This study quantifies the cost of cellulosic sugar production using a fully-mechanical pretreatment process and fuel pellets as a co-product. The pretreatment reduces softwood forest harvest residuals to micron-sized amorphous particles. Energy consumption is minimized using a three-stage milling process. A techno-economic analysis was completed for a milling facility with saccharification and wood pellet manufacture. For the base case, concentrated sugar syrup can be produced for $0.496/kg of sugar. Sensitivity analyses were used to determine cost controlling variables, optimize the sugar cost and found that siting for this technology needs to strongly consider electricity cost and to a lesser extent local feedstock availability. If the sugar produced in this process is used to generate biofuel and is qualified for RIN credits through a life-cycle analysis, the effective cost could be reduced by $0.04–$0.06/kg of sugar. An additional $0.067/kg savings is possible if the biofuel facility is located adjacent or on-site; the finished sugar syrup would not have to be concentrated for transportation. An optimized scenario, including the RIN credit, dilute sugar syrup, and favorable energy costs and consumption, could reduce the cost to $0.34/kg sugar compared to $0.496/kg for the base case.
Category: Pretreatment
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SPORL Patent: Ethanol Produced as By-product, or from Waste, or from Cellulosic Material Substrate, or Substrate that Contains Cellulosic Material
The present invention relates to a method using sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocellulose (SPORL). More specifically, it relates to a sulfite-based chemical process for pretreating biomass in solutions to reduce access barriers of enzymes to the lignocellulose, resulting in efficient conversion through enzymatic saccharification. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090298149#b
New Avenues for Fungal Strain Improvement Towards Enzymatic Degradation of Cellulosic Biomass for Biofuel Production
A presentation focusing on Trichoderma reesei, the fungal cellulases it produces, and futures uses of these products for biofuel pretreatment. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.nachhaltigwirtschaften.at/iea_pdf/events/20110331_bioenergieforschung_4_7_seidl_seiboth.pdf
New Microbial Genetic System Dissects Biomass to Biofuel Conversion
Researchers find that a well-defined secretion system in phytopathogenic bacteria may be useful for breaking down cellulose. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100611204148.htm
Biomass Recalcitrance: Engineering Plants and Enzymes for Biofuels Production
This article explains the microbiology behind biomass recalcitrance, what happens during enzymatic hydrolysis, and what industry standards should be. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.uta.edu/biology/grover/classnotes/5101/Himmel%20et%20al.pdf
Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass
Enzymatic hydrolysis that converts lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars may be the most complex step in this process due to substrate-related and enzyme-related effects and their interactions. This review looks at which organisms produce enzymes, as well as the chemistry and physics of these enzymatic processes. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.cert.ucr.edu/research/ses/Enzymatic%20hydrolysis%20of%20cellulosic%20biomass.pdf
Effects of hardwood structural and chemical characteristics on enzymatic hydrolysis for biofuel production
This study investigated the influence of various hardwood characteristics on enzymatic hydrolysis. Important hardwood species, including three Eucalyptus species, were comprehensively characterized using quantitative 13C NMR, image analysis and fiber quality analysis. Hydrolysis efficiency from all the hardwoods was correlated to the wood chemical composition and lignin characteristics. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852412001095
Biological Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Substrates for Enhanced Delignification and Enzymatic Digestibility
This research article tests the Actinomycete Streptomyces griseus for its ability to digest lignin as a way to pretreat linogellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.springerlink.com/content/u35t12552ru05426/
Catalytic Conversion of Waste Biomass by Hydrothermal Treatment
The purpose of the work presented here is the production of liquid biofuels from wet organic waste matter in a continuous one-step catalytic process under hydrothermal conditions. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016236110005338
Methods for Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Efficient Hydrolysis and Biofuel Production
This review discusses the various pretreatment process methods and the recent literature that has reported on the use of these technologies for pretreatment of various lignocellulosic biomasses. Follow this link to learn more: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie801542g