(723b) Extensive Process Design and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Sustainable Graphite and Liquid Hydrocarbons from Lignocellulosic Biomass

The worldwide demand for Li-ion batteries is expected to grow 27% annually since it supports global greenhouse gas emissions reductions in sustainable mobility, non-fossil energy provision, and digitalization. Graphite, the main anode material for energy storage systems, is expected to double by 2028. However, the whole market is dominated by fossil-based graphite produced by a few countries, causing highly intensive GHG emissions. On the other hand, with the aim to reduce 50% of aviation CO2 emissions by 2050, the aeronautic sector is committed to incorporating 30% of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into the regular fuel blend by 2030. In this sense, through rigorous process modeling in Aspen Plus, this study addresses the technical and economic performance of transforming woody biomass into graphite and fuel-grade hydrocarbons by non-catalytic fast pyrolysis. Three catalytic bio-oil upgrading processes are evaluated in terms of carbon flows: Delayed coking, graphitization, and purification from heavy bio-oil fraction, accounting for 27% of total biogenic carbon, ketonization, and aldol condensation from aqueous fraction, accounting for 13%, and hydrodeoxygenation from oil fraction, accounting for 5%. The total power demand for the biorefinery reached 4770 kWh per metric tonne of graphite, of which 44% can be supplied by the combined heat and power cycle plant (CHP). A sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate the internal rate of return (IRR) at different plant capacities, unit operation yields, materials consumption, and minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP). Bio-graphite and hydrocarbons can be produced at $ 2.1 per gallon of gasoline-equivalent, giving an internal rate of return of 10 %. The most influential parameters from the process perspective are the delayed coking yield and graphitization power demand. From the market perspective, the feedstock price and plant capacity. The results show that increasing the delayed coking yield up to 35% and reducing power demand by 25% can reduce the MFSP by at least $1. This study demonstrates the possibility of producing graphitic anode material and liquid hydrocarbons from woody biomass in a profitable manner utilizing thermochemical and catalytic upgrading processes.