Process simulation and economical evaluation of enzymatic biodiesel production plant

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2010-07, Vol.101 (14), p.5266-5274
• Main Authors: Sotoft, Lene Fjerbaek, Rong, Ben-Guang, Christensen, Knud V., Norddahl, Birgir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiesel; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Biofuel production; Biofuels - economics; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Biotechnology - economics; Biotechnology - methods; Canola Oil; Computer Simulation; Costs and Cost Analysis; Energy; Enzyme; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Models, Economic; Oils; Plant Oils; Process design; Process economy; Process simulation; Solvents - chemistry
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.01.130

Process simulation and economical evaluation of an enzymatic biodiesel production plant has been carried out. Enzymatic biodiesel production from high quality rapeseed oil and methanol has been investigated for solvent free and cosolvent production processes. Several scenarios have been investigated with different production scales (8 and 200 mio. kg biodiesel/year) and enzyme price. The cosolvent production process is found to be most expensive and is not a viable choice, while the solvent free process is viable for the larger scale production of 200 mio. kg biodiesel/year with the current enzyme price. With the suggested enzyme price of the future, both the small and large scale solvent free production proved viable. The product price was estimated to be 0.73–1.49€/kg biodiesel with the current enzyme price and 0.05–0.75€/kg with the enzyme price of the future for solvent free process.