TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF ETHYL ESTER BIODIESEL PRODUCTION Original scientific paper
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Abstract
Biodiesel is a key fuel for a zero-carbon future. Enzymatic synthesis using renewable materials can make it even more environmentally friendly. However, high enzyme costs and limited reuse hinder its economic feasibility. This study assessed the techno-economic and environmental performance of different processes for ethyl ester biodiesel production. The scenarios evaluated include: transesterification of soybean degummed oil using free and immobilized Eversa Transform 2.0, chemical alkaline catalysis of soybean oil, and transesterification of waste oil using ET. The main metrics were net present value and global warming potential. Results showed that the free enzyme outperformed the immobilized enzyme economically. However, chemical catalysis had an NPV nearly double that of the best free enzyme option. Sensitivity analysis revealed that enzyme cost and reuse rate were critical to net present value. Transesterification of waste oil with enzyme reuse had the lowest GWP (4.21 g CO2eq/MJ), making it the most environmentally favorable scenario. While life cycle assessment indicated lower global warming potential for enzymatic catalysis, further study is needed on emissions from enzymes. Depending on the enzyme and reuse rate, chemical catalysis might result in lower overall emissions. Integration with the biorefinery makes large-scale enzymatic biodiesel production economically viable and with low CO2eq emissions.
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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Grant numbers 142095/2019-2 -
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Grant numbers #2014/21252-0;#2016/10636-8;#2020/15450-5;#2022/10900-8 -
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Grant numbers 001
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