Integrated Life Cycle Assessment Research Articles

Modelling environmental life cycle performance of alternative marine power configurations with an integrated experimental assessment approach: A case study of an inland passenger barge

There is pressure on the global shipping industry to move towards greener propulsion and fuel technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen and electricity are both recognised as pathways to achieve a net-zero. However, in the evaluation of the environmental performance of these alternative marine power configurations, conventional life cycle assessment (LCA) methods have limitations reflecting the varied nature of ship design and operational modes. The integration of LCA with experimental assessment could remedy the shortcoming of conventional approaches to data generation. The system energy demand data in this study was generated based on specific ship design and directly fed into life cycle assessment. To demonstrate the effectiveness and potential the approach was applied to a case study of inland waterway vessel. Suitable hybrid PV/electricity/diesel and hydrogen powered fuel cell systems for the case vessel were modelled; and hydrodynamic testing and dynamic system simulation was undertaken to provide ship performance data under various operational/environmental profiles. Lifecycle assessment (LCA) indicated hydrogen and electrical propulsion technologies have the potential for 85.7 % and 56.2 % emissions reduction against an MGO base case, respectively. The results highlight that implementation of both technologies is highly dependent on energy production pathways. Hydrogen systems reliant on fossil feedstocks risk an increase in emissions of up to 6.3 % against the MGO base case. Sensitivity analysis indicated an electrical system with electricity production from 79.5 % renewables could achieve savings of 82.2 % in GHG emissions compared to the MGO base case. Crucially, the results demonstrate a further development of the LCA approach which can enable a more accurate environmental performance evaluation of alternative marine power configurations considering specific ship design and operational characteristics. Ultimately this addition makes the results more meaningful for commercial operations and decision making in the selection of alternative marine power systems to support the transition to net-zero.

Carbon Management Accounting Considerations for Corporate Carbon Reduction: The Limitations and Future of Integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Material Flow Cost Accounting

Carbon Management Accounting Considerations for Corporate Carbon Reduction: The Limitations and Future of Integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Material Flow Cost Accounting

Developing a systematic framework for integrating life cycle carbon emission assessment in urban building energy modeling

Extensive research has been conducted in recent years on the environmental evaluation of building lifecycles, spanning construction, usage, and end-of-life phases. This holistic approach shows promise in assisting cities to achieve decarbonization goals, given the significant carbon emissions attributed to buildings in urban areas. Prior efforts have successfully utilized Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) tools to assess city-scale building energy consumption and explore energy efficiency scenarios. However, the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with UBEM, a robust environmental assessment approach, remains underexplored. The combination of LCA and UBEM can provide a comprehensive understanding of a building's environmental impact, considering energy performance as well as broader considerations such as materials, construction processes, and waste management. Despite the evident benefits, there exists a research gap in fully harnessing the potential of integrating LCA and UBEM methodologies. Further investigation is thus warranted to unlock the synergies between these approaches, establishing an integrated framework that enhances sustainability assessments and informs decision-making in the built environment. A systematic approach is essential to address the challenges associated with the development of a city-scale environmental tool. This entails defining the challenges, identifying key components, establishing a structured framework, and testing and refining it through iterations. The defined framework should be implemented in modeling tools that offer a compatible environment.To address this need, this study proposes a systematic approach to the development of a framework for the integration of LCA into UBEM tools. Firstly, a structured procedure is defined to facilitate the systematic creation of the integrated framework. This procedure serves as a guide for developers to adopt a comprehensive and organized approach in addressing the challenges of combining LCA and UBEM methodologies. Subsequently, a workflow is designed to accommodate the implementation of any improvement practices within the defined systematic process of integrating LCA into UBEM tools.Applying the developed workflow in a real case study in Montreal, Canada, reveals that embodied carbon emissions can actually be higher than operational emissions, when the energy supply is renewable (hydropower). The outcomes of this research are expected to provide guidance for future studies on Urban Building Environmental Assessment (UBEA), facilitating a structured approach to advance and improve the field.

Integrated Biorefinery for a Next-Generation Methanization Process Focusing on Volatile Fatty Acid Valorization: A Critical Review.

This review addresses the critical issue of a rapidly increasing worldwide waste stream and the need for sustainable management. The paper proposes an integrated transformation toward a next-generation methanization process, which leads not only to treating waste but also to converting it into higher value compounds and greener energy. Although the current and commonly used anaerobic digestion process is useful for biogas production, it presents limitations of resource exploitation and some negative environmental impacts. Focusing on the acidogenic stage in waste stream processing, the paper discusses the recent strategies to enhance the recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). These acids serve as precursors for synthesizing a variety of biochemicals and biofuels, offering higher value products than solely energy recovery and soil fertilizers. Additionally, the importance of recycling the fermentation residues back into the biorefinery process is highlighted. This recycling not only generates additional VFAs but also contributes to generating clean energy, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability and efficiency of the waste management system. Moreover, the review discusses the necessity to integrate life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) to evaluate the environmental impacts, sustainability, and processing costs of the proposed biorefinery.

Integrated life cycle assessment in off-grid energy system design—Uncovering low hanging fruit for climate mitigation

We perform an ex-ante life cycle assessment, integrating cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions into an off-grid energy system model. By applying a multi-objective optimization, minimizing both costs and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions, we find the Pareto boundary between these two goals. As a case study, we chose the power supply to an astronomical observatory in Chile, using mostly solar power and energy storage in batteries and hydrogen. We compare the ex-ante study to a prior ex-post life cycle assessment, and furthermore dive into sensitivities of our model regarding component lifetimes and costs. We find (i) low-hanging fruit in lowering emissions with small cost increases, (ii) ex-ante life cycle assessments’ possibility to find less CO2e intensive power systems compared to ex-post conducted studies, (iii) a pronounced sensitivity of the optimization model on assumed lifetimes of energy storage components. This study shows the importance of including life cycle CO2e emissions into the optimization objective of energy system models. This method uncovers the environmental and economic trade-offs associated with high shares of renewable energies in off-grid energy systems.

Sustainability risk assessment in manufacturing: A Life Cycle Assessment-based Failure Mode and Effects Analysis approach

This study introduces a methodology integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify and assess environmental sustainability risks in manufacturing processes in alignment with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). In contrast to existing top-down approaches at sector and company level, this methodology specifically addresses the challenge of transitory sustainability risks in manufacturing, driven by rapid changes in regulatory frameworks and market expectations, by providing a robust and adaptable framework for comprehensive, bottom-up risk assessment directly on the manufacturing shop floor. Through a detailed literature review, the paper identifies gaps in current risk assessment methods and proposes a novel approach that enhances traditional FMEA by incorporating LCA results, thereby facilitating a comprehensive, quantitative analysis of sustainability risks. The practical application of this methodology is demonstrated through a case study, underscoring its effectiveness in real-world settings and potential for broader applications in sustainable manufacturing. The results presented in the paper also include quantitative sustainability performance benchmarks for the EU28 industrial sector, offering a strategic tool for manufacturers to improve sustainability practices, align operations with environmental standards, and mitigate transitory sustainability risks. This research contributes to the sustainable evolution of manufacturing, providing a methodological foundation for understanding and managing sustainability risks.

Life cycle assessment of an innovative alcohol-to-jet process: The case for retrofitting a bioethanol plant for sustainable aviation fuel production

This paper aims to carry out an integrated Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of retrofitting an existing first-generation ethanol plant for sustainable aviation fuel production. Two scenarios are defined, considering: (i) the incorporation of an alcohol-to-jet conversion pathway into a current bioethanol plant in Spain to produce synthetic paraffinic kerosene with aromatics biofuel, and (ii) the operation of two different plants, namely, an existing bioethanol production facility and a new-build ATJ plant. Results indicate that the global warming impact associated with the retrofitting of the bioethanol facility is 44.15 gCO2eq per MJ of final fuels produced. The main GHG impact is associated with the operation of both the cogeneration system (∼42 %) and the natural gas boilers (∼25 %) to cover the heat and power requirements of the bioethanol facility. Findings concerning the climate change impact of the new-build ATJ plant exhibit analogous behavior; the GHG impact is estimated at 44.53 gCO2eq/MJfuels. Future electricity supply mixes with high shares of renewables could lead to substantially lower GHG emissions (up to 61 %) in aviation fuel production, as compared to conventional jet fuels. The replacement of natural gas with sustainable alternatives could further decrease the global warming impact up to 97 %.

An integrated life cycle assessment and energy simulation framework for residential building walling systems

Designing building wall systems is a multi-criteria problem characterised by a complex interplay of variables that drive long-term energy and environmental performance. Achieving holistic sustainability outcomes will require the application of life cycle thinking to the design and evaluation of building walling systems. However, the aspiration for minimising operational and embodied energy and mitigating the environmental impacts requires conflicting strategies. Therefore, this study proposes a comprehensive, integrated life cycle and energy simulation (ILES) methodology for analysing different walling systems of residential buildings in India and Australia. This method involves performing a process-based life cycle assessment to compute the environmental impacts of various walling materials, followed by energy modelling to evaluate the performance of these materials in the operational phase of buildings in combination with embodied energy analysis, which accounts for energy consumption during the material manufacturing phases. The results reveal that insulated cavity-clay masonry or concrete walls with extruded polystyrene are favourable Australian walling options, while metal cladding-based walling systems have significant environmental and energy burdens. For India, autoclave aerated block, fly ash bricks, and concrete block-based walling systems are recommended, while reinforced concrete and clay brick walls exhibit significant environmental and energy burdens. This study also advocates the consideration of supply chains in mitigating Scope 3 emissions from building walling systems in residential buildings.

Assessing the environmental sustainability of consumer-centric poultry chain in the UK through life cycle approaches and the household simulation model

Chicken fillets, predominantly encased in disposable plastic packaging, represent a common perishable commodity frequently found in the shopping baskets of British consumers, with an annual slaughter exceeding 1.1 billion chickens. The associated environmental implications are of considerable significance. However, a noticeable gap exists concerning the household-level ramifications of chicken meat consumption, which remains a prominent driver (165 kg CO2eyr−1 per capita) of environmental impacts in the United Kingdom (UK). This study's primary objective is to integrate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology with insights derived from a spectrum of interventions simulated within the Household Simulation Model (HHSM). The interventions that are simulated are influenced by various consumer behaviours related to the purchase, consumption, storage and disposal of chicken fillets. The overarching aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the environmental consequences associated with each intervention.The research encompasses eight distinct household archetypes and the UK average, with a focus on discerning differences in their environmental influence. The introduction of shelf-life extension measures leads to a reduction in the overall environmental impacts (in μPt), with reductions ranging from 1 % to 18 %. Concurrently, waste treatment's environmental burdens can be curtailed by 9 % to 69 % for the UK average. Of the 12 interventions tested, the intervention that combines a one-day extension in the shelf life of open packs and a three-day extension for unopened packs leads to the greatest reduction in environmental impacts, at 18 % for the entire process and 69 % for the waste treatment. This intervention is estimated to yield annual reductions of 130,722 t of CO2 emissions across the entire process and 34,720 t of CO2 emissions from waste treatment, as compared to the default scenario. These findings demonstrate the importance of integrating consumer behaviour, food waste, and packaging considerations within the domain of food LCA research.

Environmental optimization and operational efficiency: Analysing the integration of life cycle assessment (LCA) into ERP systems in Moroccan companies

During the 2000s, the synergy between Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems represented a major step forward in the integration of environmental sustainability into basic business processes. This study set out to investigate how Moroccan enterprises incorporate LCA into their ERP systems, aiming to understand the impact on environmental sustainability and operational efficiency. Through a methodical empirical study, involving a survey distributed to 220 companies across Morocco, the study garnered 95 qualified responses. These responses, from companies that own and operate ERP, were analysed using SPSS V25.0 for statistical and correlation analysis. The findings highlighted that the fusion of LCA into ERP systems fosters a more sustainable and efficient framework for business operations among Moroccan companies. Such integration not only secures a competitive advantage for businesses but also contributes to global sustainability goals. The analysis verified that Moroccan companies, by weaving LCA into their ERP systems, can refine their decision-making by weighing environmental alongside economic and operational considerations. This integrated approach underpins a holistic sustainability framework, helping companies align their activities with environmental targets more effectively. Moreover, the survey illuminated a pronounced correlation between the company size and the propensity for integrating LCA into ERP systems, with larger firms showing a more marked inclination towards this synergy compared to their smaller counterparts. Consequently, integrating LCA with ERP systems is revealed as a pivotal strategy for Moroccan businesses, equipping them with a mechanism to embed sustainability into their operational and strategic planning.

