A study of wood conversion options in Chile using computer aided design

The main objective of this study is to find a process to produce liquid fuels that may replace in part the petroleum that is actually imported in Chile. The raw material is wood that grows quite rapidly in this country, and which is converted into liquid fuels through a conversion process to be selected according to a selection criteria developed as part of this study.

The preliminary search is performed with eight different processes that may accomplish the task. Qualitative aspects are applied and quantitative economic aspects are measured in order to select the final processes to be studied in detail. Two final processes are selected for further studies. A simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process (GULF Process) is one process that produces ethanol as a fuel substitute and a wood gasification process (PNL process) that produces methanol is the other process.

The Advanced System for Process Engineering (ASPEN) computer simulation program was utilized to perform mass and energy balances for the two selected processes. The economic analysis was performed utilizing a discounted cash flow program.

As a result the methanol plant is an attractive venture whenever state investment is the source of financing. The ethanol plant is also an attractive venture when the state gets involved. However, both processes are not recommendable for private investment. The ethanol project brings a higher foreign exchange saving than the methanol plant.