PHA Production from Molasses Using Mixed Microbial Cultures: Techno-Economic Feasibility AnalysisPHA Production from Molasses Using Mixed Microbial Cultures: Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis

Abstract Today, about 4.8–12.7 million tons of fossil-based plastics have reached the oceans. Thus, this pollution has become a matter of significant concern globally. Polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHAs) are one of the promising biodegradable plastics that could replace conventional petroleum-based plastics and subsequently mitigate oceanic pollution. High organic wastewater has been examined as a potential substrate for lowering the manufacturing cost of PHAs. This study has found that for a project lifetime of 20 years, the cost of the PHA manufacturing process reached $994,143. The annual process operation cost was $159,711. The payback period was 6.79 years, and the internal return rate was 16%. However, if costs increased by 20%, the benefits decreased by 25%. Since price of PHAs is higher than that of conventional plastic, various supports from the government could potentially push PHAs to the market. Statement of Novelty This study successfully determines the techno-economic analysis of the PHA production to form high-strength waste using MMC as the microbial source. The sensitivity analysis of the system was also performed.