Glycerol is a valuable
feedstock, produced in biorefineries as
a byproduct of biodiesel production. Esterification of glycerol with
acetic acid yields a mixture of mono-, di-, and triacetins. The acetins
are commercially important value-added products with a wide range
of industrial applications as fuel additives and fine chemicals. Esterification
of glycerol to acetins substantially increases the environmental sustainability
and economic viability of the biorefinery concept. Among the acetins,
diacetin (DA) and triacetin (TA) are considered high-energy-density
fuel additives. Herein, we have studied the economic feasibility of
a facility producing DA and TA by a two-stage process using 100,000
tons of glycerol per year using Aspen Plus. The capital costs were
estimated by Aspen Process Economic Analyzer software. The analysis
indicates that the capital costs are 71 M$, while the operating costs
are 303 M$/year. The gross profit is 60.5 M$/year, while the NPV of
the project is 235 M$ with a payback period of 1.7 years. Sensitivity
analysis has indicated that the product price has the most impact
on the NPV.