Abstract
A decision support platform is developed to evaluate and screen options for producing chemicals from biomass feedstock. The platform is based on the modelling of the socalled compartmental processing blocks (CPBs) and their connections. It includes a simulation tool and a synthesis/optimisation tool, both based on a central database which holds process and economic information about individual CPBs. The synthesis/optimisation tool performs screening over multiple production routes by means of modelling and optimisation of superstructures that represent possible feedstock, routes, and products in a given case of assessment. The current implementation uses Excel for the database and the simulation tool, while the synthesis/ optimisation tool is based on GAMS. A case study on green ethylene production is reported to illustrate the application of the platform.