Risk advantages of platform technologies for biorenewable chemical production

Recent investments in bio-based chemical development are financing the construction of commercial production facilities, often designed to produce a single biorenewable chemical. Investments in technologies targeting a single biorenewable chemical are subject to significant technological and market risks. Platform technologies that can convert biomass into a range of related biorenewable chemicals can reduce these risks significantly. Researchers are now developing platform technologies that combine bio-and chemical-catalysis, such as a process of converting glucose into fatty alcohols of specific carbon chain length. The financial risk and profitability of investments in platform technology producing fatty alcohol of different chain length were analyzed. A techno-economic model to evaluate single- and platform technologies was developed. A platform technology that can produce two products: 1-decanol and a blend of dodecanol and 1-tetradecanol reduces financial risk of investment by 23% and increases profitability by 55% compared to production via single-product technologies. This financial advantage of two-product technology is eliminated as the cost of switching between products rises above $4MM for a 14 MT/yr plant. Investments in technologies that can produce a larger number of products provide higher returns lower risk. Other less quantifiable risk advantages of platform technologies that nonetheless important are also discussed. (C) 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.