Estudio técnico-económico de una planta de producción de biodiesel

Se explica las posibles razones que han obligado a varias de las plantas de biodiésel en España a cerrar a pesar de estar siendo auspiciadas por la Unión Europea y fomentadas, mediante normativas específicas y ayudas sustanciales en cada uno de los países miembros, a fin de reforzar la utilización de los biocarburantes, como energía alternativa a los combustibles fósiles, debido a las ventajas medioambientales y sociopolíticas que conllevan. Para ello se ha empezado realizando un estudio del sector y de su funcionamiento así como de la evolución reciente del mercado tanto en Europa como en España. Posteriormente se ha modelizado una planta de biodiesel tipo desde las primeras fases de su construcción hasta su puesta en funcionamiento, para, a continuación analizar su desarrollo haciendo especial hincapié en la evolución de las principales variables económicas anteriormente estudiadas que han llevado finalmente a tener que cerrarla por falta de rentabilidad. El proceso de producción del biodiésel desde aceites vegetales y grasas animales mantiene un fuerte crecimiento en los mercados de la Unión Europea al igual que en Estados Unidos y Canadá. La producción de biodiésel se ha incrementado rápidamente en los últimos años, ya que es una alternativa renovable a los carburantes, como el petróleo o el diésel. La producción por trasesterificación de aceites vegetales y grasas animales, dan al biodiésel una densidad, un punto de encendido, viscosidad, estabilidad a la oxidación similares al diésel. Estas propiedades permiten a la mezcla de biodiésel poder usarlo en motores convencionales sin necesidad de grandes modificaciones. El objetivo fundamental de este proyecto es, dentro de un entorno económico hostil, explicar el posible porqué de la situación de las plantas de biodiésel en España, haciendo un análisis de la viabilidad económico – financiera de una planta de producción de biodiésel. La instalación de la que parte el presente proyecto es la de una planta, situada en la provincia de Jaén, con una capacidad de producción de 100 000 t/año, con una previsión de funcionamiento continua y con una vida útil estimada de 15 años. Una vez finalizado el estudio económico, se ha valorado el impacto del mercado en el funcionamiento de la planta, tanto a nivel internacional debido a la competencia desleal, como nacional, debido a las ayudas en los cultivos. Se deduce que la rentabilidad de una planta de biodiésel es relativamente positiva pero viene dada por un gran número de variables internas y externas que hacen un negocio inestable y poco rentable. ABSTRACT It explains the possible reasons that have forced several biodiesel plants in Spain to close in spite of being sponsored by the European Union and promoted by specific regulations and substantial aid in each of the member countries to strengthen the use of biofuels as alternative energy to fossil fuels because of the environmental and sociopolitical involving VII For this we have begun a study of the sector and its operation as well as the recent market developments in Europe and in Spain. Later was modeled biodiesel plant type from the early stages of construction to commissioning, to then analyze its development with particular emphasis on the evolution of the main economic variables that have been previously studied eventually have to close by unprofitability. The processes and production of biodiesel (methyl ester) from vegetable oil and animal fat feedstocks remain a strong growth market in the European Union as well as the United States and Canada. Biodiesel production has increased rapidly in this last years as producers sought a renewable alternative to petroleum fuel. Produced by the trans-esterification of vegetable oils and animal fats, biodiesel has similar density, flash point, viscosity, oxidation stability to petroleum diesel. These similarities enable biodiesel blends to be used in conventional diesel engines without significant modifications. This proyect gives an overview of current developments with regard to biodiesel technology, the Spain biofuel market, and national biofuel policies, looking at closely the economic-financial feasibility of a biodiesel production plant. The installation, situated at Linares (Jaén), has a production capability of 100 000 t/year. The operation estimated is constant and with a product life of 15 years. Finished the part destined to the economic view of this project, it has been considered the adverse effects on the overall performance and the financial situation of the industry. It follows form the study that biodiesel plant´s profitability is relatively high, but it is given by a large numbers of variables, internals and externals, which have made an unviable and unsustainable business.

