Techno-economic and ecological evaluation of a wood biorefinery
Martina Haase 1 , Magnus Fröhling 1 , Jörg Schweinle 2 , Birgit Himmelreich 3
1) Institute for Industrial Production, Universität Karlsruhe (TH)
2) Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Institute of Forest Based Sector Economics
3) Bayer Technology Services GmbH
Biorefinica 2009, January 27-28, DBU Osnabrück, Germany
Institute for Institute for Institute for Institute for
Industrial Production (IIP)
Industrial Production (IIP)
Industrial Production (IIP)
Industrial Production (IIP)
Content Content Content Content
Introduction
Methodology for the evaluation of process chains for biomass utilization
Reference configuration of the modelled biorefinery
Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain
Economic evaluation of the wood biorefinery
Economic evaluation of the wood biorefinery
Ecological evaluation of the wood biorefinery
Summary
Increasing use of biomass in fossil based industries Increasing use of biomass in fossil based industries Increasing use of biomass in fossil based industries Increasing use of biomass in fossil based industries
Replacement of limited fossil raw materials
Increasing prices for non-renewable raw materials
Reduction of dependency on crude oil imports and securing of raw material supply
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
⇒ Increase of competition for biomass and arable land through new biomass utilization concepts
⇒ Enhancement of research and development regarding new conversion
technologies
Lignocellulosic Biomass
Disintegration, Separation
Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin
Enzymatic conversion
Glucose Xylose
Phenol- Chemical
conversion
Furfural
Feedstock Precursors Platform
chemicals
Possible process steps and potential products of a wood biorefinery Possible process steps and potential products of a wood biorefinery Possible process steps and potential products of a wood biorefinery Possible process steps and potential products of a wood biorefinery
Wood chips Bark
Possible solvents:
-
Ethanol/Water
-
Ionic Liquids
-
H
2SO
4Phenol- derivatives Potential material
utilisation, e.g.
-
Binding agents
-
Fillers
-
Polymer compounds
-
Pulp
-
Cellulose derivatives
e.g. chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis
Subsequent processing to various
products, e.g.
-
Fuel additives
-
Polyethylene
-
PLA
-
Acrylic acid
Objectives of the techno Objectives of the techno Objectives of the techno
Objectives of the techno----economic and ecological evaluation economic and ecological evaluation economic and ecological evaluation economic and ecological evaluation
Estimation of production costs and environmental effects of a process chain for the use of biomass at an early stage of process development
Determination of economic and ecological key parameters and their influence on the sustainability of the process chain
Identification of cost-effective and environmentally sound process configurations
Identification of cost-effective and environmentally sound process configurations
Methodology for the evaluation of process chains Methodology for the evaluation of process chains Methodology for the evaluation of process chains Methodology for the evaluation of process chains
Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain (e.g.: Material flow analysis, process simulation)
Determination of a reference configuration
Estimation of raw and auxiliary material flows, energy demand, waste streams, products and emissions for different scenarios
Estimation of environmental impacts
E.g. acidification, global warming potential, eutrophication, CED,
...
Estimation of investments and production costs
Investment related costs, operating costs, costs for
disposal, labor, ...
Sensitivity analysis
Location and logistics planning
Availability of raw materials, infrastructure, consideration of
different plant sizes,
...
Reference configuration of the modelled biorefinery Reference configuration of the modelled biorefinery Reference configuration of the modelled biorefinery Reference configuration of the modelled biorefinery
Plant capacity: 400.000 t dry wood/year
Load: 50 t dry wood/h (8000 h/year)
Feedstock properties : Wood chips of residual wood (P100, 50% water content), 42 % cellulose, 29% hemicellulose, 24% lignin, 5% others
Organosolv pulping: Ethanol/Water mixture (50/50) T = 180°C, p = 18bar
Ratio wood : solvent = 1 : 6
Enzymatic conversion of cellulose: Conversion rate to glucose: 82%
Cellulase and beta-glucosidase enzymes
Hemicellulose fraction: Solute hemicellulose fragments after
organosolv pulping are subsumed to xylose
Final products: Main product: Glucose (solution ~16 mass-%),
Byproducts: Xylose (solution ~5 mass-%), lignin (dry)
Major process steps for the production of glucose from wood Major process steps for the production of glucose from wood Major process steps for the production of glucose from wood Major process steps for the production of glucose from wood
Disintegration Separation of components CO
2, H
2O,
solar radiation
EtOH, H
2O T = 180°C p = 18 bar
Precipitation Filtration Centrifugation Forest
production
Biological production, Forest maint.
