IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i17p6384-d1231956.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of Product Diversification on the Economic Sustainability of Second-Generation Ethanol Biorefineries: A Critical Review

Author

Listed:
  • Vinícius P. Shibukawa

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Lucas Ramos

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Mónica M. Cruz-Santos

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Carina A. Prado

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Fanny M. Jofre

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Gabriel L. de Arruda

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Silvio S. da Silva

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

  • Solange I. Mussatto

    (Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 223, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Júlio C. dos Santos

    (Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, Lorena 12602810, SP, Brazil)

Abstract

The replacement of fossil-based products with renewable alternatives is today a major research topic. Biofuels, such as second-generation ethanol, offer a promising way to overcome dependence on fossil fuels. However, second-generation biorefineries still face bottlenecks that hinder their economic sustainability. These include challenges in pretreatment (formation of inhibitors and high costs of chemicals) and hydrolysis (high enzyme costs and low solid content) and maximizing the utilization of biomass components. To achieve economic sustainability, biorefineries can adopt approaches such as integrating first and second generation (1G and 2G) technologies, using different production alternatives, or diversifying the product portfolio. This last alternative could include the simultaneous production of biomaterials, building blocks, and others from all fractions of the materials, favoring biorefinery profitability. Techno-economic assessment plays a crucial role in assessing the economic feasibility of these approaches and provides important information about the process. This article discusses how product diversification in cellulosic biorefineries enhances their economic sustainability, based on simulation techniques and techno-economic analysis, with a comprehensive and critical review of current possibilities and future trends. The information discussed can inform stakeholders about investing in 2G ethanol biorefineries, including strategies, associated risks, and profitability, allowing better planning of different options of future ventures.

