This chapter provides an overview of techno-economic and environmental assessments as important tools in the assessment of the feasibility, sustainability, and commercial viability of green biorefinery. The three major sections of concern are: (1) economic feasibility or viability of green biorefineries, (2) life cycle assessment or quantifying impacts, and (3) factors affecting commercial adoption. The cost-benefit analysis, techno-economic modeling, and market evaluation provide the estimate of economic viability and risk analyses to counter the issues of feedstock supply, technology performance, and market dynamics. LCAs calculate the environmental impacts for the whole life cycle of a biorefinery; thus, they consider greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and ecological effects. Comparative studies with the conventional process will indicate environmental trade-offs. Sustainability metrics are a help to support the decision-making process. A comprehensive approach toward optimization of investment and development would be through the integration of LCA with techno-economic analysis. Factors that are said to influence commercial uptake of green biorefinery technologies are policy support, market dynamics, technology readiness, public perception, and collaborative partnerships. Supportive policies, consumer awareness, and industry collaborations are considered critical elements for the induction of market acceptance and fast diffusion of technology. This chapter, therefore, focuses on a resilient, circular bioeconomy pathway in an integration of economic, environmental, and social factors. The green biorefineries can therefore be maximally used in addressing the current challenges in global sustainability in a collaborative effort toward a prosperous future that is greener.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment

  • Sanjiv K. Soni,
  • Raman Soni

摘要

This chapter provides an overview of techno-economic and environmental assessments as important tools in the assessment of the feasibility, sustainability, and commercial viability of green biorefinery. The three major sections of concern are: (1) economic feasibility or viability of green biorefineries, (2) life cycle assessment or quantifying impacts, and (3) factors affecting commercial adoption. The cost-benefit analysis, techno-economic modeling, and market evaluation provide the estimate of economic viability and risk analyses to counter the issues of feedstock supply, technology performance, and market dynamics. LCAs calculate the environmental impacts for the whole life cycle of a biorefinery; thus, they consider greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and ecological effects. Comparative studies with the conventional process will indicate environmental trade-offs. Sustainability metrics are a help to support the decision-making process. A comprehensive approach toward optimization of investment and development would be through the integration of LCA with techno-economic analysis. Factors that are said to influence commercial uptake of green biorefinery technologies are policy support, market dynamics, technology readiness, public perception, and collaborative partnerships. Supportive policies, consumer awareness, and industry collaborations are considered critical elements for the induction of market acceptance and fast diffusion of technology. This chapter, therefore, focuses on a resilient, circular bioeconomy pathway in an integration of economic, environmental, and social factors. The green biorefineries can therefore be maximally used in addressing the current challenges in global sustainability in a collaborative effort toward a prosperous future that is greener.