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Title: Techno-economic analysis of decentralized biomass processing depots

Journal Article · · Bioresource Technology

Decentralized biomass processing facilities, known as biomass depots, may be necessary to achieve feedstock cost, quantity, and quality required to grow the future U.S. bioeconomy. In this paper, we assess three distinct depot configurations for technical difference and economic performance. The depot designs were chosen to compare and contrast a suite of capabilities that a depot could perform ranging from conventional pelleting to sophisticated pretreatment technologies. Our economic analyses indicate that depot processing costs are likely to range from ~US$30 to US$63 per dry metric tonne (Mg), depending upon the specific technology implemented and the energy consumption for processing equipment such as grinders and dryers. We conclude that the benefits of integrating depots into the overall biomass feedstock supply chain will outweigh depot processing costs and that incorporation of this technology should be aggressively pursued.

Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC07–05ID14517
OSTI ID:
1206803
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1207284
Journal Information:
Bioresource Technology, Journal Name: Bioresource Technology Vol. 194 Journal Issue: C; ISSN 0960-8524
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 103 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science