Production of 1,3-butadiene and ε-caprolactam from C6 sugars: Techno-economic analysis

This study assesses the techno-economic performance of production lines for obtaining 1,3-butadiene and epsilon-caprolactam from C6 sugars. Process models were developed to assess their technical performance and to derive inputs for economic analysis. The economic assessment was carried out using net present value (NPV) and production costs as indicators. Sensitivity analyses were carried out to account for the effects of variations in inputs, such as processing capacity, valorization of humins, and prices, on the economic outputs. Results indicate that both production lines perform similarly from an energy intensity point of view (34-50 MJ/kg of main product). However, in terms of yield (kg of product per kg C6 sugar), caprolactam shows higher values by a factor of 1.6-3.6 in comparison to that of butadiene. The butadiene production line is not economically attractive, showing a negative NPV (-647 to -642 MEuro) and production costs 3-5 times higher than the reference market price (Case I 4369 Euro/tonne, Case II 3406 Euro/tonne). The caprolactam production line seems to be unfeasible with negative NPV (-229 MEuro) and production costs 30% higher than the reference price (Case III 2595 Euro/tonne, Case IV 1875 Euro/tonne). However, if the production yield is increased, the caprolactam production line becomes economically attractive with production costs 6% lower than its reference market price. The production costs of caprolactam can be further decreased if the process capacity is increased, reflecting the benefits of the economies of scale, as well as including heat and power produced from humins. Overall, the caprolactam production line shows higher economic potential. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd