Environmental sustainability assessment of renewables‐based propylene glycol at full industrial scale production

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDGlycerol, a by‐product from oleochemical or biodiesel production, can be used to produce renewables‐based propylene glycol (PG). The environmental sustainability of PG was evaluated using life‐cycle assessment. The effect of shifting from petrochemical to renewables‐based PG was assessed by using data from an industrial scale renewables‐based PG production plant. A contribution analysis was performed to identify the hotspots in the production process. The effects of implementing a sustainable sourcing strategy and producing steam/electricity by combined heat and power (CHP) were assessed.RESULTSA switch from petrochemical to renewables‐based PG results in a reduction of the climate change impact between 40% and 60% kg CO2 eq. A shift of burden is found to agriculture‐related indicators. For the biodiesel and oleochemical production route, respectively, 73% and 59% of the impact on climate change is related to feedstock production. By implementing two improvements, the emitted CO2 eq. for biodiesel PG could be reduced by 38%.CONCLUSIONSSwitching from petrochemical to renewables‐based PG has a clear environmental benefit for slowing climate change. However, the shift of burden towards agriculture‐related indicators shows the need to ensure sustainable agricultural practices. Combining both on‐site improvements and a more sustainable supply chain effectively decreases the environmental impact. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry