Chemicals from Biomass: The Design of a Succinic Acid Production Facility

Using SuperPro Designer, a process simulation software, our team explored a biochemical route to producing succinic acid that uses the rumen bacteria Actinobacillus succinogenes to ferment corn stover. Key steps of the facility include feedstock pretreatment, bacterial fermentation, recovery of the final product by crystallization, and power generation.

The model was used to assess the quality of the theoretical product and the economic and environmental impact of the facility to ultimately determine if the design could compete with both the petrochemical process and existing bio-based solutions. The team’s design is on par with the current market by producing 11.55 kilotons of 99.7% pure succinic acid annually, and offering a payback time under 5 years. Our team created a biorefinery design that maximizes profitability for a feasible and sustainable solution.