A TECHNOECONOMIC COMPARISON OF 3 PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL FROM PINE

This study comprises a technical and economic comparison of three diff erent processes for the production of fuel ethanol from pine. The proc esses were based on the same technical and economic assumptions. The m ain difference between the processes lies in the front end of each pro cess, i.e. in the pretreatment of the raw material and in the hydrolys is of the hemicellulose and cellulose to sugars. The three processes c ompared are a concentrated hydrochloric acid process, a two-step dilut e acid process with sulphur dioxide in the first and hydrochloric acid in the second hydrolysis step, and an enzymatic hydrolysis process, i ncluding steam pretreatment. The ethanol production costs found in thi s study are, excluding the capital costs, 2.43, 1.89 and 1.80 SEK/l, r espectively, and including the capital costs 4.22, 4.29 and 4.03 SEK/l , respectively. Based on a sensitivity analysis, it was concluded that none of the processes can be eliminated as less economical than the o thers.