Retro-Techno-Economic Analysis: Using (Bio)Process Systems Engineering Tools to Attain Process Target Values

Economic analysis, allied to process systems engineering tools, can provide useful insights about process techno-economic feasibility. More interestingly, rather than being used to evaluate specific process conditions, this techno-economic analysis can be turned upside down to achieve target values for the main process metrics, providing feedback to the research and development team and setting goals for experimental efforts. The present study proposes a methodology for performing such a "retro" techno-economic analysis. It consists of choosing the most important variables of the process and finding their threshold values and the correlation between them. To demonstrate the capabilities of the methodology, the production of succinic acid from sucrose was assessed. Through the use of this methodology, an infeasible region was identified and threshold values for the process variables were obtained. Although applied to a biochemical process, the methodology is general and can be applicable to all types of chemical processes.