Feasibility assessment of the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass pretreated with acid mine drainage (AMD)
Date
2020-09-01
Authors
Burman, N.W.
Sheridan, C.
Harding, K.G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
A techno-economic evaluation of a lignocellulosic bioethanol facility that uses acid mine drainage for the
pre-treatment of weeping love grass (Eragrostis curvula) was performed. Both separate hydrolysis and
fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) reactor configurations
were evaluated. Results were compared to an evaluation of the same process with biomass pre-treated
with dilute H2SO4. Capital and operating costs were estimated and a simple economic evaluation was
conducted. It was found that all scenarios made a loss except for biomass pre-treated with H2SO4 in the
SHF reactor configuration, although the high capital cost resulted in a payback period of 80.7 years,
which is unfeasible. SHF was found to produce more ethanol at a lower capital cost than SSF, indicating
that it is more economically feasible. Incorporating the remediation of AMD into a simultaneous process
could help improve process economics. It is thus recommended that a techno-economic evaluation be
conducted on a process that produces bioethanol through SHF and simultaneously remediates AMD
Description
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Citation
Burman, N.W. ,Sheridan, C.M. and Harding, K.G. 2020. Feasibility Assessment of the Production of Bioethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreated with Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). Renewable Energy 157, 1148-1155.