A synergistic integration of life cycle assessment and response surface methodology to optimize grape stalk waste-based biosorption for effective Cd(II) removal

In order to remove Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions, this research suggests an in-depth study on a laboratory scale for the efficient and sustainable removal of Cd(II) in aqueous solution using wine industry grape stalk waste. The maximum biosorption capacity that was achieved was 84.74 mg/g for the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic studies revealed that the biosorption data were better explained by a pseudo-second order model. By using the response surface method with desirability functions, the optimal variables were determined for three optimization scenarios. The first optimization scenario yielded the highest percentage of cadmium removal, reaching 87.75%. The goal of that scenario was intended to obtain the maximum percentage of cadmium removal while minimizing the cost of the process. In this scenario, the greatest environmental impact was on the marine aquatic ecotoxicity (2.685 kg 1.4 DB eq.) with a power consumption of 27.05 W. Furthermore, the values for the input variables were an initial cadmium concentration of 0.6 mg/l, pH of 7.5, stirring time of 10 min, stirring speed of 100 rpm, a process temperature of 15 °C, and a dose of grape stalk of 0.50 g. The experimental and predicted findings agree. This suggests that grape stalk waste has potential applications as a biosorbent for the removal of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution.

Life cycle sustainability assessment of the platinum supply chain in the European Union

This study investigates the sustainability of platinum, designated a “critical raw material” by the European Commission. Platinum has an essential role in automotive catalysts and hydrogen fuel cells, pivotal for the energy transition. This research examines the sustainability of platinum, extending the scope to incorporate social and economic factors, contrary to the predominant tendency of focusing solely on environmental aspects. First, a Material Flow Analysis (MFA) maps the platinum supply chain, identifying critical nodes within it. Second, a sustainability assessment is performed, including an environmental, social, and economic assessment of the supply chain, in order to evaluate the total impact and therefore the sustainability of the use of platinum. The integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with input-output matrices (Environmentally-Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output or EEMRIO method), allows for a regional analysis to locate the main sources of impact. Finally, an equilibrium range for sustainability assessment (ERSA) is proposed to guide European policies, striving for a balance among environmental, social, and economic impacts, particularly comparing primary with secondary production, and primary production outside and inside the EU. The results show that secondary production of platinum causes a substantial drop in CO2-eq emissions (100.9 %) and labour hours (78.9 %), but the costs increase significantly compared to primary production. A balanced approach between primary and secondary production (50–55 % recycling) is recommended to enhance environmental, economic, and social sustainability. The production of platinum in the European Union (EU) results in a 32 % reduction in CO2-eq emissions and 94 % fewer labour hours, but costs increase by 55.2 % compared to production in non-EU countries. The equilibrium range for sustainability assessment (ERSA) would be such that 27–53 % of the total consumption of platinum in EU is produced within EU countries. Knowledge about the platinum supply chain and the environmental, social, and economic impacts produced (in different stages or countries) is fundamental to establishing short- and long-term economic and environmental strategies.

Establishing criteria for advancing circular economy practices in the beer industry: A case study in South Vietnam

AbstractThis study involves an extensive examination of the brewing industry, specifically focusing on Company A in South Vietnam alongside five other Vietnamese beer companies (B, C, D, E, and F). By employing a multifaceted approach that integrates Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), evaluations of emission loads, and the establishment of criteria for a circular economy model, the study aims to investigate environmental impact, waste generation, energy consumption and potential circular solutions within these breweries. The findings from the survey indicate similarities in the fundamental production processes among the surveyed factories. However, differences were noted in technological advancement and the utilization of raw materials. Challenges in acquiring data, driven by industry competitiveness, highlighted discrepancies in technology investments and the implementation of circular solutions across the breweries. Assessment of emission loads, wastewater and exhaust gas data demonstrated Company A's compliance with environmental standards. Nonetheless, comparative analysis revealed that the water and energy consumption of Company A were 1.5–2.5 times greater, with carbon emissions of 2000–6000 kgCO2eq/m3 product, compared to other breweries. The comprehensive LCA uncovered higher water and energy footprints in Company A, emphasizing potential areas for significant improvements in water usage efficiency and energy conservation. Through the creation of a preliminary set of criteria, subsequent screening, and expert consultation utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a set of 21 criteria was established. This system supports the assessment of current brewery statuses and identifies potential pathways for improvement towards a circular economy model. Recommendations include the adoption of industry‐agriculture models, waste recycling, energy efficiency initiatives and the integration of renewable energy for sustainable development in beer production.

