Production of α-olefins from biomass gasification: Process development and multi-objective optimization for techno-economic and environmental goals

Efficient utilization of biomass as a substitute for fossil fuels holds great promise for meeting future greener chemical demands in a sustainable manner. This study presents a process simulation and multi-objective optimization for an innovative process of biomass-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of value-added linear α-olefins. Optimal design and operation solutions with heat-exchange network integration taken into account are obtained that minimize total annual costs (TAC), generalized energy consumption (GEC), greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and maximize product yields (η). Compared to the benchmark case, this optimization leads to a 9.93 % reduction in TAC, a 21.76 % reduction in GEC, a 19.23 % reduction in GHG, and increases η by 1.41 %. Additionally, a comprehensive factor analysis of the optimal design and operation parameters in the Pareto front helps to discover patterns related to energy consumption, environmental impact, or economy. This allows to maximize a specific key process performance metric while minimizing the loss in the other, thus enabling flexible process design and operation under diverse manufacturing environments.