Succinic Acid Production from Glycerol by Actinobacillus succinogenes: Techno-economic, environmental, and exergy analyses

A significant commercial chemical namely succinic acid can be produced using glycerol from the biodiesel industry. Previously, key attributes of the upstream and the downstream processing in the synthesis of bio-based succinic acid were identified, which substantially influence the technological competitiveness compared to petroleum-based production. Accordingly, this study aims to simulate succinic acid production from glycerol with the most promising technology. The techniques of reactive extraction and direct crystallization, as well as the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an electron acceptor, are investigated. Selected scenarios are evaluated based on techno-economic, energy, exergy, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performances to acquire a broader perspective on the sustainability of the technology. The obtained results indicate that the addition of DMSO in the fermentation is key for the bio-based succinic acid production – the best profit of 190 million USD of the net present value, 33.3% of the internal rate of return, and 4.48 years of the payout period are estimated. Additionally, bio-based succinic acid production could compete with the petrochemical route, particularly the reduction of GHG by 26%. Therefore, the production of succinic acid from glycerol is feasible given the positive net present value and lower GHG emissions compared to the petrochemical route.