Process design and techno-economic assessment of cellulolytic enzymes production from coffee husk through process simulation

The coffee agro-industry generates different residues in harvest and post-harvest procedures. Therefore, new recovery processes for their valorization are required. The aim of this work was to design and techno-economically assess the production of cellulolytic enzymes from coffee husk using Trichoderma reesei fungus through process simulation. Two scenarios were analyzed: production of a liquid product (minimum 12.5% enzyme and maximum moisture of 66.6%) and powder formulation (minimum 74.1% enzyme and maximum moisture of 5%). SuperPro Designer package was used to simulate the scenarios. The scale size was calculated at 1893 t per year (5.7 t/batch). The results obtained suggest that the best alternative to produce cellulolytic enzymes was the liquid product with a net present value of $32,958,000. This work showed that coffee husk exhibits a high potential as a new feedstock to produce cellulases using genetically modified T. reesei. In addition, this work showed that simulation techniques are powerful tools when making decisions in investment projects that involve technologies for the valorization of waste from the coffee agro-industry.