The PROSUITE project Development of a sustainability assessment methodology and case studies on biorefineries and organic waste management ERRMA meeting Brussels, April, 2, 2014 Ghent University Steven De Meester, Jo Dewulf

Prospective Sustainability Assessment of Technologies Sustainability:  Triple P  Micro & macro Prospective  Development of basic engineering modules for LCA  Development of cost tool for LCC Four case studies: nano, CCS, IT, Biorefineries PROSUITE

New approach within Prosuite 5 Impact categories: – Impact on natural environment – Impact on exhaustible resources – Impact on human health – Impact on social well-being – Impact on prosperity Mostly present generation Mostly future generations

Prospective: engineering modules

Prospective: SCENT

Case study WP 6.1

Biorefineries: technology assessment Anaerobic digestion of energy crops and organic waste Biobased PVC Alkyd resins Sugarcane Brazil Silage maize, use of digestate fertilizer

Biorefineries: inventory collection case 1  Reference = coal electricity (387 TWh/y according to IEA blue map scenario 2030) De Meester, S.; Demeyer, J.; Peene, A.; Velghe, F.; Van Langenhove, H.; Dewulf, J. The environmental sustainability of anaerobic digestion as a biomass valorization technology. Bioresource Technology, 121, , Background data: ecoinvent database

Results case 1 (Condorcet)

Case 2: inventory UGent: Literature Solvay: Primary ecoinvent database Solvay: Primary Background data (e.g. electricity): ecoinvent database Alvarenga, R.; Dewulf, J.; De Meester, S.; Wathelet, A.; Villers, J.; Thommeret, R.; Hruska, Z. Life cycle assessment of bioethanol-based PVC. Part 1: Attributional approach. Part 2: Consequential approach. Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, 7, , 2013.

Results case 2 (Condorcet) Condorcet with weighting

Testing of new methodologies – Modelling of economic and environmental inventories Biorefineries – Often lower impact in environmental impact categories Exceptions: PM emissions, eutrophication, etc. – Economic and social impact less evident (e.g. agriculture) Full sustainability assessment – New steps! New insights! – 5 endpoints, micro and macro – Still research needed (social quantification, resource consumption, etc.) Conclusions

Thank you! -