Feasibility study for a 40-MGY/80-MGY fuel alcohol production plant. Volume 1. Executive overview

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6876292

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of construction and operation of a 40 to 80 million gallon per year (MHY) fuel alcohol production plant at a site along the Coosa River in Talladega County, Alabama, about 50 miles from Birmingham. The scope of the study included examination of the physical and logistic supply considerations, and the practical utility of incorporating certain installations at or near the site as the result of past operations of a commercial synthetic fiber plant and the US Army's Alabama Ordnance Works (A.O.W.), both now inactivated. These installations include a power plant, water treatment plant and pumping stations, secondary sewage treatment and collection system located on the land owned by the county, as well as two large copper distillation columns and associated equipment formerly used to rectify alcohol and ether at A.O.W. The site also contains access roads and rail spurs. Along with a reference base plant design, the study contains analyses of economic/financial costs and operational viabilities based primarily on corn and sweet sorghum as input feedstocks, and environmental factors, including health, safety, and socio-economic impacts. Based on a 20-year life model for a base-line corn feedstock plant with reasonable interest and escalation values, the total investment costs, ROI, and payback periods are computed to be, respectively, $124 million, 53%, 4.1 years for the 40 MGY plant, and $222 million, 60%, 3.6 years for the 80 MGY plant. Many other economic projections, including debt burden, cash flow, operating costs, market estimates, system sensitivities, etc. are also presented. A two-year construction schedule is envisioned. Construction and operational feasibility, socio-economic impact, and investment return seem eminently favorable for this facility.

• Research Organization: CfC, Inc., Dayton, OH (USA); Smith-Murray and Associates, Birmingham, AL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG07-81RA50298
• OSTI ID: 6876292
• Report Number(s): DOE/RA/50298-T1-Vol.1; ON: DE83004807
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALABAMA
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ECONOMICS
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ETHANOL PLANTS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FUELS
GRAMINEAE
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INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
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OPERATION
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SORGHUM
SYNTHETIC FUELS
USA