Life cycle assessment of direct recycling hot press forging of aluminium AA7075 metal matrix composite

The primary objective of this research is to investigate the process of direct recycling of AA7075 aluminium alloy, which is extensively utilised in the aerospace and flight sectors due to its exceptional strength and lightweight characteristics. Alumina (Al2O3) is used as a reinforcing agent and the effect of hot press forging (HPF) parameters on the mechanical characteristics and surface integrity of the metal matrix composite (MMC) constructed of AA7075 alloy with 1% Al2O3 has been studied. Furthermore, the utilisation of an integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) approach is implemented to assess the environmental impacts and economic expenses associated with the recycling of aluminium via high-pressure forming for both the metal matrix composite and AA7075 alloy. Response surface methodology (RSM) is applied to ascertain the optimal parameters for high-performance filtration. The findings suggest that employing a forging temperature of 532.34 °C and a holding time of 60 min produces favourable results. When comparing the characteristics of the MMC and recycled aluminium, it can be observed that they both demonstrate similar essential process attributes. The utilisation of HPF in conjunction with the Multi-Material Composite has the potential to yield a reduction of up to 24.97% in Global Warming Potential (GWP). This research demonstrates the efficacy of HPF as a viable approach for environmentally conscious and economically efficient recycling of AA7075 aluminium scrap, thereby improving product performance and promoting sustainability.

Methodological approach based on life cycle assessment for upcycling leftover concrete into dry industrial mortars

This study examines the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a crucial decision-making tool in by-product recovery studies within the construction sector. Unlike conventional methods that often delay LCA until after thecnical studies, our approach places LCA at the forefront of decision-making, ensuring that environmental considerations guide material design.This study investigates the valorization of concrete return fines in dry-mix mortars, starting with an initial LCA to validate environmental benefits of substituting natural sand by recycled sand before testing various formulations with different substitution rate.Our findings reveal significant reduction mainly in natural resource depletion, particularly evident at a 55% substitution rate, suggesting complete independence from natural resources. Additionally, the ecological profitability threshold is established at 200 km, indicating the radius within which the recycled sand can be used without compromising environmental gains.Economically, Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of using recycled sand, even when its price exceeds that of natural sand. This economic resilience allows for flexibility in setting the selling price of recycled sand, thereby enhancing its valuation.In conclusion, our approach represents a paradigm shift in ecological decision-making by priotirizing LCA to emphasize the balance between environmental benefits and economic viability. This study paves the way for an eco-friendly application with significant potential for adoption within the construction industry.

Assessing sustainability of microalgae-based wastewater treatment: Environmental considerations and impacts on human health

An integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) were conducted to assess microalgae-mediated wastewater disinfection (M-WWD). M-WWD was achieved by replacing ultraviolet disinfection with a microalgal open raceway pond in an existing sewage treatment plant (STP) in India. Regarding impacts on human health, both M-WWD and STP yielded comparable life cycle impacts, around 0.01 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per person per year. However, QMRA impacts for M-WWD (0.053 DALYs per person per year) were slightly lower than that for STP while considering exposure to E. coli O157:H7 and adenovirus. Additionally, a comparative LCA resolved the dilemma about the appropriate utilization of microalgal biomass. Among biodiesel, biocrude, and biogas production, the lowest impacts of 0.015 DALYs per person per year were obtained for biocrude for 1 m3 water treated by M-WWD. Electricity consumption in microalgae cultivation was a major environmental hotspot. Overall, M-WWD, followed by production of microalgal biocrude, emerged as a sustainable alternative from environmental and public health perspectives. These findings set the foundation for pilot-scale M-WWD system development, testing, and economic evaluation. Such comprehensive investigations, encompassing LCA, QMRA, and resource recovery scenarios, offer crucial insights for stakeholders and decision-makers in wastewater treatment and environmental management.

