BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES OF CITRIC ACID PRODUCTION BY FERMENTATION FROM SUGAR SUBSTRATES IN CUBA

Authors

  • Omar Pérez Navarro Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Facultad de Química y Farmacia. Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas. Carretera a Camajuaní km 5 ½, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
  • Néstor Ley Chong Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Facultad de Química y Farmacia. Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas. Carretera a Camajuaní km 5 ½, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
  • Karla Regla Rodríguez Marroquí Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Facultad de Química y Farmacia. Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas. Carretera a Camajuaní km 5 ½, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
  • Erenio González Suárez Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Facultad de Química y Farmacia. Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas. Carretera a Camajuaní km 5 ½, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Keywords:

citric acid, molasses, sugar, whey, timeliness, feasibility

Abstract

A proposal for opportunities of citric acid production in Cuba, using sources of sugar substrates such as refined sugar, molasses and whey, by submerged fermentation with Aspergillus niger, where a technology is established from the selected substrate which is provided and the microorganism used. This is a demanding process in terms of investment costs and operation where the best combinations of productivity and cost are achieved with molasses followed by refined sugar and whey. For the selected substrate, the mass and energy balance in each of the steps in the process of obtaining citric acid for different productive capacities of citric acid was made and the minimum economic size of 2.5 t / day was determined. A production capacity of 8 t / day of granulated acid (2 640 t / a), with estimated total investment of $ 9,068,713, NPV = $ 1,401,561, IRR =27% and DPP = 3 years was selected. The project is resistant to the rising price of raw materials and the cost of electricity and is favored when the process is integrated into a sugar mill cogeneration, while it is sensitive to a reduction in the selling price of the product.

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Published

2016-04-01

How to Cite

Pérez Navarro, O., Ley Chong, N., Rodríguez Marroquí, K. R. ., & González Suárez, E. (2016). BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES OF CITRIC ACID PRODUCTION BY FERMENTATION FROM SUGAR SUBSTRATES IN CUBA. Centro Azúcar Journal, 43(2), 15. Retrieved from http://centroazucar.uclv.edu.cu/index.php/centro_azucar/article/view/144

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