Energy and Techno-Economic Analysis of Bio-Based and Low-Carbon Chemicals and Fuels Production Processes

This presentation will highlight that to decarbonize the fuel and chemicals industry, we must reduce energy usage and decarbonize process heating, which also extends to bio-based and low-carbon chemicals and fuel production processes. Two examples will be given. The first is to compare separation technologies to concentrate 2,3-butanediol (BDO), a biomass-derived intermediate for producing sustainable aviation fuel for commercial aviation decarbonization. The other example shows that decarbonizing methanol production offers numerous beneficial routes toward industrial decarbonization as it is a versatile compound, finding utility as both a fuel and a chemical intermediate. Techno-economic and life cycle analyses provide integrated analysis technical approaches to evaluate the R&D that enables industrial decarbonization.