Techno economic analysis of the production of potato powder applying potato starch purification system in Japan

Abstract

To implement the technology for producing potato powder, significant investment is required. This study evaluated the techno-economic feasibility of the dried potato powder production process, based on a scenario developed in a starch plant process in Japan. The simulation was performed with SuperPro Designer® software. The annual production volume and the unit production cost were estimated to be 15,786,585 kg and 1056 Japanese yen/kg, respectively. According to economic evaluation indicators—the gross margin, return on investment, payback time, internal rate of return, and net present value (at a 7% interest rate)—the scenario was profitable and investment worthwhile. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of the variable parameters (the purchasing price of raw potatoes, the selling price of potato powder, and labor and electricity costs) on the net present value (at the 7% interest rate). The analysis suggested that the purchasing price of raw potatoes and the selling price of potato powder had particularly large impacts on the net present value.