scholarly journals Environmental and Economic Assessment of Castor Oil Supply Chain: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Pari ◽  
Alessandro Suardi ◽  
Walter Stefanoni ◽  
Francesco Latterini ◽  
Nadia Palmieri
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Castor Oil ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Press Cake ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
By Products

Among the species currently cultivated for industrial vegetable oil production, castor could be a good candidate for future investments due to the good resistance to pests, tolerance to drought, and suitability for marginal lands cultivation. In addition, the production of castor oil from Ricinus generates a large quantity of press cake, husks, and crop residues that, in a framework of bioeconomy, could be used as by-products for different purposes. Using a case study approach, the work presents results of the environmental impact assessment and economic feasibility of the production of castor oil from two different castor hybrids comparing four by-products management scenarios and two harvesting systems (manual vs. mechanical). Castor hybrid C-856 harvested manually and that involved only the soil incorporation of press cake obtained by the oil extraction resulted as the most sustainable. The hybrid C-1030 resulted as more profitable than C-856 when harvested with the combine harvester. The ratio between gross margin and GWP emissions was applied to calculate the economic performance (gross margin) per unit of environmental burden. Findings showed that Sc1B scenario in case of C-856 cultivar hybrid had a better ratio between economic performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere (€3.75 per kg CO2eq).

scholarly journals Economic Assessment of Cogeneration Systems in Operation

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Papadimitriou ◽  
Vassilios Vassiliou ◽  
Kalliopi Tataraki ◽  
Eugenia Giannini ◽  
Zacharias Maroulis
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Operating Performance ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Systematic Method ◽  
Break Even Point ◽  
Combined Cooling

A systematic method to evaluate the economic operating performance of existing combined heat and power (CHP) or combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) generation systems is applied. Two key performance indicators are selected to evaluate both the technical and the economic performance, based on operating recording data; the capacity factor and the capital recovery. The case study for eight projects in Athens is presented with the purpose to reveal the current situation of CHP in Greece and identify reasons that are hindering its penetration. Interesting conclusions were reached from the analysis. Only two out of the eight projects managed to achieve the break-even point in less than four years since the beginning of their operation, while oversizing phenomena were noticed in many cases leading in extremely low capacity factors.

scholarly journals The Value of Hybrid Aspen Coppice Investment under Different Discount Rate, Price and Management Scenarios: A Case Study of Estonia

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1332
Author(s):  
Heiki Hepner ◽  
Oliver Lukason ◽  
Reimo Lutter ◽  
Allar Padari ◽  
Arvo Tullus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Hybrid Aspen ◽  
Discount Rates ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Bioenergy Production ◽  
Short Rotation

Hybrid aspen is one of the most promising tree species for short-rotation forestry in Northern Europe. After the clearcutting of hybrid aspen plantation, the next generation arises from root and stump sprouts. The economic feasibility of different management strategies of hybrid aspen coppice stands has not yet been comprehensively evaluated in Northern Europe. We compared the land expectation values (LEVs) of hybrid aspen coppice stands managed according to four scenarios: three early thinning methods (corridor, cross-corridor and single-tree) followed by conventional management and intensive bioenergy production (repeated harvests in 5-year rotations) over a 25-year period in hemiboreal Estonia. We considered the historic price volatility of aspen wood assortments under various discount rates (1–20%). We found that the 25-year rotation with different early thinning methods was more profitable than short bioenergy cycles in the case of low discount rates (<5%). The LEV of short coppice cycles for only bioenergy production became more profitable in comparison with those by thinning methods, when higher discount rates (>10%) were applied. Hybrid aspen coppice stands can be managed profitably, but more risks are taken when the management strategy focuses only on bioenergy production.

scholarly journals Purification of spent deicing fluid by membrane techniques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joni Lehto ◽  
Juha Heikkinen ◽  
Hanna Kyllönen ◽  
Juha Hakala ◽  
Marjut Suomalainen
Keyword(s):  
Propylene Glycol ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Membrane Distillation ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Annual Consumption ◽  
Deicing Fluid ◽  
Glycol Solution ◽  
Cost Factors

