Applying Environmental Release Inventories and Indicators to the Evaluation of Chemical Manufacturing Processes in Early Stage Development

As
manufacturing processes are developed through the early stages
of technology readiness, various assessments can be used to evaluate
their performance. Performance indicators describe processes by transforming
attributes into scores that represent desirable objectives. One type
of assessment is obtained by determining the life cycle inventories
of inputs and outputs for processes. For a functional unit of product,
the user finds the resources used and the releases to the environment,
which can be compared to results for similar processes and/or combined
with other processes in the life cycle. In this work, an expanded
range of process inputs and releases is modeled, including forklift/loader,
fugitive, storage, boiler, and cooling tower emissions. A generic
scenario approach for the cooling tower releases provides a first
approximation of emission and wastewater flows. These inventory values
are used in performance indicators that can be placed on a scale between
fixed best- and worst-case limits with the GREENSCOPE methodology,
thus allowing comparisons across various technologies. The processes
of interest are two conversion pathways for producing cellulosic ethanol
from biomass via thermochemical and biochemical routes. The results
can be used in risk assessments, decision making, evaluation of research,
and in spurring future technology development.