Polyethylene furanoate: technoeconomic analysis of biobased production

Abstract

AbstractAn economically viable scenario for production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF) is key to unlocking the potential for the replacement of the oil derivative polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by PEF. This work aims to provide a baseline for, and deeper insights into, the mass, energy, and economic performance of PEF production in integrated bioenergy self‐sufficient biorefineries. Alternative configurations for the production of PEF from A‐molasses (1G), sugarcane bagasse and trash (2G), or combinations of them (1G2G) were simulated as integrated sugarcane biorefineries – designed to be bio‐energy self‐sufficient – in Aspen Plus. Utilization of the existing boiler of the sugar mill accompanied by a small medium pressure boiler was sufficient to meet the energy demands of the combined sugar mill and biorefinery for the 1G scenario. Conversely, the increased energy demand of the 2G and 1G2G scenarios required replacement of the existing sugar mill boiler with a new combined heat and power plant. The profitability of each scenario was assessed in terms of the required minimum selling price (MSP) for an acceptable return on investment. The 2G PEF scenario was the least profitable with a MSP of 4.26 USD kg−1, whereas the 1G2G scenario (MSP of 2.39 USD kg−1) was more profitable due to economies of scale and other synergistic benefits of feedstock co‐processing, such as increased sugar concentration, which reduced the energy demands and the cost of downstream recovery. The 1G PEF scenario was the most profitable due to low capital cost and energy requirements associated with 1G conversion, with an MSP of 1.82 USD kg−1, approximately 77% higher than the market price of fossil‐based PET in 2019 (1.03 USD kg−1) to which PEF is functionally equivalent. The MSPs of PEF determined in this work is competitive with Avantium's forecast PEF market prices for mainstream and high value applications and the insights provided could encourage further development of sustainable PEF biorefineries. © 2022 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.