Techno-economics and environmental assessment of sorbitol and itaconic acid production from sugarcane-based feedstock
Cara van Heerden, Catharine Elizabeth Bosman, Somayeh Farzad, Johann F. Görgens
Abstract
Production of sorbitol or itaconic acid from sugarcane feedstocks in energy self-sufficient biorefinery scenarios were investigated, via Aspen Plus® simulations, techno-economic and environmental assessments. Sorbitol co-produced with fructose from A-molasses had a minimum selling price (MSP) (0.81 $/kg) similar to technical-grade sorbitol market prices (0.5 to 1.1 $/kg), and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 19.65%. Sorbitol co-produced with mannitol from A-molasses had a lower MSP (0.48 $/kg), below food-grade sorbitol prices (0.58 $/kg) and a higher IRR (23.63%). Combining A-molasses with lignocelluloses for the co-production of sorbitol and mannitol increased the MSP (0.63 $/kg) above the market price and decreased the IRR (18.46%). This scenario also had greenhouse gas emissions lower than that of its A-molasses only counterpart, mainly due to the method of hydrogen production. Itaconic acid production from sugarcane feedstocks in similar scenarios was unattractive due to lower IRRs (4.49% to 11.61%).