| Affiliation: | 1. Natural Resources Canada, CanmetENERGY, 1615 Lionel-Boulet Blvd., P.O. 4800, Varennes J3X 1S6, Quebec, Canada;2. FPInnovations, 570 St-Jean Blvd., Pointe-Claire H9R 3J9, Quebec, Canada;1. African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Laayoune, Morocco;2. Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Agrosciences and Environment (CNRST Labeled Research Unit N° 4), Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP 2390, Marrakesh, Morocco;3. Agricultural Innovation and Technology Transfer Center (AITTC), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir, Morocco;4. EcoLab, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Avenue de l’Agrobiopôle, F-31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France;5. INTHERES, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France;6. INRAE, Univ Montpellier, LBE, 102 Avenue des étangs, 11100, Narbonne, France;7. Agrobiosciences Department, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Benguerir, Morocco;1. Western Colorado Research Center, Colorado State University, Fruita, Colorado, USA;2. Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Sidney, Montana, USA;3. College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China;4. USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, Sidney, Montana, USA |
| Abstract: | Implementation of a lignin-based biorefinery into one of the existing kraft pulp mills calls for increased consumption of resources such as steam (by up to 21.5%), water (by up to 3%), carbon dioxide (by up to 16.2%), and sulphuric acid (by up to 11.3%). To compensate for these extra demands on resources, an advanced process integration method was used to identify steam, water, and chemicals savings options and resource recovery opportunities within the kraft process. Given the importance of the lignin-based biorefinery, an economic viability assessment was carried out toward four scenarios, namely: a reference case relating to a stand-alone kraft pulp mill without a pulp production increase but with/without advanced process integration (scenarios #1 and #2) as well as to an integrated biorefinery with a pulp production increase by 5, 10 and 15% (scenarios #3 and #4). |
