The aim of this research is to assess the potential environmental impact and economic viability for the production of biodiesel from microalgae using flue gas CO2 from cement manufacturing plants and municipal wastewater as a source of water and nutrients. A theoretical Canadian case study examining the industrial symbiosis between the cement plant, wastewater treatment plant and the production of a biofuel from a co-located microalgal processing facility will be reported. The analysis will be carried out through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) which will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each technique in the biodiesel production process. A positive environmental impact arising from the use of cement production by-products or waste, such as flue gas CO2 and waste heat for the biofuel production process have been reported. Moreover, adopting wastewater as nutrients in the microalgae cultivation are clearly critical positive benefits in the life cycle analysis. These impacts must be evaluated in combination based on operational values from realistic test case scenarios to enable informed decisions to be made in the selection of operational conditions and predicting realistic production, and treatment, performances, which can ultimately lead to the development of techno-economically viable approaches.
The Environmental and Economic Benefits of Industrial Symbiosis Between a Cement Manufacturing Plant and The Produciton of Biofuel from a Microalgal Processing Facility
COLLOTTA, Massimo;ALBERTI, Marco;TOMASONI, Giuseppe
2015-01-01
Abstract
The aim of this research is to assess the potential environmental impact and economic viability for the production of biodiesel from microalgae using flue gas CO2 from cement manufacturing plants and municipal wastewater as a source of water and nutrients. A theoretical Canadian case study examining the industrial symbiosis between the cement plant, wastewater treatment plant and the production of a biofuel from a co-located microalgal processing facility will be reported. The analysis will be carried out through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) which will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each technique in the biodiesel production process. A positive environmental impact arising from the use of cement production by-products or waste, such as flue gas CO2 and waste heat for the biofuel production process have been reported. Moreover, adopting wastewater as nutrients in the microalgae cultivation are clearly critical positive benefits in the life cycle analysis. These impacts must be evaluated in combination based on operational values from realistic test case scenarios to enable informed decisions to be made in the selection of operational conditions and predicting realistic production, and treatment, performances, which can ultimately lead to the development of techno-economically viable approaches.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
