Assessing the Lignocellulosic Bioethanol Supply Chain
Author Information
Author(s): Alex J Dunnett, Claire S Adjiman, Nilay Shah
Primary Institution: Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
Hypothesis
What is the optimal configuration of multi-plant systems for lignocellulosic bioethanol production?
Conclusion
The developed framework provides valuable insights into optimizing the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain and can accommodate various processing tasks and logistical modes.
Supporting Evidence
- Ethanol production costs decrease significantly with increasing economies of scale.
- High-yielding energy crops can reduce production costs to as low as $0.33 per litre.
- The model identifies significant potential for decentralized processing systems.
Takeaway
This study looks at how to make producing bioethanol from plants cheaper and more efficient by figuring out the best way to set up multiple production plants.
Methodology
A spatially explicit model combining production and logistics was developed using mixed-integer linear programming.
Limitations
The model does not account for storage-related issues or the impacts of system dynamics on performance.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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