Comparison of CO2 From Coal Capture Processes and Valorisation Technologies

Coal is the most plentiful and evenly distributed fossil fuel worldwide. Based on current production, it is estimated that the reserves will last approximately 130 years. Its use worldwide has been increasing, mainly due to consumption by emerging countries. CO2 emissions generated by combustion and the repercussions of such on climate change support the view that it could no longer be used. CO2 capture may be the solution to continue using it, which would cater for the growing energy demand worldwide. The aim of this study is to compare different processes concerning CO2 capture that may be economically viable, ultimately showing that coal, a fossil energy source widely distributed around the world, can, as a result of using different CO2 capture processes, be used as a clean source of electricity. Hence, in places where geological hurdles may render the costs of CO2 storage considerably higher, since it might have to travel far, coal may be used for other purposes, thus valorising CO2 within the industrial sector. This research is focused on the technical and economic comparison of the most relevant CO2 capture projects designed in Spain using different existing technologies. The oxyfuel project in Ciuden (Leon, Spain), the IGCC Elcogas, precombustion CO2-capture project (Puertollano, Spain) and the postcombustion project in Carboneras (Almeria, Spain) will be analyzed in order to assess the options available to valorise captured CO2. Valorising captured CO2 may be an adequate solution in areas where, although CO2 capture is still possible, storage is not equally so, thus generating a further benefit. The possible uses of CO2 will be assessed in vegetable growing greenhouses, harnessing CO2 in vegetable life cycles. This will also be used in growing algae for subsequent biodiesel production. Both CO2 capture and valorising will eventually lead to the clean use of coal, which will thus enhance the level of self-supply, aiding the development of electric vehicles, which require large amounts of electricity, as well as improve the level of energy autonomy in countries around the world. Another type of fuel, biodiesel, will also be obtained, without this affecting international food prices.

Comparison of CO2 from coal captureprocesses and valorisation technologies

Coal is the most plentiful and evenly distributed fossil fuel worldwide. Based on current production, it is estimated that the reserves will last approximately 130 years. Its use worldwide has been increasing, mainly due to consumption by emerging countries. CO2 emissions generated by combustion and the repercussions of such on climate change support the view that it could no longer be used. CO2 capture may be the solution to continue using it, which would cater for the growing energy demand worldwide. The aim of this study is to compare different processes concerning CO2 capture that may be economically viable, ultimately showing that coal, a fossil energy source widely distributed around the world, can, as a result of using different CO2 capture processes, be used as a clean source of electricity. Hence, in places where geological hurdles may render the costs of CO2 storage considerably higher, since it might have to travel far, coal may be used for other purposes, thus valorizing CO2 within the industrial sector. This research is focused on the technical and economic comparison of the most relevant CO2 capture projects designed in Spain using different existing technologies. The oxyfuel project in Ciuden (Leon, Spain), the IGCC Elcogas, precombustion CO2-capture project (Puertollano, Spain) and the postcombustion project in Carboneras (Almeria, Spain) will be analyzed in order to assess the options available to valorizecaptured CO2. Valorizing captured CO2 may be an adequate solution in areas where, although CO2 capture is still possible, storage is not equally so, thus generating a further benefit. The possible uses of CO2 will be assessed in vegetable growing greenhouses, harnessing CO2 in vegetable life cycles. This will also be used in growing algae for subsequent biodiesel production. Both CO2capture and valorizing will eventually lead to the clean use of coal, which will thus enhance the level of self-supply, aiding the development of electric vehicles, which require large amounts of electricity, as well as improve the level of energy autonomy in countries around the world. Another type of fuel, biodiesel, will also be obtained, without this affecting international food prices.

Production of biodiesel from animal fat using supercritical ethanol

Biodiesel is currently produced from a catalytic transesterification reaction of various types of edible and non-edible oil with methanol. The use of waste animal tallow instead of edible oils opens a route to recycle this waste. This material has the advantage of lower costs but the problem of high content of free fatty acids, becoming necessary a pre-esterification reaction that increases the cost of the catalytic process. The production of biodiesel using supercritical alcohols is appropriate for materials with high acidity and water content, therefore the use of this process with animal fat is a promising alternative. Ethanol has been used because it can be produced from biomass via fermentation resulting in a complete renewable biodiesel, instead of methanol that derives from fossil feedstocks. Two different processes have been studied: first, the direct transesterification of animal fat using supercritical ethanol and second a two-step process where the first step is a hydrolysis of the animal fat and the second step is the esterification of the resulting fatty acids. The temperature, the molar ratio ethanol:fat and the time have been modified in the different reactions to study the effect in the final conversion and the degradation of the unsaturated fatty acid esters, main inconvenient of these high temperature and pressure processes.