Biomass conversion to alternative fuels has been pushed for upwards of 30 years as a green methodology, spawning a variety of research and development projects financed by various means both private and public. The great majority of these projects have failed to come close to fruition in terms of both economic potential and operational reliability. The reasons for this are many, most of which are the result of ignoring the basic process development protocols needed for successful implementation of a chemical process in today’s changing world. This paper will discuss examples of the successful and the not-so-successful ones by analyzing the basic scope, financing, supply chain and capital life cycle aspects of such projects. Finally a set of guidelines will be presented to maximize the probability of obtaining truly sustainable operations for biomass conversion processes.
See more of this Session: Distributed Chemical and Energy Processes for Sustainability
See more of this Group/Topical: Topical 2: Sustainable Engineering Forum
See more of this Group/Topical: Topical 2: Sustainable Engineering Forum