Today’s and tomorrow’s bio-based bulk chemicals from white biotechnology

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and biotechnology Vol. 136; no. 3; pp. 361 - 388
• Main Authors: Hermann, B G, Patel, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Totowa Springer Nature B.V 01-03-2007
• Subjects: 1,3-Propanediol; Acetic acid; Biotechnology; Chemicals; Crude oil; Crude oil prices; Economics; Energy economics; Environmental impact; Ethanol; Ethylene; Intermediates; Oil; Petrochemicals; Production costs; Succinic acid; Sugar; United States > US
• ISSN: 0273-2289; 1559-0291
• DOI: 10.1007/s12010-007-9031-9

Little information is yet available on the economic viability of the production of bio-based bulk chemicals and intermediates from white biotechnology (WB). This paper details a methodology to systematically evaluate the techno-economic prospects of present and future production routes of bio-based bulk chemicals produced with WB. Current and future technology routes are evaluated for 15 products assuming prices of fermentable sugar between 70 ie/t and 400 ie/t and crude oil prices of US $25/barrel and US $50/barrel. The results are compared to current technology routes of petrochemical equivalents. For current state-of-the-art WB processes and a crude oil price of US $25/barrel, WB-based ethanol, 1,3-propanediol, polytrimethylene terephthalate and succinic acid are economically viable. Only three WB products are economically not viable for future technology: acetic acid, ethylene and PLA. Future-technology ethylene and PLA become economically viable for a higher crude oil price (US $50/barrel). Production costs plus profits of WB products decrease by 20–50% when changing from current to future technology for a crude oil price of US $25 per barrel and across all sugar prices. Technological progress in WB can thus contribute significantly to improved economic viability of WB products. A large-scale introduction of WB-based production of economically viable bulk chemicals would therefore be desirable if the environmental impacts are smaller than those of current petrochemical production routes.