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Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa
Thesis (PhD (Engineering Management))--University of Pretoria, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1869483798021799936 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Thopil, George A. |
| author_browse | Thopil, George A. |
| author_facet | Thopil, George A. |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD (Engineering Management))--University of Pretoria, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107960 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:04:43.111Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107960 Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa Thopil, George A. u15314376@tuks.co.za Ramchuran, Santosh Mandree, Prisha UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bioeconomy Sustainability Feasibility study Lactic acid industrialisation Bio-based chemicals Thesis (PhD (Engineering Management))--University of Pretoria, 2026. Emissions arising from fossil fuel derived products and waste disposed to landfill have prompted the need for alternative sustainable technologies such as bio-based chemicals. Currently, South Africa has a great dependency on imports and limited local manufacturing of bio-based chemicals. The adoption of bio-based chemicals contributes to the growth of the South African bioeconomy and requires the development of viable technologies that meet the market and industry requirements. The research investigated the feasibility of implementing a bio-based technology in South Africa by adopting a holistic phased approach that integrated stakeholder insights, technical feasibility, and economic performance. Drawing on global bioeconomy trends and bio-based platform chemical opportunities, the research initially focused on strategic products for further evaluation. Following a stakeholder needs analysis with key stakeholders from government, academia, and industry, the market attractiveness of adopting pertinent bio-based chemicals in South Africa was determined using thematic network analysis. Bioethanol and bio-lactic acid were identified as key products for further investigation. Using industrial feedstock such as sugar cane molasses, a pre-feasibility study evaluating the technical viability of producing bioethanol and bio-lactic acid at pilot scale was conducted. The bio-lactic acid pilot process was demonstrated to be superior in performance compared to the bioethanol process. This was followed by a feasibility study, in which a full techno-economic assessment of the commercial-scale production of the selected product intermediate of interest, bio-lactic acid, was conducted, including sensitivity analysis to identify critical cost drivers. The findings indicated that the redirection of sugar cane into alternative value chains is a key driver for industrialisation of bio-based chemicals. Other key drivers included global market demand and abundance of bio-based feedstock, whereas key barriers included product price competitiveness, policy implementation, infrastructure, and scale-up finance. The financial analysis outcomes revealed that although bio-lactic acid production was technically and economically feasible, with a positive net present value (NPV) of R2.64 billion and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 20.44%, feedstock and utilities were significant contributors to total upstream production costs. Furthermore, the selling price of the bio-lactic acid product intermediate, bioreactor costs, production rates, and power consumption were identified as crucial parameters that impact economic competitiveness of the product. The research concluded with targeted recommendations for government, industry, and researchers to enable sustainable chemical manufacturing aligned with national priorities. The research demonstrated that South Africa holds significant potential for bio-based chemicals, specifically bio-lactic acid, provided that key barriers are addressed. This research approach can be applied across emerging technologies to support strategic decision-making in bio-product industrialisation. The research contributes to the maturity of the bio-based chemicals industry in South Africa. It is also aimed at guiding policy-makers and other stakeholders on the supporting mechanisms required to industrialise the sector. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) PhD (Engineering Management) Restricted Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production 2026-02-09T08:35:26Z 2026-02-09T08:35:26Z 2026-04 2026-01-19 Thesis * A2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107960 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31286083, 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31286092, 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31286086 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bioeconomy Sustainability Feasibility study Lactic acid industrialisation Bio-based chemicals Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title | Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title_full | Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title_short | Identification and production of valuable bio-based chemicals for industrial implementation in South Africa |
| title_sort | identification and production of valuable bio based chemicals for industrial implementation in south africa |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bioeconomy Sustainability Feasibility study Lactic acid industrialisation Bio-based chemicals |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107960 |