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A Comparative Technoeconomic Analysis of Algal Thermochemical Conversion Technologies for Diluent Production
Author(s) -
Kumar Mayank,
Oyedun Adetoyese Olajire,
Kumar Amit
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
energy technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 2194-4296
pISSN - 2194-4288
DOI - 10.1002/ente.201900828
Subject(s) - diluent , raw material , pyrolysis , biomass (ecology) , hydrothermal liquefaction , pulp and paper industry , waste management , environmental science , renewable energy , liquefaction , yield (engineering) , chemistry , biofuel , materials science , engineering , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , agronomy , electrical engineering , biology , metallurgy
Microalgae offer desirable attributes as a renewable feedstock. Herein, a technoeconomic assessment of using microalgae to produce chemicals (diluent) for bitumen transport is conducted. Two thermochemical technologies, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and fast pyrolysis, are analyzed for a plant of 2000 dry t day −1 . A detailed process model is developed for the two thermochemical conversion technologies and used to perform a data‐intensive technoeconomic assessment to estimate diluent cost using biomass. The product values of diluents from HTL and pyrolysis are 1.60 ± 0.09 and 1.69 ± 0.11 $ L −1 , respectively. The sensitivity analysis indicates that product yield has the highest impact on product value, followed by the biomass cost. The effect of using industrial carbon dioxide in a situation where the producer pays to the algae conversion plant to avoid paying a carbon levy is assessed. For HTL and fast pyrolysis, diluent cost falls to 1.06 and 1.16 $ L −1 , respectively, when carbon tax increases to 40 $ t −1 . Herein, insights into the technoeconomic feasibility of producing chemicals from algal‐based thermochemical technologies are offered.