Towards Sustainable Concrete: A Case Study on Environmental Performance, Water, and Energy Use
摘要
This study presents a gate-to-gate environmental performance assessment of a ready-mix concrete production plant in Panama, based on twelve months of operational data. The aim is to evaluate the plant’s environmental performance by quantifying resource use and emissions within its operational boundaries. Downstream and upstream processes, such as the production and transportation of raw materials and energy generation, are not considered in this study. The analysis focuses on water, electricity, and diesel consumption, direct CO2 emissions, and effluent water quality. Monthly operational records were normalized on a per-cubic-meter basis for concrete production. Water quality was evaluated according to the DGNTI-COPANIT 24-99 regulation for treated wastewater reuse in Panama, and environmental aspects were linked to midpoint categories under the ReCiPe 2016 framework. Water consumption varied between 421.07–757.69 L/m3, electricity use ranged from 4.86–8.53 kWh/m3, and diesel consumption ranged between 3.54–6.78 L/m3. Direct emissions due to diesel combustion ranged from 9.94–19.04 kg CO2eq/m3. These values fall within international ranges but show slightly higher water and energy intensity than benchmark studies. Effluent analysis revealed partial compliance with DGNTI-COPANIT 24-99, particularly for pH, turbidity, and total coliforms, emphasizing the need for improved treatment and monitoring, and the assessment of additional indicators. This gate-to-gate assessment provides the first plant-level baseline for Panama’s concrete industry, identifying operational hotspots and opportunities for optimizing resource efficiency, improving wastewater management, and supporting national efforts toward sustainable concrete production.