Techno-Economic Evaluation of a Strawberry Ice Cream Production Plant Proposal in Cuba

Abstract

Ice cream is a solidified dairy product produced by freezing a pasteurized mixture by stirring to incorporate air and guarantee a uniform consistency. This product is in high demand among people of all ages. In the present work, we used the SuperPro Designer® tool to simulate an industrial-scale strawberry ice-cream production plant located in Cuba with an annual production capacity of approximately 830 ice-cream 10 L containers per batch (1 201 770 L per year). Through simulation, the mass and energy balances were determined, as well as the main economic and profitability indicators of the proposed production process. The unit production cost was USD $ 7.04/container, while the annual net profit was USD $ 980 000. The Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Payback period were USD $ 2 860 000, 24.29 %, and 3.94 years, respectively, which indicate that the proposed strawberry ice-cream production plant is feasible from the technical-economic point of view under the current economic conditions in Cuba.