Recent Technological Advancements in BIM and LCA Integration for Sustainable Construction: A Review

In the high-energy, high-carbon landscape of the construction industry, a detailed and precise life cycle assessment (LCA) is essential. This review examines the role of building information modeling (BIM) software in streamlining the LCA process to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Despite its potential, challenges such as software interoperability and compatibility persist, with no unified standard for choosing BIM-integrated LCA software. Besides, the review explores the capabilities and limitations of various BIM software, LCA tools, and energy consumption tools, and presents characteristics of BIM-LCA integration cases. It critically discusses BIM-LCA integration methods and data exchange techniques, including bill of quantities import, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) import, BIM viewer usage, direct LCA calculations with BIM plugins, and LCA plugin calculations. Finally, concluding with future perspectives, the study aims to guide the development of advanced LCA tools for better integration with BIM software, addressing a vital need in sustainable construction practices.

Integrating BIM-LCA to Enhance Sustainability Assessments of Constructions

The need for sustainable practices in the construction sector has never been more pressing, as the sector seeks to mitigate its carbon footprint, water consumption, and waste generation. The integration of building information modeling (BIM) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) emerges as a promising solution for rapidly and accurately evaluating the environmental impact of construction. This integration has the potential to empower stakeholders to make informed decisions, paving the way for a more environmentally conscious future in the construction sector. However, there are still challenges to overcome before this is a standard procedure. Data interoperability and standardized classifications necessitate ongoing research. To understand the potential of BIM–LCA integration in minimizing carbon emissions in constructions, this study focuses on a hypothetical renovation project, unraveling the mechanics of BIM–LCA integration and exploring its challenges and opportunities. While the existing literature acknowledges the potential benefits of BIM–LCA integration, few research efforts delve into the specific issues that practitioners may face. Our approach seeks to fill this gap by presenting a holistic view of the integration process, highlighting the practical steps and addressing the intricacies involved. The results show that the most relevant information when performing a BIM–LCA integration using Revit® (v 2022) and OneClick LCA (OCL) is the name-property given to the materials within Revit®. Despite the advances made by this semi-automated approach, interoperability and data accessibility challenges remain. The results show that automated material identification relies on Revit® classifications and necessitates careful modeling practices to prevent impact-calculation redundancy.

Integrating Life Cycle Assessment in Conceptual Aircraft Design: A Comparative Tool Analysis

Early and rapid environmental assessment of newly developed aircraft concepts is eminent in today’s climate debate. This can shorten the decision-making process and thus accelerate the entry into service of climate-friendly technologies. A holistic approach within the conceptual aircraft design is taken into consideration in terms of a life cycle assessment (LCA) to properly model and evaluate these concepts. To provide an understanding of how different LCA software affects the assessment, the goals of this study are to establish a baseline metrics definition for comparative evaluation and apply them to two tools. The first tool is an existing simplified derivative of openLCA, while the second, developed in this study, is an automated interface to the same software. The main finding is that researchers and practitioners must carefully consider the intended use of the tool. The simplified tool is suitable for training and teaching purposes and assessments on single score level. In contrast, an advanced tool is required in order to appropriately analyze the overall impact categories requiring high levels of LCA expertise, modeling, and time effort.

Wind farm site selection using GIS-based multicriteria analysis with Life cycle assessment integration

The sustainability of wind power plants depends on the selection of suitable installation locations, which should consider not only economic and technical factors including manufacturing and raw materials, but also issues pertaining to the environment. In the present study, a novel methodology is proposed to determine the suitable locations for wind turbine farms by analyzing from the environmental perspective. In the methodology, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of wind turbines is incorporated into the decision process. The criteria are ranked using analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The study area is chosen as the western region of Türkiye. The obtained suitability map reveals that wind speed is not the sole criterion for selecting a site for wind turbine farms; other factors, such as bird migration paths, distance from urban areas and land use, are also crucial. The results also reveal that constructing wind power plants in the vicinity of İzmir, Çanakkale, Istanbul, and Balıkesir in Türkiye can lead to a reduction in emissions. İzmir and its surrounding area show the best environmental performance with the lowest CO2 per kilowatt-hour (7.14 g CO2 eq/kWh), to install a wind turbine due to its proximity to the harbor and steel factory across the study area. Çanakkale and the northwest region of Türkiye, despite having high wind speeds, are less environmentally favorable than İzmir, Balıkesir, and Istanbul. The findings of LCA reveal that the nacelle and rotor components of the wind turbine contribute significantly (43–97%) to the environmental impact categories studied, while the tower component (0–36%) also has an impact.