advanced biofuel production: development and evaluation of thermochemical routes integrated with biomass production and biochemical routes
• Grantee: Antonio Maria Francisco Luiz Jose Bonomi
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE