Scale-up of Renewable Chemical Manufacturing Processes

The volumes of bio-based chemicals and polymers globally are estimated to be 50 billion kilograms per year and volumes anticipated to grow significantly in the near future. Bio-based products are growing globally 3-4% per year and in the U. S. alone generated $126 billion direct sales in 2013. The steady progress made over the recent years includes significant diversification of feed stocks, including use of lignocellulosic materials, glycerol, natural gas, municipal solid waste, and synthesis/producer gas generated from biomass to support the manufacture of renewable chemicals.  Scale-up challenges are often dependent on the feed stock selection, and whether the product is a specialty or a commodity, where production volume can differ by several orders of magnitude.  Among early successes are industrial enzymes, ethanol based biofuels, lactic acid and 1,3-propanediol.  In this paper, we review key success factors underlying scale-up of renewable chemical manufacturing processes, including integration of science and engineering, clear understanding of risk factors, effective modeling, safety and regulatory excellence, energy efficiency, commitment to continuous improvement, re-utilization of bioresiduals, integration of supply and distribution networks, and customer-driven product specifications.