Techno-economic and Environmental Evaluation of Cheesemaking Waste Valorization Through Process Simulation Using SuperPro Designer

PurposeThe objective of this work was to perform a techno-economic and environmental assessment of several technological alternatives for production of whey syrups and protein concentrate (WPC) via process simulation under two scenarios: Stand-alone process and process attached to a cheese production plant.MethodsInformation related to different industrial dairy processes (parameters, variables and diagrams) was consulted and gathered. A base case and three alternative technological configurations for production of whey syrups and WPC were designed. SuperPro Designer was employed as the process simulation tool and for the techno-economic assessment of the technological configurations, and WARGUI software was used for their environmental evaluation. A combined techno-economic and environmental indicator was calculated to identify the best alternative.ResultsThe alternative involving the production of WPC, glucose syrup, and glucose and fructose syrup had the best economic indicators (net present value of $3,381,000 and $16,354,000 for the stand-alone and attached processes, respectively). This alternative had a Potential Environmental Impact of 14,510 PEI/kg products for both scenarios. Water recovery from different waste streams was simulated, managing to reuse 322,338,477 kg water/year.ConclusionsThe implementation of a process for producing whey syrups and WPC attached to a cheese production facility has the potential to generate a significant profitability for the dairy industries in a middle-income country like Colombia. Simulation techniques employed are a powerful supporting tool when making decisions in investment projects for valorization of waste from the food industry in order to find the most appropriate process configuration.