Assessing the environmental sustainability of early stage design for bioprocesses under uncertainties: An analysis of glycerol bioconversion. (15th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gargalo, Carina L.; Cheali, Peam; Posada, John A.; Carvalho, Ana; Gernaey, Krist V.; Sin, Gürkan
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 139(2016:Dec. 15)
• Page Start: 1245
• Page End: 1260
• Publication Date: 2016-12-15
• Subjects: Early stage design -- Life cycle environmental assessment -- Uncertainty analysis -- Bioprocesses -- Characterization factors (CFs) -- Glycerol biorefinery; 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.2016.08.156
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: The development of a bio-based economy is seen as a key strategy towards a sustainable society in a world facing climate change, energy security and social distress. However, since substantial uncertainty is involved in early-stage design analyses, the ranking and identification of potential sustainable solutions is a challenging task. This work aims at facilitating the environmental sustainability assessment under uncertainty at the conceptual design of bioprocesses. This, in turn, enables screening design alternatives, and establishing a ranking of the most promising pathways. To this end, a step-wise methodology has been proposed to assist decision-makers to: (i) collect and generate the input data for bioprocesses; (ii) systematically reduce uncertainty concerning the material fluxes at the early stage design of bioprocesses, reducing overall uncertainty in the life cycle inventory; (iii) handle parameter uncertainty, by applying the Monte Carlo technique for the propagation of uncertainty in characterization factors to the potential impact categories' outcomes; (iv) establish sound quantitative thresholds for alternatives comparison by incorporating a probabilistic interpretation; and lastly, (v) rank the alternatives within the design space. Finally, the methodology's applicability is highlighted by screening early-stage glycerol bioconversion routes to value-added chemicals for future biorefinery concepts. Through the proposed methodology, it was demonstrated that the statistical approach suggested ensures consistent and robust ranking of alternatives; thereby identifying lactic acid as the best potential environmentally sustainable alternative within the design space. Highlights: Early-stage Environmental Evaluation of Bioprocesses under Uncertainty (E3BU). Systematic algorithm to reduce uncertainty in LCI for early-stage bioprocesses. Probabilistic framework/scenarios to deal with uncertainty on the CFs. Ranking potential environmentally sustainable alternatives under uncertainty. Case study: robust ranking of six glycerol-based biorefinery products.