This work presents a comprehensive list of potential technology risks suitable for conducting due diligence for sugar platform biorefinery projects. The list was elaborated by the biorefinery team of a Brazilian market pulp company, and professionals from three different groups (technology...

This work presents a comprehensive list of potential technology risks suitable for conducting due diligence for sugar platform biorefinery projects. The list was elaborated by the biorefinery team of a Brazilian market pulp company, and professionals from three different groups (technology providers, research and academic institutions, and pulp manufacturers) gave their opinions on the relative importance of each risk criterion. The survey demonstrated that the 42 professionals were in good agreement on which technology risks should be given greatest importance when assessing promising sugar platform bio-refineries to be retrofitted to Kraft pulp mills. The importance of the risks associated with general scale-up and integration of the technology with a pulp mill and the particular risks associated with the sugar platform were perceived similarly across the surveyed groups. The respondents expressed major concerns about the performance of genetically modified microorganisms at scale, potential hindrances due to microbiological contamination, and technologies with limited feedstock flexibility. For pulp and paper companies evaluating the sugar platform, the list of technology risks is recommended as part of systematic risk assessment activities during the early-stage design phase and also for use as a questionnaire to be administered to companies offering technological solutions for production of lignocellulosic sugars as well as technologies for their conversion into bio-fuels and chemicals

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