Techno-Economic Analysis of the Multiple-Pass Ultrasonication with Mechanical Homogenization (MPUMH) Processing of Processed Carrot Discards to Puree

Abstract

A sustainable valorization process for puree processing from processed carrot discards (PDCs) was proposed by using multiple-pass ultrasonication with mechanical homogenization (MPUMH), optimized at 9 min ultrasonication followed by mechanical homogenization for 1 min, subjected to three passes. Techno-economic analysis of the puree processing plant was studied for two process models using SuperPro Designer for a plant with a capacity of 17.4 MT/day, operational for 26 weeks, with a 20-year lifetime. The two scenarios were (i) base case (PDCs processed without peels and crowns) and (ii) case 2 (PDCs and carrots (50:50, w/w) processed with peels and crowns). Both scenarios were economically feasible with an internal rate of return (IRR) and return on investment (ROI) at 24.71% and 31.04% (base case) and 86.11% and 119.87% (case 2), respectively. Case 2 had a higher total capital investment (Can$13.7 million) but a lower annual operating cost (Can$8.9 million), resulting in greater revenue generation (Can$29.7 million), thus offering a higher ROI. Sensitivity analysis related to the number of passes on puree quality and price is suggested to lower the capital investment. For the base case, a lower ROI was due to the high labor cost incurred for manual peeling of PDCs, indicating the critical need for developing a commercial peeler equipped to cut labor costs and increase profitability. The study casts insights into the techno-economic performance of a sustainable process for the valorization of PDCs.