Economic feasible strategy of cellulosic biofuels: Co-production of pentanediols

Abstract A co-production strategy to improve economics of cellulosic biofuels is presented in this study, which produces biofuel (jet fuel range alkenes (JFA)) and biochemicals (1,2-pentanediol and 1,5-pentanediol (PeDs)) from cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of lignocellulosic biomass, respectively. Based on the laboratory scale experimental data, a large-scale process is developed to identify the economic feasibility. The minimum JFA selling price (MJSP) for the JFA and PeDs co-production strategy (JFA + PeDs) is US$ 2.90 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (GGE), which is below the average biofuel price (US$ 3.29/GGE). Significant revenues of PeD lead the improvement of economics in JFA + PeDs compared to the JFA-only production strategy. The sensitivity analysis shows that JFA + PeDs is mostly economic feasible regardless of the varying key cost parameters (corn stover, catalyst, steam and H2) while the revenue parameters (the prices of 1,2-PeD, and 1,5-PeD) have large impact on the economic feasibility. This study shows that co-production of biochemicals with biofuels improves overall process economics and facilitates the sustainable production of bioproducts.