Abstract Membrane-based concept comprising microfiltration and nanofiltration pre-treatments, reverse osmosis pre-concentration, and membrane distillation used for final concentration was applied for producing purified and concentrated recycled deicing fluid. Additionally, a techno-economic assessment was conducted to determine the economic viability of the recycling concept. By a straightforward membrane-based concept, ∼95% of solid and colloidal impurities together with certain deicing fluid additives such as colorants and surfactants could be efficiently removed (removal efficiencies of ∼90% and ∼93%, respectively), and resulting purified deicing fluid could be concentrated to ∼60 wt% glycol solution, enabling its recycling in deicing operations. Preliminary techno-economic assessment indicated that a membrane-based concept can be used as an economically viable alternative for recycling the spent deicing fluid at airports. The techno-economic case study at an airport consuming 4,000 tonnes of deicing fluid during 6 months annually showed the concept to be economically feasible when the price of purchased propylene glycol is over 1,000 EUR/tonne. In addition to the purchase price of the propylene glycol, the most important cost factors were labor cost and the annual consumption of deicing fluid. Integrating the membrane concept with other operations at airport has potential to decrease the labor cost and further improve the economic feasibility of the concept.

Biorefinery implementation for recovery debottlenecking at existing pulp mills- Part II: Techno-economic evaluation

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
HAKIM GHEZZAZ ◽  
LUC PELLETIER ◽  
PAUL R. STUART
Keyword(s):  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Black Liquor ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Precipitation Process

The evaluation and process risk assessment of (a) lignin precipitation from black liquor, and (b) the near-neutral hemicellulose pre-extraction for recovery boiler debottlenecking in an existing pulp mill is presented in Part I of this paper, which was published in the July 2012 issue of TAPPI Journal. In Part II, the economic assessment of the two biorefinery process options is presented and interpreted. A mill process model was developed using WinGEMS software and used for calculating the mass and energy balances. Investment costs, operating costs, and profitability of the two biorefinery options have been calculated using standard cost estimation methods. The results show that the two biorefinery options are profitable for the case study mill and effective at process debottlenecking. The after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of the lignin precipitation process option was estimated to be 95%, while that of the hemicellulose pre-extraction process option was 28%. Sensitivity analysis showed that the after tax-IRR of the lignin precipitation process remains higher than that of the hemicellulose pre-extraction process option, for all changes in the selected sensitivity parameters. If we consider the after-tax IRR, as well as capital cost, as selection criteria, the results show that for the case study mill, the lignin precipitation process is more promising than the near-neutral hemicellulose pre-extraction process. However, the comparison between the two biorefinery options should include long-term evaluation criteria. The potential of high value-added products that could be produced from lignin in the case of the lignin precipitation process, or from ethanol and acetic acid in the case of the hemicellulose pre-extraction process, should also be considered in the selection of the most promising process option.

scholarly journals Modelling Sustainable Industrial Symbiosis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172
Author(s):  
Hafiz Haq ◽  
Petri Välisuo ◽  
Seppo Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Industrial Symbiosis ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Network Connections

Industrial symbiosis networks conventionally provide economic and environmental benefits to participating industries. However, most studies have failed to quantify waste management solutions and identify network connections in addition to methodological variation of assessments. This study provides a comprehensive model to conduct sustainable study of industrial symbiosis, which includes identification of network connections, life cycle assessment of materials, economic assessment, and environmental performance using standard guidelines from the literature. Additionally, a case study of industrial symbiosis network from Sodankylä region of Finland is implemented. Results projected an estimated life cycle cost of €115.20 million. The symbiotic environment would save €6.42 million in waste management cost to the business participants in addition to the projected environmental impact of 0.95 million tonne of CO2, 339.80 tonne of CH4, and 18.20 tonne of N2O. The potential of further cost saving with presented optimal assessment in the current architecture is forecast at €0.63 million every year.

Optimization of chlorine-based disinfection for the control of disinfection by-products formation and CODMn: A case study

2012 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 116-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruiping Liu ◽  
Chuan Tian ◽  
Xiaoling Liu ◽  
Han Jiang ◽  
Huijuan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
By Products
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