Techno-economic evaluation of multiple product scenarios from pineapple leaf waste in integrated biorefinery

Abstract

Agricultural residues such as pineapple leaves represent an abundant yet underutilized resource for value addition. This study assesses the techno-economic feasibility of producing high-value products from pineapple leaf waste through a novel single-step hydrothermal process. Four scenarios were evaluated: (i) recovery of cellulose nanofibers (CNF), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), and polyphenol powder (PP) (CNF + XOS + PP), (ii) CNF + XOS, (iii) CNF + PP, and (iv) CNF only. For a 5 TPH plant operating 180 days annually (base case), the CNF + XOS + PP scenario yielded a net present value (NPV) of US$177.2 million, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 38.3 %, and a payback period (PBP) of 3.4 years. The CNF + PP scenario achieved even higher profitability with an NPV of US$196.5 million, an IRR of 40.8 %, and a PBP of 2.9 years. Sensitivity analysis revealed that operational duration and CNF price are the most influential factors. Multiproduct scenarios demonstrated significantly higher viability than CNF-only production (NPV US$53.6 million). The CNF-only case remains profitable if the minimum selling price (MSP) of CNF exceeds US$32.8/kg. Breakeven analysis indicated MSPs of US$20/kg for both CNF and XOS in the CNF + XOS + PP scenario, and US$30/kg (CNF) and US$15/kg (PP) in the CNF + PP scenario. Overall, the findings highlight that integrated agri-waste biorefineries offer strong technical and economic potential for sustainable product development and waste valorization.