A comparative techno-economic assessment of biochar production from different residue streams using conventional and microwave pyrolysis

Tom HAELDERMANS; Luca CAMPION; Tom KUPPENS; Kenny VANREPPELEN; Ann CUYPERS; Sonja SCHREURS

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124083

A comparative techno-economic assessment of biochar production from different residue streams using conventional and microwave pyrolysis

Tom HAELDERMANS, Luca CAMPION, Tom KUPPENS, Kenny VANREPPELEN, Ann CUYPERS, Sonja SCHREURS

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

127 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A comparative techno-economic assessment and Monte Carlo risk analysis is performed on large scale (3 tonne/h) biochar production plants for conventional (CPS) and microwave (MWP) pyrolysis using six different residue streams. Both plants are viable with minimum selling prices between € 436/tonne and € 863/tonne for CPS, and between € 564/tonne and € 979/tonne for MWP. The CPS is therefore more viable than MWP as it is a simpler and more established technology. However, a 20 % biochar price increase due to higher biochar quality makes the MWP technology more viable. Nevertheless, the discounted payback period remains higher than this of CPS due to the increased CAPEX. Biochar price is the most important determinant of a biochar production plant’s feasibility, motivating the need for economic and market research on biochar prices in function of biochar characteristics to reduce fluctuations in widely varying biochar prices.

Original language	English
Article number	124083
Journal	Bioresource technology
Volume	318
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124083
Publication status	Published - Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (VLAIO) and European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) [ BM20160604 ].

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Conventional pyrolysis
Microwave pyrolysis
Economics
Biochar
Techno-economic assessment

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title = "A comparative techno-economic assessment of biochar production from different residue streams using conventional and microwave pyrolysis",

abstract = "A comparative techno-economic assessment and Monte Carlo risk analysis is performed on large scale (3 tonne/h) biochar production plants for conventional (CPS) and microwave (MWP) pyrolysis using six different residue streams. Both plants are viable with minimum selling prices between € 436/tonne and € 863/tonne for CPS, and between € 564/tonne and € 979/tonne for MWP. The CPS is therefore more viable than MWP as it is a simpler and more established technology. However, a 20 % biochar price increase due to higher biochar quality makes the MWP technology more viable. Nevertheless, the discounted payback period remains higher than this of CPS due to the increased CAPEX. Biochar price is the most important determinant of a biochar production plant{\textquoteright}s feasibility, motivating the need for economic and market research on biochar prices in function of biochar characteristics to reduce fluctuations in widely varying biochar prices.",

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author = "Tom HAELDERMANS and Luca CAMPION and Tom KUPPENS and Kenny VANREPPELEN and Ann CUYPERS and Sonja SCHREURS",

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AU - CAMPION, Luca

AU - KUPPENS, Tom

AU - VANREPPELEN, Kenny

AU - CUYPERS, Ann

AU - SCHREURS, Sonja

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (VLAIO) and European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) [ BM20160604 ]. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - A comparative techno-economic assessment and Monte Carlo risk analysis is performed on large scale (3 tonne/h) biochar production plants for conventional (CPS) and microwave (MWP) pyrolysis using six different residue streams. Both plants are viable with minimum selling prices between € 436/tonne and € 863/tonne for CPS, and between € 564/tonne and € 979/tonne for MWP. The CPS is therefore more viable than MWP as it is a simpler and more established technology. However, a 20 % biochar price increase due to higher biochar quality makes the MWP technology more viable. Nevertheless, the discounted payback period remains higher than this of CPS due to the increased CAPEX. Biochar price is the most important determinant of a biochar production plant’s feasibility, motivating the need for economic and market research on biochar prices in function of biochar characteristics to reduce fluctuations in widely varying biochar prices.

AB - A comparative techno-economic assessment and Monte Carlo risk analysis is performed on large scale (3 tonne/h) biochar production plants for conventional (CPS) and microwave (MWP) pyrolysis using six different residue streams. Both plants are viable with minimum selling prices between € 436/tonne and € 863/tonne for CPS, and between € 564/tonne and € 979/tonne for MWP. The CPS is therefore more viable than MWP as it is a simpler and more established technology. However, a 20 % biochar price increase due to higher biochar quality makes the MWP technology more viable. Nevertheless, the discounted payback period remains higher than this of CPS due to the increased CAPEX. Biochar price is the most important determinant of a biochar production plant’s feasibility, motivating the need for economic and market research on biochar prices in function of biochar characteristics to reduce fluctuations in widely varying biochar prices.

KW - Conventional pyrolysis

KW - Microwave pyrolysis

KW - Economics

KW - Biochar

KW - Techno-economic assessment

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A comparative techno-economic assessment of biochar production from different residue streams using conventional and microwave pyrolysis

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Keywords

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