Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool for achieving sustainability. Traditional LCAs analyze well defined and developed industrial systems, but recent developments of LCA focus on analyzing emerging technologies which are not yet optimized with respect to energy and materials. Therefore, LCA results of ex-ante applications can be very different from ex-post applications for the same system. The purpose of this study is to show the different effects of data scales on LCA results regarding global warming, fine particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification and freshwater eutrophication potentials. For this purpose torrefaction technology was selected as the case study and assessed based on bench scale data, lab scale data, data derived from process simulations, pilot scale data and commercial scale data. Considered environmental impacts were global warming, fine particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification and freshwater eutrophication. Results showed that process efficiencies improved significantly between the bench scale system and systems with higher technology readiness levels (TRLs), such as pilot, process simulations and commercial scale systems. Furthermore, process simulations result in scores closer to commercial scale regarding all considered environmental impacts. However, if LCA practitioners focus only on global warming impact, then pilot scale is also a good alternative. Finally, due to torrefaction technology being relatively simple in terms of raw materials input, we suggest more complex chemical systems to be assessed with LCA in various TRLs.
Highlights
Data produced from lab or bench scale apparatuses are used to perform ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of emerging tech nologies
For this purpose torrefaction technology was selected as the case study and assessed based on bench scale data, lab scale data, data derived from process simulations, pilot scale data and commercial scale data
The purpose of this study was to show the different effects of data scales in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies for the process industry and torrefaction technol ogy was selected as the case study
Summary
Data produced from lab or bench scale apparatuses are used to perform ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of emerging tech nologies. ISO classifies LCA in two types, the attributional LCA and the consequential LCA. The former concerns the environmental footprint of a process, product or system and is typically used in carbon accounting. The latter concerns the environmental consequences due to a change in a system and is typically used in policy making, when a decision is to be made. This way, LCA practitioners can assess the environmental performance of the system and after implementing the change. Regarding energy transition and circular economy, many emerging technologies are developing and their environmental performance is investigated with data derived from modeling and/or laboratory experiments
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