Life-cycle related technical-environmental multi-parameter trade-off optimization of processes.

Abstract

Environmentally benign production requires besides production integrated environmental optimization, the consideration of the life cycle, as well as End-of-Pipe technologies. On the example of a refinery, which are in focus of the environmental discussion (e.g. fuel desulphurization, VOC-, SO2-, heavy metal carrying dust emissions), different technologies (electrostatic filter, wet scrubber) and peripheral system conditions (power plants, waste water treatment) to reduce dust and heavy metal emissions will be discussed. The environmental impacts are quantified, as the goal of reducing emissions on-site may be compensated due to additional emissions from operating the technologies (electricity demand, operating supplies, shifting emissions from air to water). It may be important to integrate the demand and impact of the installation of the technologies (e.g. steel work, concrete). Thus a multi-parameter trade-off situation may occur and not any End-of-pipe technology automatically leads to environmental benefit. Besides trade-off situation in operating the technologies, secondary side effects may occur (e.g. removing emissions besides the target emissions). The knowledge of the sensitive life-cycle parameters and a suitable database-and thus the possibility to quantify impacts-leads to sustainable decision making in process design and process optimization using LCA methods.