Abstract The present study aims at studying the supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of leftover Brazilian ginseng roots after phytochemicals extraction for synthetic natural gas (SNG) production, envisioning the development of a promising Brazilian ginseng roots valorization using sub/supercritical fluids in different steps. A multi-objective energetic-economic-environmental optimization of the proposed SCWG process was assessed through the use of computational simulation tools. The results showed that, for a given leftover biomass input of 20MW, a specific cost of 62-66 USD/MWh of SNG is obtained, which is higher than the average price on the Brazilian market. On the other hand, the production process of SNG from this residue showed to be a promising option, being energetically self-sufficient and environmentally friendly. In order for this alternative process to become more economically attractive we proposed the construction of the SCWG and the sub/supercritical extraction units in the same location, sharing part of the same high-pressure equipment.

Glycerol is an important by-product of biodiesel production. It is used in many industrial segments, but the increasing production of this chemical has become an issue of concern. Many studies have been done to give new applicability to this product; a promising field is the usage of glycerol for energy production. Therefore, this study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of a new and potential proposal at the national level, the generation of electricity and heat, through a cogeneration system using glycerol. The results demonstrate the viability of this proposal, since the payback on capital invested obtained was approximately 4 years, with the possibility of reduction to 3 years when installed in regions with low infrastructure.