Technoeconomic analysis of Jatropha curcas integral valorization

Abstract

In this paper, the technoeconomical assessment of a Jatropha curcas plant was conducted, taking into account three different raw materials from Jatropha curcas in an integral valorization process: crude oil, seed shell, and de‐oiled seed cake. In this way, all the solid waste produced after the extraction process could be pelletized and exploited in a biodiesel plant generating electricity, greatly improving the overall process economically and environmentally. Crude oil can also be transformed to biodiesel through a simultaneous esterification‐transesterification of a mixture of free fatty acids and triglycerides using bioethanol with a 5% water content and a heterogeneous catalyst. The economic sensitivity analysis was carried out using two different parameters that determine the profitability of the process: the internal rate of return (IRR) and the payback time. On one hand, the variable that has the highest impact over the process is the electricity price because it is the main source of revenue in the plant; on the other hand, the variable with the lowest impact on the process is the bioethanol price because of the high ratio proposed (20 : 1) and because over 80% of this alcohol is recycled at the beginning of the process. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd