Economic and environmental performance of non-cellulosic fermentable carbohydrates production for biofuels and chemicals

Fermentable carbohydrates (FC) are a major cost component and environmental burden in the production of biofuels bio-based commodity chemicals; consequently, FC determines economic feasibility performance chemicals. Producing with conventional technology without additional processing steps food-grade sugar can result low-cost industrial-grade fermentable that is competitive raw sugar. This study assesses minimum selling prices (MSP) life cycle impacts produced from energycane, sweet sorghum, beet, corn all which grown US. The also sugarcane Brazil, used as gauging reference source. MSP was determined by calculating will net present value (NPV) 0 discount rate better than low-risk investment. Environmental assessed accounting for emissions greenhouse gas, use fossil energy, eutrophication potential. evaluated feedstocks varies $0.30 kg?1 to $0.50 beet or sorghum. shows US, energycane has similar $0.40 at $0.38 kg?1, but lower corn. potential exists US Opportunities $0.32 exist using sorghum supplementary feedstock increase utilization plant reduce capital per unit mass FC. supplementing it results an sugar, varied $0.20 $0.63 averaged $0.35 years 2005 through 2019. access source price not subjected external factors like fluctuating