Economic feasibility of biodiesel production from Macauba in Brazil

Daniela de Carvalho Lopes, Antonio José Steidle Neto, Adriano Aguiar Mendes and Débora Tamires Vítor Pereira

Energy Economics, 2013, vol. 40, issue C, 819-824

Abstract: In this work the economic feasibility of biodiesel production in Brazil by using the Macauba oil as raw matter is studied. The software SIMB-E, in which a cash flow model applied to biodiesel production is implemented, was used during simulations. Economic indexes related to biodiesel production features, as well as the competitiveness between selling prices of biodiesel and petrodiesel were considered. It was found that all of the 8 simulated scenarios were potentially profitable, but only 2 of them presented competitive biodiesel selling prices, being considered as worthwhile projects. These were seed-oil plants with alkaline transesterification. Results also indicated that the success of biodiesel production still requires additional revenues beyond that derived from biodiesel itself, including income from the feedstock coproducts and glycerol. Macauba showed to be a potential crop to be used in biodiesel production. However, the domestication and improvement on processing of this species are indispensable to ensure its availability of long-term use.

Keywords: Acrocomia aculeata; Economy; Transesterification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C53 C63 O54 Q01 Q13 Q16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:40:y:2013:i:c:p:819-824

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2013.10.003

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