Commodity Production Costs Report
Lactic Acid Production from Corn (Conventional Fermentation + Solvent Extraction)
Lactic Acid Plant Capital & Operating Cost Analysis | United States | Q2 2025
This report presents the economics of Lactic Acid production starting from corn. The process under analysis is an integrated plant combining: (1) wet milling process, and (2) fermentation to produce lactic Acid. In this process, shelled corn is passed through a wet milling process to form corn starch, which, in turn, is hydrolyzed to dextrose, the feed for the fermentation process that generates lactic acid. The fermentation broth is acidified in order to recover Lactic Acid and the product is purified by the use of a solvent. An 88 wt% Lactic Acid solution in water is generated as final product.
The report provides a comprehensive study of Lactic Acid production and related Lactic Acid production cost, covering three key aspects: a complete description of the Lactic Acid production process examined; an in-depth analysis of the related Lactic Acid plant capital cost (Capex); and an evaluation of the respective Lactic Acid plant operating costs (Opex).
The Lactic Acid production process description includes a block flow diagram (BFD), an overview of the industrial site installations, detailing both the process unit and the necessary infrastructure, process consumption figures and comprehensive process flow diagrams (PFD). The Lactic Acid plant capital cost analysis breaks down the Capex by plant cost (i.e., ISBL, OSBL and Contingency); owner's cost; working capital; and costs incurred during industrial plant commissioning and start-up. The Lactic Acid plant operating costs analysis covers operating expenses, including variable costs like raw materials and utilities, and fixed costs such as maintenance, labor, and depreciation.
Product
Lactic Acid. Lactic Acid is an organic acid used in food preservation, cosmetics, and biodegradable plastics. Its antimicrobial properties and ability to create polymers make it highly valuable in a range of industries. Lactic acid is produced through the fermentation of carbohydrates and is stored as a liquid. It is in high demand for its role in sustainable packaging and personal care products.
Raw Material
Corn. Corn is available at relatively low and steady prices, it has high starch content, is easily stored, transported and handled. Such characteristics led naturally to the development of several processes to recover its starch and to process it into several industrial products. Most industrial processes make use of the shelled corn, which has been stripped from the cob during harvesting. The shelled corn is converted to other products through milling and refining. Corn milling processes can be divided in two main groups, wet milling and dry milling. In the wet milling, the corn kernel is milled in such a way that its components can be separated in an aqueous medium. In the dry milling the components of the kernel are separated using screening and air classification, but the fractionation is less efficient. Wet milling is generally used to produce high quality corn starch at high yields along with its by-products used in the animal feed (corn gluten meal and corn gluten feed) and food (corn oil) industries. Dry milling is widely used in the production of fuel Ethanol by fermentation of raw corn starch, other uses include the brewing and cereals industries.
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Professional report based on Q2 2025 economic data, ensuring timely evaluations.
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Content Highlights
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Summary outlining the capital cost required for building the Lactic Acid production plant examined.
Plant Capital Cost Details
Detailing of fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL & Owner’s Cost), working capital and additional capital requirements.
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Breakdown of Lactic Acid process unit (ISBL) costs and infrastructure (OSBL) costs; plant cost breakdown per discipline.
Operating Costs Summary
Summary presenting the operating variable costs and the total operating cost of the Lactic Acid production plant studied.
Operating Cost Details
Detailing of utilities costs, operating fixed costs and depreciation.
Plant Capacity Assessment
Comparative analysis of capital investment and operating costs for different Lactic Acid plant capacities.
Production Process Information
Block Flow Diagram, descriptions of process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL).
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption figures, by-products credits, labor requirements
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list and industrial site configuration
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Other Lactic Acid Production Cost Reports
Lactic Acid from Glucose (Conventional Fermentation + Solvent Extraction)
This study provides the economics of Lactic Acid production from glucose syrup using a fermentation process in the United States. This process is similar to Corbion process, in which Lactic Acid is recovered by acidification and purified by the use of a solvent.
Details: 100 kta United States-based plant | Q2 2025 | 107 pages | Issue E | From $799 USD
Lactic Acid from Raw Sugar (Conventional Fermentation + Solvent Extraction)
This study provides the economics of Lactic Acid production from raw sugar using a fermentation process in Germany. This process is similar to Corbion process, in which Lactic Acid is recovered by acidification and purified by the use of a solvent.
Details: 100 kta Germany-based plant | Q2 2025 | 107 pages | Issue F | From $799 USD
Lactic Acid from Glucose (Speculative Low pH Continuous Fermentation)
This report presents the economics of Lactic Acid production from glucose syrup using a speculative, continuous, low pH, fermentation process in the United States. In this process, Lactic Acid is recovered from the fermentation broth through microfiltration and nanofiltration steps, generating an 80 wt% Technical Grade Lactic Acid, with 95 wt% purity.
Details: 80 kta United States-based plant | Q2 2025 | 107 pages | Issue G | From $799 USD
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Other Related Production Cost Reports
Lactide Production
This report approaches the economics of producing Lactide from lactic acid in the United States. This process can be divided into two mains steps. First, lactic acid is polymerized into low molecular weight oligomers. Subsequently, the oligomers depolymerize generating Lactide, which is further purified to remove water and unreacted lactic acid and oligomers.
Details: 75 kta United States-based plant | Q2 2025 | 107 pages | Issue A | From $799 USD
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