Design and economic analysis of a macroalgae-to-butanol process via a thermochemical route

In this work, a first of its kind assessment of butanol production from macroalgae through a thermochemical route is carried out. Different process configurations were designed and simulated in Aspen Plus to quantify their mass and energy balances. Furthermore, economic and environmental metrics such as the minimum butanol selling price (MBSP), and cost of CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2e) avoided were used to assess the potential of the …