Economic and environmental sustainability assessment of guayule bagasse to fuel pathways

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a desert-dwelling crop that can produce hard rubber for tires and has the potential to help meet water conservation needs of arid regions such as Southwest U.S. Previous work quantified cost environmental impact from guayule production. However, establishing economic viability domestic industry requires identifying value-added products residual non-rubber biomass, referred bagasse. Using bagasse bioenergy production one solution, but best pathway thermochemical conversion fuels yet be defined. In this work, process models pyrolysis pelletization are developed inform path commercialization. A facility processing 200 tonnes per day considered with system boundary defined biomass cultivation fuel combustion. The materials energy inventory results enabled first comparative assessment by concurrently performing techno-economic analysis well-to-wheels life cycle on both pathways. minimum selling price was $0.076 MJ ($9.26 gallon gasoline equivalent) pellets $176 tonne. This compares processes make conclusions about its conversion, areas reduce biofuels, greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared conventional fuels. addition, identifies where future research may optimize costs these integrated alongside into successful bioeconomy United States.