Techno-economic analysis of biorefinery scenarios for scFOS, ethanol, tryptophan, erythritol and collagen production from sugarcane

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dc.contributor.advisorGƶrgens, Johann Ferdinanden_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorLouw, Jeanneen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorPetersen, Abdul M.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKlaver, Moniqueen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Process Engineering.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-29T08:17:03Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-08T20:50:29Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2023-11-29T08:17:03Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2024-01-08T20:50:29Zen_ZA
dc.date.issued2023-12en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global sugarcane industry is under threat due to low international prices and oversupply of sucrose markets. In an effort to explore ways to alleviate this economic strain, this study explored different biorefinery integration scenarios. The economic and environmental sustainability of five potential products derived from sugarcane-based feedstock were evaluated: short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), ethanol, tryptophan, erythritol, and collagen. Nine biorefinery scenarios were investigated, including small-scale facilities that are decentralized and large-scale facilities that are annexed to an existing sugar mill. Each scenario was simulated in Aspen PlusĀ® and a techno-economic analysis was conducted using the mass and energy balance data from the simulations. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were assessed using the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) tool. The small-scale implementation of biorefinery scenarios for production of scFOS alone and scFOS in combination with bio-ethanol were economically feasible, with minimum selling prices (MSPs) below their market prices. However, the large-scale production scenario of scFOS and/or ethanol, in biorefineries annexed to an existing sugar mill, provided better economics than small-scale facilities, despite a cheaper feedstock and the selection of simplified process technologies. However, small-scale production was the preferred investment option for scFOS-only production in a biorefinery, due to appropriate production rates for the size of the global market, to avoid oversupply. Simplified sugarcane processing to ethanol in small-scale facilities also lowered the product yield and increased capital costs. Furthermore, from the GHG analysis results, the large-scale scenarios consistently exhibited lower equivalent CO2 emissions per unit product compared to their small-scale counterparts, with the coproduction of scFOS and ethanol having the smallest emissions and greatest environmental benefit. Large-scale production of scFOS and/or ethanol in annexed biorefineries were compared to similar scenarios producing tryptophan, erythritol or collagen. Tryptophan demonstrated the highest profitability, with an MSP that was 59.7% of its market price. Despite this, the large-scale production of collagen was deemed more economically viable due to the avoidance of market oversupply. The largescale production of erythritol was unfruitful due to the low market price and high operational costs associated with this scenario. Moreover, the GHG analysis showed all scenarios to have low emissions, where the tryptophan production scenario was the most environmentally friendly option due to its low chemical and freshwater requirement. Among all the large-scale scenarios, only the production of ethanol and collagen were deemed viable market opportunities due to their favourable profitability and low market contribution. Despite the positive economic results of the other scenarios, their high market contribution (over 45%) led to their disqualification, as it would negatively affect product market prices. This comparison highlighted a trade-off between economic and environmental sustainability in biorefinery scenarios. While collagen production had a higher profitability than ethanol production, the latter had a more favourable environmental impact. In conclusion, it was recommended that the large-scale production of ethanol and collagen, as well as the small-scale production of scFOS be further considered for sugarcane diversification. The small-scale production of ethanol, co-production of scFOS and ethanol and the large-scale production of erythritol were eliminated as viable scenarios due to unfavourable economic and material balance results, while Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iii the large-scale production of tryptophan could be considered viable at small-scale production. These findings can inform decisions regarding sustainable and environmentally responsible biorefinery