Suggested Citation

  • Vinícius P. Shibukawa & Lucas Ramos & Mónica M. Cruz-Santos & Carina A. Prado & Fanny M. Jofre & Gabriel L. de Arruda & Silvio S. da Silva & Solange I. Mussatto & Júlio C. dos Santos, 2023. "Impact of Product Diversification on the Economic Sustainability of Second-Generation Ethanol Biorefineries: A Critical Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-30, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:17:p:6384-:d:1231956
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/17/6384/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/17/6384/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gomes, Michelle Garcia & Paranhos, Aline Gomes de Oliveira & Camargos, Adonai Bruneli & Baêta, Bruno Eduardo Lobo & Baffi, Milla Alves & Gurgel, Leandro Vinícius Alves & Pasquini, Daniel, 2022. "Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse with dilute citric acid and enzymatic hydrolysis: Use of black liquor and solid fraction for biogas production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 428-438.
    2. Islam Mohammed Mahbubul & Miah Himan, 2023. "Prospects of Bioethanol from Agricultural Residues in Bangladesh," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Edward J. Oughton & William Lehr, 2022. "Surveying 5G Techno-Economic Research to Inform the Evaluation of 6G Wireless Technologies," Papers 2201.02272, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2022.
    4. Borujeni, Nasim Espah & Karimi, Keikhosro & Denayer, Joeri F.M. & Kumar, Rajeev, 2022. "Apple pomace biorefinery for ethanol, mycoprotein, and value-added biochemicals production by Mucor indicus," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    5. Mussatto, Solange I. & Yamakawa, Celina K. & van der Maas, Lucas & Dragone, Giuliano, 2021. "New trends in bioprocesses for lignocellulosic biomass and CO2 utilization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    6. Elias, Andrew Milli & Longati, Andreza Aparecida & de Campos Giordano, Roberto & Furlan, Felipe Fernando, 2021. "Retro-techno-economic-environmental analysis improves the operation efficiency of 1G-2G bioethanol and bioelectricity facilities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PA).
    7. Queiroz, Sarah S. & Jofre, Fanny M. & Mussatto, Solange I. & Felipe, Maria das Graças A., 2022. "Scaling up xylitol bioproduction: Challenges to achieve a profitable bioprocess," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    8. Nevena Ilić & Marija Milić & Sunčica Beluhan & Suzana Dimitrijević-Branković, 2023. "Cellulases: From Lignocellulosic Biomass to Improved Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    9. Anoop Singh & Surajbhan Sevda & Ibrahim M. Abu Reesh & Karolien Vanbroekhoven & Dheeraj Rathore & Deepak Pant, 2015. "Biohydrogen Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass: Technology and Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Maria El Hage & Nicolas Louka & Sid-Ahmed Rezzoug & Thierry Maugard & Sophie Sablé & Mohamed Koubaa & Espérance Debs & Zoulikha Maache-Rezzoug, 2023. "Bioethanol Production from Woody Biomass: Recent Advances on the Effect of Pretreatments on the Bioconversion Process and Energy Yield Aspects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-31, June.
    11. Albarelli, Juliana Q. & Santos, Diego T. & Ensinas, Adriano V. & Marechal, François & Cocero, María J. & Meireles, M. Angela A., 2018. "Product diversification in the sugarcane biorefinery through algae growth and supercritical CO2 extraction: Thermal and economic analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(PB), pages 776-785.
    12. Rezania, Shahabaldin & Oryani, Bahareh & Cho, Jinwoo & Talaiekhozani, Amirreza & Sabbagh, Farzaneh & Hashemi, Beshare & Rupani, Parveen Fatemeh & Mohammadi, Ali Akbar, 2020. "Different pretreatment technologies of lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production: An overview," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    13. Singh, Yengkhom Disco & Mahanta, Pinakeswar & Bora, Utpal, 2017. "Comprehensive characterization of lignocellulosic biomass through proximate, ultimate and compositional analysis for bioenergy production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 490-500.
    14. Hijosa-Valsero, María & Garita-Cambronero, Jerson & Paniagua-García, Ana I. & Díez-Antolínez, Rebeca, 2020. "A global approach to obtain biobutanol from corn stover," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 223-233.
    15. Nariê Rinke Dias de Souza & Bruno Colling Klein & Mateus Ferreira Chagas & Otavio Cavalett & Antonio Bonomi, 2021. "Towards Comparable Carbon Credits: Harmonization of LCA Models of Cellulosic Biofuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dawid Szwarc & Anna Nowicka & Katarzyna Głowacka, 2022. "Cross-Comparison of the Impact of Grass Silage Pulsed Electric Field and Microwave-Induced Disintegration on Biogas Production Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-10, July.
    2. Piñón-Muñiz, M.I. & Ramos-Sánchez, V.H. & Gutiérrez-Méndez, N. & Pérez-Vega, S.B. & Sacramento-Rivero, J.C. & Vargas-Consuelos, C.I. & Martinez, F.M. & Graeve, O.A. & Orozco-Mena, R.E. & Quintero-Ramo, 2023. "Potential use of Sotol bagasse (Dasylirion spp.) as a new biomass source for liquid biofuels production: Comprehensive characterization and ABE fermentation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 632-643.
