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There is a large body of literatures regarding the choice and optimization of different processes for bioethanol and bio-commodities production. However, most of these works are focusing either on single unit of operation or single conversion facility. As these operations are heavily related, it is essential to consider all of them at the supply chain level. In this work, an optimization model for biomass to ethanol supply chain is developed, which takes into account economics and environments as primary objectives. The developed model is used to compare the efficiency of several pre-treatment methods: Dilute-Sulphuric acid, Organosolv and Soaking in Ethanol and Aqueous Ammonia pre-treatment methods, together with Thermochemical conversion in Minnesota, USA. It can be concluded that currently, Dilute-Sulphuric acid pretreatment is still the most profitable method for ethanol production. However, Organosolv pre-treatment process is the most promising technology accessed since it captures most of the lignin present in the feedstock, which is a significant source of CO 2 emission if sent for combustion. We believe that the future of technology selection for biomass conversion should be focusing on the holistic view of the entire supply chain, and our approach represents a dependable way to obtain the required results.

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