strategies. Currently, they are being processed into low value fish meal, which is used as animal feed,en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die globale suikerrietindustrie is onder gedrang as gevolg van lae internasionale pryse en oorverskaffing van sukrosemarkte. In ā€™n poging om hierdie ekonomiese druk te verlig, het hierdie studie verskillende bioraffinadery-integrasiescenarioā€™s ondersoek. Die ekonomiese en omgewingsvolhoubaarheid van vyf potensiĆ«le produkte afgelei van suikerriet-gebaseerde voermateriaal is geĆ«valueer: kortkettingfruktoƶligosakkariedes (scFOS), etanol, triptofaan, eritritol, en kollageen. Nege bioraffinaderyscenarioā€™s is ondersoek, insluitend klein-skaal fasiliteite wat gedesentraliseer is en groot-skaal fasiliteite wat geannekseer is aan bestaande suikermeule. Elke scenario is gesimuleer in Aspen PlusĀ® en ā€™n tegnoekonomiese analise is uitgevoer deur die gebruik van die massa- en energie-balansdata van die simulasies. Addisioneel, groenhuisgas (GHG)-emissies is geassesseer deur die Roundtable on Sustainable Biofeuls (RSB)-instrument te gebruik. Die klein-skaal implementasie van bioraffindaryscenarioā€™s vir produksie van scFOS alleenlik en scFOS in kombinasie met bio-etanol is ekonomies uitvoerbaar, met minimum verkoopspryse (MSPs) onder hul markpryse. Die groot-skaal produksiescenario van scFOS en/of etanol, in bioraffinaderye geannekseer aan ā€™n bestaande suikermeule, het egter beter ekonomie as klein-skaal fasiliteite, ten spyte van ā€™n goedkoper voermateriaal en die keuse van vereenvoudigde prosestegnologieĆ«. Klein-skaal produksie was egter die gekose beleggingsopsie vir scFOS-alleenlik-produksie in ā€™n bioraffinadery as gevolg van gepaste produksietempoā€™s vir die grote van die globale mark, om oorverskaffing te vermy. Vereenvoudigde suikerrietprosessering na etanol in klein-skaal fasiliteite het ook die produkopbrengs verlaag en kapitale kostes verhoog. Verder, van die GHG-analiseresultate, het die groot-skaal scenarioā€™s konsekwent laer ekwivalente CO2-emissies per eenheid produk vertoon in vergelyking met hul klein-skaal eweknieĆ«, met die koproduksie van scFOS en etanol wat die kleinste emissies en grootste omgewingsvoordeel inhou. Groot-skaal produksie van scFOS en/of etanol in geannekseerde bioraffinaderye is vergelyk met soortgelyke scenarioā€™s wat triptofaan, eritritol of kollageen produseer. Triptofaan het die hoogste winsgewindheid gedemonstreer, met ā€™n MSP wat 59.7% van sy markprys gedemonstreer het. Ten spyte hiervan, is die groot-skaal produksie van kollageen as meer ekonomies lewensvatbaar beskou as gevolg van die vermyding van markoorverskaffing. Die groot-skaal produksie van eritritol was onvrugbaar as gevolg van die lae markprys en hoĆ« bedryfskostes geassosieer met hierdie scenario. Verder, die GHGanalise het getoon dat alle scenarioā€™s lae emissies het, waar die triptofaanproduksiescenario die mees omgewingsvriendelike opsie was as gevolg van sy lae chemiese en varswater vereiste. Onder al die grootskaal-scenarioā€™s, is net die produksie van etanol en kollageen beskou as lewensvatbare markgeleenthede as gevolg van hul gunstige winsgewindheid en lae markbydra. Ten spyte van die positiewe ekonomiese resultate van die ander scenarioā€™s, het hul hoĆ«r markbydra (oor 45%) gelei tot hul diskwalifikasie, omdat dit produkmarkpryse negatief sou affekteer. Hierdie vergelyking het ā€™n opweging tussen ekonomiese en omgewingsvolhoubaarheid in bioraffinaderyscenarioā€™s beklemtoon. Terwyl kollageenproduksie ā€™n hoĆ«r winsgewindheid as etanolproduksie gehad het, het die laasgenoemde ā€™n meer gunstige omgewingsimpak gehad. Ten slotte, dit is voorgestel dat die groot-skaal produksie van etanol en kollageen, sowel as die klein-skaal produksie van scFOS verder oorweeg moet word vir suikerrietdiversifikasie. Die klein-skaal produksie van Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za v etanol, ko-produksie van scFOS en etanol en die groot-skaal produksie van eritritol is geĆ«limineer as lewensvatbare scenarioā€™s as gevolg van ongunstige ekonomiese en materiĆ«le balansresultate, terwyl die groot-skaal produksie van triptofaan oorweeg kan word as lewensvatbaar by klein-skaal produksie. Hierdie bevindinge kan besluite rakende volhoubare en omgewingsverantwoordelike bioraffinaderystrategieĆ«, inlig.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctorateen_ZA
dc.format.extentxvi, 163 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/129057en_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectshort-chain fructooligosaccharides; bioethanol; tryptophan; erythritol; collagen; sugarcane; techno economic analysis; greenhouse gas analysisen_ZA
dc.titleTechno-economic analysis of biorefinery scenarios for scFOS, ethanol, tryptophan, erythritol and collagen production from sugarcaneen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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