Techno-Economic Analysis of Macroalgae Biorefineries: A Comparison between Ethanol and Butanol Facilities

Ulva rigida seaweed is constituted by ulvan, which a sulfated polysaccharide with uses in wide variety of applications. After the ulvan-oriented extraction process, crystalline and recalcitrant residue, so-called pulp, appears. In this work, residue was valorized through multiple-stage process. The total processing algae consists hot water extraction, acid hydrolysis, ABE fermentation, distillation order to obtain not only ulvan but also butanol bioethanol be used as biofuels simulating two third-generation algae-based biorefineries Aspen Plus v10 software. Third-generation plants do compete food biomass, they require delignification nor pretreatment steps, are usually bottleneck second-generation plants. A plant producing biofuel together diluted acetone, ethanol byproducts modelled Regarding profitability investment, were economically feasible. economic parameters for follows: NPV equal 27.66 M$ 16.67 M$, IRR 46% 37%, respectively. discounted return period acceptable these types plants, 4.11 3.16 years biorefinery biorefinery,