Life-cycle assessment for coal-based methanol production in China. (1st July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Changhang; Bai, Hongtao; Lu, Yuanye; Bian, Jinghong; Dong, Yan; Xu, He
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 188(2018)
• Page Start: 1004
• Page End: 1017
• Publication Date: 2018-07-01
• Subjects: Coal-based methanol production -- Coal gasification technology (CGT) -- Coal coking technology (CCT) -- Life-cycle assessment (LCA) -- China; CGT Coal gasification technology -- CCT Coal coking technology -- COG Coke Oven Gas -- LCA Life-cycle assessment -- LCI life-cycle inventory -- DALY Disability Adjusted Life Years -- PDF Potentially Disappeared Fraction -- ADP Abiotic depletion potential -- AP Acidification potential -- EP Eutrophication potential -- FAETP Freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity potential -- GWP Global warming potential -- ODP Ozone layer depletion potential -- POCP Photochemical ozone creation potential -- TETP Terrestrial eco-toxicity potential -- EQ Ecosystem quality -- AC/NC Acidification/eutrophication -- EC Eco-toxicity -- LC Land conversion -- LU Land utilization -- HH Human health -- CE Carcinogenic effect -- CC Climate change -- OLD Ozone layer depletion -- RA Radiation -- IR Inhalable inorganic matter -- OR Inhalable organic matter; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: More methanol is produced and used in China than in any other country. China has a great deal of coal, less oil, and little gas, so the Chinese government is enthusiastically developing the coal-based chemical industry, of which coal-based methanol production is an important part. Coal-based methanol production strongly affects the environment, so the environmental impacts of coal-based methanol production processes must be assessed. Here, two life-cycle assessment models are established using GaBi6 software, and the models and local data for coal-based methanol production are used to establish a life-cycle inventory. The environmental impacts of two typical coal-based methanol production techniques are evaluated using the CML 2001 (mid-point level) method and the Eco-indicator 99 (end-point level) models. The results indicated that less environment harm is caused by producing methanol using the coal coking technology than by producing methanol using the coal gasification technology, especially in terms of acidification, global warming, and photochemical oxidation. In particular, significantly less environmental harm in terms of climate change and radiation is caused by the coal coking technology than by the coal gasification technology. Different sub-processes clearly make different contributions to environmental harm. The results indicated that the methanol production process, heating, and desalination are the main sources of environmental harm for both the coal gasification technology and coal coking technology. Importantly, the public engineering process rather than the methanol production process itself was found to determine emissions for the different methanol production methods. Highlights: A comparative LCA for coal-based methanol production was conducted. The LCI for coal-based methanol based on site-specific investigations was proposed. The impacts of two coal-based methanol production techniques were analyzed. Potential policy implications to lower the related impacts were identified.