    3. Karami, Kavosh & Karimi, Keikhosro & Mirmohamadsadeghi, Safoora & Kumar, Rajeev, 2022. "Mesophilic aerobic digestion: An efficient and inexpensive biological pretreatment to improve biogas production from highly-recalcitrant pinewood," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    4. Marisutti, Estela & Viegas, Bruno Marques & Rodrigues, Naira Poerner & Ayub, Marco Antônio Záchia & Rossi, Daniele Misturini, 2024. "Characterization and treatments in soybean hull for 2,3-Butanediol production using Klebsiella pneumoniae BLh-1 and Pantoea agglomerans BL1," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    5. Oughton, Edward J. & Amaglobeli, David & Moszoro, Marian, 2023. "What would it cost to connect the unconnected? Estimating global universal broadband infrastructure investment," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    6. Sitka, Andrzej & Szulc, Piotr & Smykowski, Daniel & Jodkowski, Wiesław, 2021. "Application of poultry manure as an energy resource by its gasification in a prototype rotary counterflow gasifier," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 422-429.
    7. Chapela, Sergio & Cid, Natalia & Porteiro, Jacobo & Míguez, José Luis, 2020. "Numerical transient modelling of the fouling phenomena and its influence on thermal performance in a low-scale biomass shell boiler," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 309-318.
    8. Lucas van der Maas & Jasper L. S. P. Driessen & Solange I. Mussatto, 2021. "Effects of Inhibitory Compounds Present in Lignocellulosic Biomass Hydrolysates on the Growth of Bacillus subtilis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Asma Sattar & Chaudhry Arslan & Changying Ji & Sumiyya Sattar & Irshad Ali Mari & Haroon Rashid & Fariha Ilyas, 2016. "Comparing the Bio-Hydrogen Production Potential of Pretreated Rice Straw Co-Digested with Seeded Sludge Using an Anaerobic Bioreactor under Mesophilic Thermophilic Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, March.
    10. Sim, Xue Yan & Tan, Jian Ping & He, Ning & Yeap, Swee Keong & Hui, Yew Woh & Luthfi, Abdullah Amru Indera & Manaf, Shareena Fairuz Abdul & Bukhari, Nurul Adela & Jamali, Nur Syakina, 2023. "Unraveling the effect of redox potential on dark fermentative hydrogen production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    11. Sahu, Omprakash, 2021. "Appropriateness of rose (Rosa hybrida) for bioethanol conversion with enzymatic hydrolysis: Sustainable development on green fuel production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    12. Vasilakou, K. & Nimmegeers, P. & Billen, P. & Van Passel, S., 2023. "Geospatial environmental techno-economic assessment of pretreatment technologies for bioethanol production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    13. Ndayisenga, Fabrice & Yu, Zhisheng & Zheng, Jianzhong & Wang, Bobo & Liang, Hongxia & Phulpoto, Irfan Ali & Habiyakare, Telesphore & Zhou, Dandan, 2021. "Microbial electrohydrogenesis cell and dark fermentation integrated system enhances biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic agricultural wastes: Substrate pretreatment towards optimization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    14. Patange, Omkar S. & Garg, Amit & Jayaswal, Sachin, 2022. "An integrated bottom-up optimization to investigate the role of BECCS in transitioning towards a net-zero energy system: A case study from Gujarat, India," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    15. Park, Jonghyun & Yim, Jun Ho & Cho, Seong-Heon & Jung, Sungyup & Tsang, Yiu Fai & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Jeon, Young Jae & Kwon, Eilhann E., 2024. "A virtuous cycle for thermal treatment of polyvinyl chloride and fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    16. Mandegari, Mohsen & Ebadian, Mahmood & Saddler, Jack (John), 2023. "The need for effective life cycle assessment (LCA) to enhance the effectiveness of policies such as low carbon fuel standards (LCFS's)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    17. Sara Rajabi Hamedani & Mauro Villarini & Andrea Colantoni & Michele Moretti & Enrico Bocci, 2018. "Life Cycle Performance of Hydrogen Production via Agro-Industrial Residue Gasification—A Small Scale Power Plant Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, March.
    18. Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar & Sindhu, Raveendran & Sirohi, Ranjna & Kumar, Vinod & Ahluwalia, Vivek & Binod, Parameswaran & Juneja, Ankita & Kumar, Deepak & Yan, Binghua & Sarsaiya, Surendra & Zhang, Zengqi, 2022. "Agricultural waste biorefinery development towards circular bioeconomy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    19. Garita-Cambronero, Jerson & Paniagua-García, Ana I. & Hijosa-Valsero, María & Díez-Antolínez, Rebeca, 2021. "Biobutanol production from pruned vine shoots," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 124-133.
    20. Chayan Kumer Saha & Mst. Lucky Khatun & Jannatoon Nime & Kawnish Kirtania & Md. Monjurul Alam, 2023. "Co-Digestion-Based Circular Bio-Economy to Improve Biomethane Generation and Production of Nutrient-Enriched Digestate in Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:17:p:6384-:d:1231956. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.