Optimal ecodesign selection for biodiesel production in biorefineries through multicriteria decision making

González-Cruz, Luisa Andrea; Morales-Mendoza, Luis Fernando; Aguilar-Lasserre, Alberto A.; Azzaro‐Pantel, Catherine; Martínez-Isidro, Paulina; Meza-Palacios, Ramiro

doi:10.1007/s10098-021-02141-9

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The analytical hierarchy process approach was used to weight the selected criteria to achieve an improved comparison between the alternatives from multidimensional perspective. Gonzalez Cruz et al 8 conducted a study with the goal of developing an optimal design for selecting a biodiesel production process using MCDM. The study demonstrated that diverse biorefinery sustainability criteria are essential, especially those linked to environmental aspects such as the non-renewable energy used, the environmental emissions reduction after biorefinery implementation, the global warming potential and other lifecycle assessment (LCA) criteria such as human toxicity potential.…”

Section: Multicriteria Decision-making Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multicriteria assessment of technology pathways to produce renewable and sustainable biofuels: case study in eastern Canada

Bele

Benali

Stuart

2023

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

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One of the key pathways that can contribute to net-zero goals is to enhance the use of renewable and sustainable biofuels. However, uncertainties remain owing to critical challenges to selecting the right sustainable biofuels technology most suitable for the longer term. These uncertainties can be partly addressed using a multidisciplinary perspective for scenarios and multicriteria decisionmaking analysis. Multicriteria decision support tools (DSTs) are a powerful means to conduct the comparison of technology pathways at different technology readiness levels (TRLs). For this case study, a multidimensional DST was used to compare two technology pathways: (1) gasification combined with Fischer-Tropsch; and (2) hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to produce biofuels. The metrics available in the DST were examined, and five metrics related to evaluating profitability, robustness and capital efficiency as well as socio-economic performance were selected. HTL was found to have a higher yield for renewable gasoline and diesel, largely due to higher economic performance and reduced environmental footprint as compared with the integrated gasification Fischer-Tropsch process. However, the TRL of 8-9 of biomass gasification was higher than that of HTL, which was still at 5-6, reflecting that the gasification process is essentially proven at a pre-commercial scale. Based on sensitivity and scenario analyses, the importance of government support for capital cost and of biofuel price production incentives was identified as critical. From this comparison, HTL emerges as an attractive process for the future because of its outperformance from technical and environmental perspectives, but further demonstration efforts are still needed at the commercial scale.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Multicriteria Decision-making Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Multicriteria assessment of technology pathways to produce renewable and sustainable biofuels: case study in eastern Canada

Bele

Benali

Stuart

2023

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Forest based biomass and the related new businesses are often central to a vision of the transition to the sustainable and circular bioeconomy, particularly in many forest rich countries [8,9]. Numerous studies have recently been carried out to analyze conceptual and methodological developments that are taking place during the transition to more sustainable biorefineries [5,7,10,11]. However, the results differ depending on, for example, site specific conditions, chosen technology, sustainability assessment methodology and the allocation basis in multifunctional processes [6,[12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practitioners’ Perceptions of Co-Product Allocation Methods in Biorefinery Development—A Case Study of the Austrian Pulp and Paper Industry

et al. 2022

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The utilization of coproducts is a strategy that can be applied to increase the economic and environmental performance of industrial processes and thus reach an objective targeted in several environmental policies. In multi-output production processes, allocation needs to be performed to assess the products’ environmental and economic performance. It is crucial to choose an adequate allocation method, because this choice has been shown to strongly influence overall outcomes. Consequently, rash choices can lead to poor decision-making. Various ways to apply and combine allocation methods can be found in the academic literature, but it is often difficult to find sufficient guidance on how to choose an allocation method for a specific context. This study explores practitioners’ perceptions of the cost and environmental impact allocation methods used in biorefinery development (lignin, fiber fines) by applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Results indicate that professional background represents a major factor influencing individual preferences and, thus, the selection of specific allocation methods. Policy makers should be aware that practitioners with different professional backgrounds have varying preferences for different allocation methods and that this influences the overall assessments. These factors, in turn, affect the interpretation of results, further decision-making and, ultimately, the realization of environmentally sound and economically viable biorefinery projects. This issue deserves more attention in biorefineries, but also in other multi-output production processes. The findings indicate a need to consider multidisciplinary, diverse views and knowledge when conducting such assessments and to display the underlying approaches transparently.

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Modelling to analyse the process and sustainability performance of forestry-based bioenergy systems

Martínez-Hernández

Sadhukhan

Aburto

et al. 2022

Clean Techn Environ Policy

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This study develops a novel mathematical modelling framework for biomass combined heat and power systems (CHP) that links biomass and process characteristics to sustainability assessment of the life cycle. A total of twenty-nine indicators for the process (four-indicators), economic (five-indicators), environmental (eight-indicators) and social global (five-indicators) and local (seven-indicators) aspects have been analysed for sustainability. These are technological: biomass throughput, electricity and steam generations and CHP efficiency; economic: internal rate of return, capital, operating and feedstock costs and cost of production; environmental: global warming, fossil, land and water use, acidification, urban smog, eutrophication and ecotoxicity potentials; social (global): labour rights and decent work, health & safety, human rights, governance and community infrastructure; social (local): total forest land, direct/indirect jobs, gender equality and energy-water-sanitation access for communities, from biomass characteristics (carbon and hydrogen contents), energy demands and economic parameters. This paper applies the developed methodology to a case study in Mexico. From 12.47 kt/year forestry residue, 1 MWe is generated with an associated low-pressure steam generation of 50 kt/year, at the cost of production of $0.023/kWh. This makes the energy provision “affordable and clean” for marginalised/poor communities (the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG7). Bioenergy can curb > 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy use, 6 kt CO2 eq and 74 TJ annually. Bioenergy reduces other environmental impacts considerably, water consumption, acidification and eutrophication by 87–53%, and urban smog and ecotoxicity by 29–18%. Bioenergy can improve all five social themes in the Central American cluster countries. In addition to the SDG7, the forestry-based bioenergy system can also achieve the SDG6: "clean water and sanitation for all". Graphical abstract

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Optimal ecodesign selection for biodiesel production in biorefineries through multicriteria decision making

Cited by 9 publications

References 48 publications

Multicriteria assessment of technology pathways to produce renewable and sustainable biofuels: case study in eastern Canada

Multicriteria assessment of technology pathways to produce renewable and sustainable biofuels: case study in eastern Canada

Practitioners’ Perceptions of Co-Product Allocation Methods in Biorefinery Development—A Case Study of the Austrian Pulp and Paper Industry

Modelling to analyse the process and sustainability performance of forestry-based bioenergy systems

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