Wood harvest/
chipping
Transport
Lorry
Enzymatic hydrolysis
Glucose Xylose Lignin Solvent
recovery
Flash- Separator
Distillation
Cellulase
β- Glucosi-
dase
Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain Modelling of material and energy flows along the whole value chain
Umberto ® material and energy flow network
P9:Wood chips
P10: Lignin fraction P12: Em iss ions ,
waste m aterials
Transport Disintegration and separation of components
T10:T ransport
P12: Emissions , P2:Raw and
auxiliary materials P5: Cellulose fraction P15: Wood
T1: Di sintegration and separation of components P6: Energy P18: Solvent
P2:Raw and auxiliary materials P12: Emissions,
waste materials P6: Energy
P13: UPR
P7: Cellulose fraction
P8:Xylose P6: Energy
P25: Lignin T11: Dryer
P6: Energy
T8: Enzym atic conversion P2:Raw and
auxiliary materials
P3:Glucose
P12: Emissions , waste materials T4: Water addition
auxiliary materials
P12: Emissions , waste materials T12: Forest production
P2:Raw and auxiliary materials
P12: Emissions, was te materials
Forest production P6: Energy
Subnet „Disintegration and separation of components“ (Sankey Diagram) Subnet „Disintegration and separation of components“ (Sankey Diagram) Subnet „Disintegration and separation of components“ (Sankey Diagram) Subnet „Disintegration and separation of components“ (Sankey Diagram)
P2:Raw and auxili ary materials
T2: Disintegration reactor
P11: Suspension
T3: Solvent compression
P6: Energy
T6: Centri fuge/decanter P9: Lösung
P14: Residue
T9: Flash
T8: Lignin precipitation
P20
T13: Centrifuge/
decanter
P22
P24: Solution
T15: Distillation
P17:Sol vent mixture
P6: Energy
P30: Wood chips
P6: Energy
P8: Hemicellulose fraction
P10:Lignin fraction
P12:Effl uents
P4:Water P7: Solvent
P18: Solvent
P16: Steam
T5: Heat exchanger P13: Steam
Ethanol Water
Wood / -components
P12:Effl uents
T14: Cellulose washing
P2:Raw and auxili ary materials
T1: Pressure release/
decanter
P1: Residue P6: Energy
P31: Cellulose fraction
P2:Raw and auxiliary materials
P3 T4: Heat exchanger P5: Steam
P16: Steam
Methodology for economic analysis Methodology for economic analysis Methodology for economic analysis Methodology for economic analysis
Determination of glucose production costs:
- Variable costs and credits
o Costs for raw and operating materials (wood chips, ethanol, water, enzymes)
o Energy costs (electricity, steam, cooling)
Estimation of investments:
- +/- 30% accuracy
- Site infrastructure completely available and useable (outside battery limits neglected)
o Energy costs (electricity, steam, cooling)
o Costs for sewage disposal
o Credits for by-products (lignin as high grade product, xylose)
- Investment related costs (depreciations, taxes and insurance, reparation and maintenance, costs of capital)
- Labour costs
Costs for sales, administration and research are not yet determined
Structure of costs and credits for the base scenario Structure of costs and credits for the base scenario Structure of costs and credits for the base scenario Structure of costs and credits for the base scenario
Water Wood EtOH Enzymes
Steam Cooling Electricity
Effluents Depr.
Tax./Ins.
Rep./Maint.
Labour Admin.
