Identifying the ideal methanol production plant: Balancing Economic Factors for Green Process Configurations

Abstract

The production of liquid energy carriers from agricultural waste materials like bark or straw could significantly aid in the defossilization of the chemical industry. To evaluate their potential contribution correctly, it is necessary to define process designs dependent on site-specific boundary conditions due to the variability of local biomass supplies, heat markets and availability of renewable power. Although biomass-based pathways have the advantage of being more mature, the addition of renewably-generated hydrogen offers the chance to greatly boost the degree of carbon use. The proposed methodology for evaluating the potential of a biomass-to-liquid concept incorporates economic constraints into the process design, allowing for the identification of regionally adjusted process designs. A detailed flowsheet simulation of the concept is set up in AspenPlus® based on validated experimental data (Frilund, 2021). An in-house software tool, TEPET (Techno-Economic Process Evaluation Tool), has been extended by an automated utility integration to identify "sweet spots" within Europe (Maier, 2021). The conducted evaluation includes two different feedstocks, three different process configurations, including the integration of hydrogen produced through renewable sources, and multiple heat utilization modes. For each region, the most advantageous process design is defined and depicted. Additionally, a correlation between economic boundary conditions such as the electricity and heat market, and the process design will be presented. The proposed methodology and simulation tools provide a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of this concept, taking into account economic and regional factors. The study also highlights the importance of incorporating renewably-generated hydrogen and heat utilization modes in the process design to increase the extent of carbon utilization. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the potential for biomass-to-liquid processes to make a significant contribution to a sustainable transition.