engleski

Cost analysis of enzymatic biodiesel production in small-scale packed-bed reactors using refined sunflower oil

The objectives of this paper were to assess the economic potential of biodiesel production by new enzymatic transesterification, from refined sunflower oil with methanol, using Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL), enzyme covalently immobilized on SEPABEADS EC-EP/M support in micro-flow packed-bed reactors. Parameters for lab-scale immobilization, productivity and the amount of support packed inside a single packed-bed reactor were determined based on literature. Number of packed bed reactors were scaled up in order to reach the targeted biodiesel production of 10, 000 tonnes per year. Capital investment, operating costs and cash flow analysis carried out. Parametric sensitivity analysis (5 cases) were carried out to investigate the effect of certain key variables on plant costs. Lowest cost of production calculated to be 0.71 $/litre of biodiesel (Case 2). Cost of the carrier for enzyme immobilization is the key to commercial implementation of flow-intensified enzyme-based biodiesel production. The number of reuses of the enzyme affects productivity and profitability significantly.

cost analysis ; biodiesel ; microreactors

This work has been supported in part by Croatian Science Foundation under the project IP-2016-06-7993.