Cost analysis model for catalytic conversion of syngas in to light hydrocarbon gases

• Developed a cost analysis model to evaluate unit cost of biofuel products.
• Used a graphical user interface with mathematical equations.
• Unit costs of biofuel product were significantly affected by production capacities.
• When the capacity increased the biofuel production cost decreased.

Bio-gasification is a new technology and considered as a more efficient way to utilize bio-energy. The economic feasibility becomes one of the greatest issues when we apply this new technology. Evaluation of economic feasibility of a bio-gasification facility needs better understanding of its production unit cost under different capacities and different working shift modes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the unit cost of biofuel products (Liquid HCs, Light HCs and Oxygenates CxHyOz) under different capacities using a modeling method. The cost analysis model was developed using Visual Basic Microsoft 2008, computer programming language and mathematical equations. The modeling results showed that the unit costs of biofuel product from bio-gasification facility were significantly affected by production capacities of facilities. As the facility capacity increased from 65 to 10,000 N m3 h−1, the biofuel production unit cost of gas (Light HCs), oil (Liquid HCs), and aqueous (Oxygenates CxHyOz) decreased from $38.92 per MMBTU, $30.89 per gallon and $25.74 per gallon to $2.01 per MMBTU, $1.59 per gallon, and $1.33 per gallon, respectively. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that feedstock cost was the most sensitive cost factor on unit costs for all biofuel products at high capacity. The cost analysis model developed in this study could be used to optimize production unit costs of bio-fuel products from bio-gasification facility.