Abstract
An economic and environmental feasibility study were carried out on the thermochemical conversion of glycerol to medium methane content biological synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG). A plant that processed 497 kg·h−1 of glycerol to bio-SNG was modelled as an on-site addition to a soybean biodiesel plant based in Missouri (USA) that produced 30 million litres of soybean biodiesel per year. Assuming the glycerol contained only 80 wt% free glycerol, the bio-SNG could substitute up to 24% of the natural gas at the soybean biodiesel plant. The discounted cash flow analysis showed it was possible to generate positive NPVs and achieve internal rates of return within the hurdle rate (12%) for biomass gasification technologies. From the environmental analysis it was found that the bio-SNG could reduce global warming potential by 28% when compared to conventional natural gas in the USA and translates to roughly 7% reduction in biodiesel natural gas emissions, if the maximum 24% of natural gas were to be substituted by bio-SNG. The work highlights the potential to divert waste glycerol to an onsite energy vector at soybean biodiesel plants with minimal change to the main biodiesel production process and potential reductions to soybean biodiesel global warming potential.
Highlights
Global biodiesel production has increased rapidly in the last ten years
The relationship between the GWP of the biological synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG)-based steam and the glycerol requirement is linear based on this model
The effect of the glycerol requirement on the GWP is significant as a 10% variation on the latter would result in a 7% variation on the GWP
Summary
Global biodiesel production has increased rapidly in the last ten years. Replacing conventional fossil fuel energy with renewable alternatives such as biodiesel, has become a priority for countries wishing to meet their sustainable energy obligations. The value of glycerol depends on purity or what percentage is pure glycerol. Australian biodiesel plants fell within the range of 29‒97% and depended on a variety of factors including the process and feedstock, whilst samples of 29–97%. Depended on in a variety of factors including the process and feedstock, whilst samples analysed by and. The spot price trend of pure glycerol (99.7 wt% kosher) and crude glycerol soap-lye glycerol The supply of has become independent ofoccurred demand with [8]. The supply of has become independent of demand [8]
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