TECHNICAL, ECONOMIC AND ENERGY ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCTION OF LINGNOCELLULOSIC ETHANOL UNDER DIFFERENT PRODUCTION PLANT DESIGNS FOR A MEXICAN SCENARIO

摘要

This paper presents an analysis of the production of lignocellulosic bio-ethanol using wheat straw asrnfeedstock for the Mexican economic and agriculture context. The analysis has three points of view: technical,rneconomic and energetic. Two biorefinery conceptual designs were proposed: a single product plant (SPP) (ethanol)rnand a co-production biorefinery (CPB) (ethanol and hydrogen). Both designs are equipped with an electricity cogenerationrnstage. An economic sensitivity analysis was performed to obtain the ethanol total production cost (TPC),rnwith plant capacity and raw material polysaccharides content (%pc) (i.e. feedstock cost) as parameters. The bestrnresults were 0.92 and 1.28 USD/L, for a 2,100 ton DB/day plant capacity and 80 %pc for SPP and CPB, respectively.rnAn interval of plant capacities and %pc was identified with variations of no more than 20% of the minimum TPC inrnorder to explore smaller capacity facilities that can fit the agriculture the Mexican agriculture. The end/use energyrnratio was employed to study the biorefineries energy efficiency. Values over 100% were found. Finally a study forrnthe end use of coproducts in biorefinery was carried out. Burning the biogas and selling the hydrogen can improve, atrnleast, the economy of the plant increasing 5% the IRR.