Abstract

Protein extraction and ethanol production from BSG and PKM can be combined in a conceptual biorefinery process. With 8000 production hours per year, the conceptual process is intended for an industrial-scale biorefinery that processes 20 kt DW of BSG and 50 kt DW of PKM. The performance is analyzed techno-economically with the help of the virtual biorefinery [1].
According to the techno-economic analysis, the biorefinery of BSG generates more revenue from protein powder than it does from ethanol when production costs are taken into account. With an internal rate of return of 24%, the BSG biorefinery has a significant economic potential. The protein powder’s revenue in the PKM biorefinery is just higher than the costs of production. In any case, the income of the ethanol is a lot higher contrasted with the creation costs. The PKM biorefinery still has a positive internal rate of return of 12% despite the high costs of raw materials [2].
The economic potential of combining the production of a biofuel like ethanol from the remaining biomass with the production of a high-value product like protein powder for food applications was demonstrated by the virtual biorefineries that were presented. The biorefinery is profitable overall because the biorefining of a greater portion of the raw material’s biomass into various products generates more revenue for the same amount of raw material.