Abstract Commercially valuable proteins, chitin, and minerals of Australian lobster shells were successfully produced with high yields and good quality at laboratory scale using a newly developed microwave-intensified biorefinery process. This study analyses the technical and economic feasibility of upscaling the process to industrial production using a process simulation software, SuperPro Designer. Upscaling is not only technically feasible but also financially profitable regardless of producing multiple products or a single product. At a processing scale of 222.5 tons lobster shells per year (150 kg/batch), total capital investment (TCI) required for the integrated biorefinery process is US$28.3 million compared with US$7.8 - 12.7 million of the single product production processes. The net present value (NPV) of the integrated biorefinery process reaches US$50.7 million while those NPVs of producing protein, minerals or chitin only are US$30.9 million, US$27.7 million, and US$26.4 million respectively, with all under 2.6 years for the payback time. Sensitivity analysis of the integrated process demonstrated that raw material cost and product price have significant impacts on profitability. The production process is still profitable at the cost of lobster shells up to US$10 per kg and the product selling price down to 25% of the proposed market prices.

中文翻译：

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澳大利亚龙虾壳多种产品的微波辅助生物精炼技术经济可行性分析

摘要 使用新开发的微波强化生物精炼工艺，在实验室规模下成功地以高产量和高质量生产了具有商业价值的澳大利亚龙虾壳蛋白质、几丁质和矿物质。本研究分析了使用过程模拟软件 SuperPro Designer 将过程升级到工业生产的技术和经济可行性。无论生产多种产品还是单一产品，升级不仅在技术上可行，而且在财务上也有利可图。以每年 222.5 吨龙虾壳（150 公斤/批次）的加工规模计算，综合生物精炼工艺所需的总资本投资 (TCI) 为 2830 万美元，而单一产品生产工艺为 7.8-1270 万美元。综合生物炼制工艺的净现值 (NPV) 达到 5070 万美元，而仅生产蛋白质、矿物质或甲壳素的净现值分别为 3090 万美元、2770 万美元和 2640 万美元，投资回收期均在 2.6 年以下时间。集成过程的敏感性分析表明，原材料成本和产品价格对盈利能力有显着影响。生产过程仍然有利可图，龙虾壳的成本高达每公斤 10 美元，产品售价降至建议市场价格的 25%。集成过程的敏感性分析表明，原材料成本和产品价格对盈利能力有显着影响。生产过程仍然有利可图，龙虾壳的成本高达每公斤 10 美元，产品售价降至建议市场价格的 25%。集成过程的敏感性分析表明，原材料成本和产品价格对盈利能力有显着影响。生产过程仍然有利可图，龙虾壳的成本高达每公斤 10 美元，产品售价降至建议市场价格的 25%。