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Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill
Kabwe, T. 2025. Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela sugar mill. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/942a4bd3-ed57-4e2e-9d9b-7e7c0295feb8
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613963728977920 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kabwe, Taonga |
| author2 | Gorgens, Johann. F. |
| author_browse | Gorgens, Johann. F. Kabwe, Taonga |
| author_facet | Gorgens, Johann. F. Kabwe, Taonga |
| author_sort | Kabwe, Taonga |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Kabwe, T. 2025. Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela sugar mill. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/942a4bd3-ed57-4e2e-9d9b-7e7c0295feb8 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132563 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:29.748Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132563 Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill Kabwe, Taonga Gorgens, Johann. F. Louw, Jeanne Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Furfural -- Derivatives -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Biomass energy -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Lignocellulose as feed -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Renewable energy sources -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) UCTD Kabwe, T. 2025. Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela sugar mill. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/942a4bd3-ed57-4e2e-9d9b-7e7c0295feb8 Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent years, the South African sugar industry has faced a considerable decline in revenue due to increased imports of cheap sugar in the local markets. To address the economic challenges posed by this issue, Illovo Sugar, which owns the Sezela sugar mill, is exploring alternative strategies through production diversification. Currently, Sezela Sugar produces furfural and furfuryl alcohol from lignocellulosic biomass and is now looking into expanding its portfolio to include more valuable chemicals with broader applications in the chemical industry, beyond just furfural and furfuryl alcohol. This is to overcome challenges of competitive cost of production and technological advancement that come with production of these valuable biochemicals. The products to be considered were limited to using either furfural or furfuryl alcohol as the raw material. This research was focused on investigating the process design and manufacturing methods for the selected derivatives of furfural, which included 2-methylfuran (2-MF), 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF), tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFAL), maleic anhydride (MA) and tetrahydrofuran (THF). The products were selected based on the literature review and capability of the existing process equipment at Sezela sugar mill. Regarding the selected products, detailed process simulations were developed for each product using Aspen Plus® and the mass and energy balances were developed for the processes, including the sizing of equipment and utilities. The simulations were based on data from published literature but also included scale-up estimations from data provided by Illovo. Economic models were developed to estimate any additional capital costs in implementation of the selected processes as well as the expected operational costs of each process route. The combined capital and operating costs were used to estimate the total cost of production for each individual product. The total cost of production was used to assess profitability by determining the net profit of each production process over the past eight years, accounting for fluctuations in market prices for both furfural and its derivatives. The economic analysis revealed that furfuryl alcohol production was the most consistently profitable option during the study period, achieving the highest financial net gain of 2 million US$ per year, with only slight changes across production scales. THFAL production showed potential profitability, yielding an annual net gain of 5 million US$ and a score of 3/8, which could improve to a perfect score of 8/8 with a 35% market price increase. In contrast, the other products, 2-MF, MA, 2-MeTHF, and THF, consistently exhibited financial net loss, each scoring 0/8. Among these, 2-MF had the smallest financial net loss, becoming profitable with a 90% increase in its bio-based market price. THF required a 110% increase in biobased and 120% in fossil-based prices, while 2-MeTHF needed increments of 140% and 160%, respectively. Scenarios 2 and 3 involving MA production became profitable with fossil-based market price increases of 230%, and 300%, respectively. This underlines the need to investigate the economic viability of alternative bio-based intermediates, such as 5-HMF, 1,4-butanediol, bio-butanol, and levulinic acid, for the production of MA, MeTHF, and THF. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2025-06-11T08:16:40Z 2025-06-11T08:16:40Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132563 Stellenbosch University xi, 148 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Furfural -- Derivatives -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Biomass energy -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Lignocellulose as feed -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Renewable energy sources -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) UCTD Kabwe, Taonga Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title | Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title_full | Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title_fullStr | Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title_full_unstemmed | Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title_short | Techno-economic analysis of furfural/furfuryl alcohol derivatives at Sezela Sugar Mill |
| title_sort | techno economic analysis of furfural furfuryl alcohol derivatives at sezela sugar mill |
| topic | Furfural -- Derivatives -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Biomass energy -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Lignocellulose as feed -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Renewable energy sources -- Economic aspects -- KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132563 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kabwetaonga technoeconomicanalysisoffurfuralfurfurylalcoholderivativesatsezelasugarmill |