Capital costs
0 200 400
C o s ts [ € /t G lu c o s e ]
Input materials Energy Invest. dep.
costs Other costs Credits
Lignin
Xylose
-400 -200
C o s ts [ € /t G lu c o s e ]
Estimation of glucose production costs for different scenarios Estimation of glucose production costs for different scenarios Estimation of glucose production costs for different scenarios Estimation of glucose production costs for different scenarios
Consideration of different wood : solvent ratios
Requirement for economic efficiency: production costs << market price for glucose
~
~
~
~ Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose market price market price market price market price
400
€/t Glucose
Input materials Energy
Invest. dep.
costs Other costs
Scenario Scenario Scenario
Scenario
-400Base Base Base Base 2222 3333 4444
0
€/t Glucose
Credits
Production costs Market price glucose
Sensitivity analysis for the base scenario Sensitivity analysis for the base scenario Sensitivity analysis for the base scenario Sensitivity analysis for the base scenario
Prices for wood chips and lignin mainly influence glucose production costs
-20 0 20 40 60 80
P ro d u c ti o n c o s ts v a ri a ti o n [ % ]
-80 -60 -40 -20
-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50
Parameter variation [%]
P ro d u c ti o n c o s ts v a ri a ti o n [ % ]
Lignin price Wood chips price Ethanol price
Enzymes price Investment Steam price
Methodology for life cycle assessment (LCA) according to the international standard DIN EN ISO 14040 and 14044
Goal and scope definition and life cycle inventory analysis
- „Cradle to gate analysis“ including forest production (wood maintenance, wood harvest/chipping), wood transport and the biorefinery processes
- Integration of supply chains for the provision of energy and operating materials (ecoinvent v2.0 LCI database)
Methodology for ecological evaluation Methodology for ecological evaluation Methodology for ecological evaluation Methodology for ecological evaluation
(ecoinvent v2.0 LCI database)
Selection of impact categories, e.g. global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication
Life cycle impact assessment (e.g. allocation of emissions to the
corresponding impact categories and conversion to indicator values, e.g. CO 2
equivalents)
Determination of proportions of particular process steps to the emission equivalents of selected impact categories (base scenario)
Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation
Ecological evaluation –––– Examples (1) Examples (1) Examples (1) Examples (1)
50%
100%
Fuel provision (forest mainten., wood harvest)
Fuel combustion (forest mainten., wood harvest)
Provision of diesel fuel (wood transport)
Fuel combustion (wood transport)
Global warming Global warming Global warming Global warming
potential potential potential
potential Acidification Acidification Acidification Acidification Eutrophication Eutrophication Eutrophication Eutrophication
Uncertainties for contributions caused by enzymes production especially for PO 4 -Eq.
0%
CO2 equiv. SO2 equiv. PO4 equiv.
Provision of electricity (process plant)
Provision of steam (process plant)
Provision of auxiliary materials for the process
plant (enzymes, ethanol, water)
Comparision of indicator values (CO 2 - and SO 2 - equivalents) for different scenarios
Different scenarios result in different conclusions for several impact categories
Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation
Ecological evaluation –––– Examples (2) Examples (2) Examples (2) Examples (2)
SO2-Equivalents 70
kg SO2-Equiv./h
CO2-Equivalents 30
t CO2-Equiv./h
Prov. of auxiliary materials for the process plant (enzymes, ethanol, water) Provision of steam (process plant)
Provision of electricity (process plant) Fuel combustion (wood transport)
Provision of diesel fuel (wood transport) Fuel combustion (forest mainten., wood harvest) 0
Base scenario Scenario "wood for steam generation"
kg SO2-Equiv./h
0
Base scenario Scenario "wood for steam generation"
t CO2-Equiv./h
1 : 6 1 : 6
Comparison of CO 2 - and SO 2 - equivalents of the biorefinery with the production of potential reference products
Assumptions:
- Sugar from a sugar refinery as reference product for xylose and glucose
- Phenol from a phenol plant as reference product for lignin
Consideration of different wood : solvent ratios
Biorefinery causes lower environmental effects compared to the reference processes 1
Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation Ecological evaluation
Ecological evaluation –––– Examples (3) Examples (3) Examples (3) Examples (3)
50 220
Lignin Xylose Glucose Sugar from sugar refinery Phenol from phenol plant 0
55 110 165
Biorefinery 1:6
Biorefinery 1:8
Biorefinery 1:4
Biorefinery 1:4opt
Reference processes
kg SO2 equiv./ h
0 25
Biorefinery 1:6
Biorefinery 1:8
Biorefinery 1:4
Biorefinery 1:4opt
Reference processes
t CO2 equiv./ h
1 1 1
1
