A techno-economic analysis of microalgae remnant catalytic pyrolysis and upgrading to fuels

Results indicate that thermal drying prior to catalytic pyrolysis (TDCP) incurs capital costs similar to those incurred in partial mechanical dewatering prior to catalytic pyrolysis (MDCP) ($346 million vs. $409 million). TDCP and MDCP yield minimum fuel-selling prices (MFSPs) of $1.80/l and $1.49/l, respectively. Energy analysis shows that TDCP achieves 16.8% energy efficiency and MDCP achieves 26.7% efficiency.