1. Process simulation and economic evaluation of pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction as alternatives for the valorization of wood waste from the pulp and paper industry.
- Author
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Moreira, Gabriel D.O., Costa, Gabriel F., Cavalcante, Raquel M., and Young, André F.
- Subjects
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BIOMASS liquefaction , *PAPER industry , *INDUSTRIAL costs , *CAPITAL costs , *PAYBACK periods - Abstract
• Pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) are compared on the same basis. • The processes were simulated in Aspen Plus® v12. • Catalyst recovery (not gainful) and water recycle (gainful) were evaluated in HTL. • Pyrolysis is a viable alternative for wood waste valorization (5.69 years payback). • With wood waste at zero cost, HTL may be feasible (return of 7.25–8.32 % /year). In this work, the pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction processes were technically and economically evaluated as process alternatives for the valorization of wood waste from the pulp and paper industry. To this end, process simulations were performed in Aspen Plus® v12. A contribution of this article is the presentation of a simulation methodology that allowed the comparison of the two processes on the same basis, making it fair. The economic context selected for this comparison was the Brazilian scenario of the first semester of 2023. The simulation results were applied in equipment sizing and the processes were compared in terms of capital costs, production costs and return on the investment. The study demonstrated that pyrolysis is a viable alternative for wood waste valorization, with a payback period of 5.69 years. In contrast, the energy-intensive thermal liquefaction process does not appear competitive unless wood or natural gas can be procured at prices below the market values found at the time this research was performed. The reactors correspond to 21–42 % of the investment costs in all the processes, while natural gas stands out among the production costs, which justifies the study of energy improvement solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2025
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