Economic and environmental analysis of bio-succinic acid production: From established processes to a new continuous fermentation approach with in-situ electrolytic extraction
Enrico Mancini, Rofice Dickson, Serena Fabbri, Isuru A. Udugama, Humzaa Imtiaz Ullah, Srikanth Vishwanath, Krist V. Gernaey, Jianquan Luo, Manuel Pinelo, Seyed Soheil Mansouri
Abstract
Many recent attempts to commercialize bio-succinic acid (bio-SA) ended to be unsuccessful after a start flourishing moment. Furthermore, the improved environmental performance of bio-SA production processes compared to petroleum-based SA is still uncertain. In this study a techno-economic analysis was conducted comparing four bio-SA manufacturing processes in terms of net present value and minimum selling price. Two of the simulated processes are based on patents released by bio-SA manufacturing companies (I) Roquette/DSM (Reverdia) and (II) DNP Green Technology/ARD (BioAmber). A third process is based on a Michigan State University patent (III) and a fourth process is conceptual (IV). The conceptual process IV was demonstrated to have <50% lower capital costs and ∼40 to 55% lower manufacturing costs than the other processes. With a minimum selling price of 1.4 USD kg−1, process IV would be cheaper than petroleum based succinic acid (∼2.0 USD kg−1). The Reverdia-based process can also be competitive, while process III and particularly the BioAmber-based process II are not profitable. Ion-exchange columns, nanofiltration and anion exchange membranes are shown to be key technologies for lowering bio-SA manufacturing costs. Continuous bio-SA fermentation with in situ-like extraction can change the bio-SA market, but the environmental sustainability assessment reveals only marginal differences compared with petroleum-based SA. Low pH “aerobic fermentation” is likely to be a more sustainable strategy compared to neutral pH “aerobic fermentation”.