Process integration study of a biorefinery producing ethylene from lignocellulosic feedstock for a chemical cluster

Paper in proceeding, 2011

Biorefineries are a way to achieve the transition from our fossil feedstock based society towards the use of sustainable raw materials. Heat integration can help to increase the overall energy efficiency. Therefore integration of biorefinery concepts with industrial clusters can be advantageous. The chemical cluster investigated in this paper consumes a large amount of ethylene. The integration potential of a lignocellulosic ethanol plant and an ethanol dehydration plant is investigated. Based upon Aspen+ simulations integration opportunities at four different levels were identified using traditional Pinch Analysis and Total Site Analysis (TSA): (1) internal integration within each of the two separate processes; (2) heat integration of the two processes with each other; (3) heat integration of the processes with direct material flow from the upstream process to teh downstream process, and (4) integration of the two combined processes with an existing chemical cluster. Savings of up to 51 % utility steam by integrating the lignocellulosic ethanol production process with the ethylene dehydration and the chemical cluster were identified.