Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of Biomass Gasification and Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Integrated to Sugarcane Biorefineries

Jéssica Marcon Bressanin, Bruno Colling Klein, Mateus Ferreira Chagas, Marcos Djun Barbosa Watanabe, Isabelle Lobo de Mesquita Sampaio, Antonio Bonomi, Edvaldo Rodrigo de Morais and Otávio Cavalett
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Jéssica Marcon Bressanin: School of Food Engineering (FEA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-862 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bruno Colling Klein: Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mateus Ferreira Chagas: Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Marcos Djun Barbosa Watanabe: School of Food Engineering (FEA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-862 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Isabelle Lobo de Mesquita Sampaio: School of Food Engineering (FEA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-862 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Antonio Bonomi: Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Edvaldo Rodrigo de Morais: School of Food Engineering (FEA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-862 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Otávio Cavalett: School of Food Engineering (FEA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13083-862 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: Large-scale deployment of both biochemical and thermochemical routes for advanced biofuels production is seen as a key climate change mitigation option. This study addresses techno-economic and environmental aspects of advanced liquid biofuels production alternatives via biomass gasification and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis integrated to a typical sugarcane distillery. The thermochemical route comprises the conversion of the residual lignocellulosic fraction of conventional sugarcane (bagasse and straw), together with eucalyptus and energy-cane as emerging lignocellulosic biomass options. This work promotes an integrated framework to simulate the mass and energy balances of process alternatives and incorporates techno-economic analyses and sustainability assessment methods based on a life-cycle perspective. Results show that integrated biorefineries provide greenhouse gas emission reduction between 85–95% compared to the fossil equivalent, higher than that expected from a typical sugarcane biorefinery. When considering avoided emissions by cultivated area, biorefinery scenarios processing energy-cane are favored, however at lower economic performance. Thermochemical processes may take advantage of the integration with the typical sugarcane mills and novel biofuels policies (e.g., RenovaBio) to mitigate some of the risks linked to the implementation of new biofuel technologies.

Keywords: validation biorefinery; Life Cycle Assessment; techno-economic analysis; thermochemical conversion; gasification; Fischer-Tropsch synthesis; sugarcane; energy-cane; eucalyptus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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