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A multi-objective optimization strategy for energy plants in Italy
Abstract
In recent years, Europe has promoted a series of waste regulations to achieve greater protection of the environment. This objective can be obtained by adopting an integrated management system for the reduction of waste production and developing systems for waste sorting, energy recovery and waste recycling. Such interventions that find their justification in an environmental perspective must be also sustainable from an economic perspective. An analysis of the Italian situation highlights a dependency on landfills; this phenomenon must be reduced to identify actions aimed at safeguarding and protecting the environment. The aim of this paper is to analyse the economic and environmental benefits from diverting waste from landfills towards energy recovery in twenty Italian regions.
... FNPV, on the total investment cost, measures the performance of the investment independently of the sources or methods of financing and does not assess the impact of the tax. This approach is been used by [14,15] in according to [16] - Table 1. In this paper, we propose a new approach in which these aspects are analysed and newest data are used (a specific attention is dedicated to subsidies). ...
... It estimates the profitability of investments through FNPV. FNPV of a time series of cash flows, both incoming and outgoing, is defined as the sum of the present values of the individual cash flows [15]. The economic model implemented for this scope is described below: ...
... • In 11 scenarios with size ≥ 500kt. Table 2 present a reduction of about 6% than values proposed in other works [14,15] and consequently further reductions are not expected. ...
Great quantities of waste are conferred in landfill and this causes serious damages to the ecosystems. Nowadays waste to energy (WTE) is considered an effective disposal system for unsorted materials. Heat and electricity produced by waste is able to develop the circular economy and can help to reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels. This paper aims to define the financial feasibility of investments in WTE plants of different sizes (from 50kt to 750kt). The indicator used for calculating the profitability is financial net present value (FNPV). Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis on critical variables (selling price of electricity, heat selling price, degree of saturation, investment cost, cost of elimination of ash and slag waste, risk free, lower heating value) is conducted and the role of subsidies is investigated. These results can support the choices of local and national policy-makers.
... All steps of waste management (for example: waste minimization, segregation and containerization, intermediate storage, internal transport, centralized storage) are relevant decisional points and it is necessary to adopt proper analysis for the definition of an optimal and correct waste management framework [19,20]. To proceeding in this way, this research has required analysis, previously achieved, related to: localization of incinerators facilities, evaluation of centralized or decentralized solutions, economic, financial and environmental analysis of incinerator investment [21] sensitivity and risk analysis [22] definition of optimal waste management strategy for the Italian regions [23] In the follow of paper, the current management systems in Europe and Italy are presented (Section 2). Since the final scope is to define a national optimal waste management strategy, is required to analyse the possible waste management disposal and the connected financial benefits (Section 3). ...
... The aim of this paper is to define the optimal fWMS for the waste management. Starting from achieved results [23], it is not used a comparative analysis methods between recycling and incinerator solutions; the two waste treatments can be used simultaneously . Differently by previous research, newest data referring to 2010 are used; moreover, the knowledge of a longer time-series allows to define a more accurate future trend. ...
... The fWMSs presented in this research are based on input data and the results can change if there is a change in these input data. With respect to the previous research [23]. Italy has a lower necessity of energy recovery: the actual results are based on newest data and on future estimates based a longer time series. ...
... Much research in Europe, including, e.g., LCA studies, is devoted to increase the effectiveness of waste incinerators and improve the combustion processes to reduce emissions [30][31][32][33]. In Sweden however, the main focus today is on the emissions of fossil CO 2 from incinerators and how these can be reduced through the reduction of plastics and other synthetic material in the waste. ...
... Thus, 41% from formally collected waste still has an inadequate final destination. 60% of Brazil's municipalities face severe challenges in waste management, due to illegal dumping, inadequate or inefficient infrastructure and lack of resources [30]. Brazil's waste regime is still primarily based on dumping and landfilling and is facing an exponential increase in waste generation, based on throw-away and planned obsolescence, since the 1980s. ...
Waste is a valuable commodity and remains a livelihood source for waste pickers in the global South. Waste to Energy (WtoE) is often described as alternative to landfilling, as it provides cheap fuel while making waste disappear. In some European cities, this method has evolved into an impediment, slowing down the adoption of more sustainable technologies and waste prevention. These plants typically strain municipal budgets and provide fewer jobs than recycling and composting, thereby inhibiting the development of small-scale local recycling businesses. We applied the idea of ‘waste regime’ with an interdisciplinary and situated lens to provide insights to the following questions: How do different political developments in Brazil and Sweden, frame and reframe waste incineration and energy recovery, in the context of sustainability and waste management on local, regional and national levels? What forms of resistance against WtoE exist and what are the arguments of these protagonists? We evaluated the impact of WtoE and compare it with other waste management options with regard to CO2 balances and general environmental and social impacts. We conclude by suggesting more socially and environmentally appropriate ways of waste management, particularly for the context of global South cities.
... This paper belongs to a wider area of research where a plan for the optimal management of unsorted waste for each region has been defined, based on multi-level analysis. The NWMP, developed with a particular focus on energy recovery, allows a 34% diversion of waste from landfills [5,34] with the used strategy based on recycling and energy recovery. To obtain generalisable results, not linked to the input data, several scenarios based on different levels of landfill use have been hypothesised: share of waste energy recovery of 75% (WtoE 75% ), energy recovery of 75% but with a maximum level on dimensional incinerator facilities of 500 kt (WtoE δ(75%) ), energy recovery of 50% (WtoE 50% ) and energy recovery of 25% (WtoE 25% ). ...
... Thus, the quantification of the costs of not implementing such projects is necessary. For example, a 1-year delay realisation of WtoE 75% NWMP (with a lifetime of 30 years) is responsible for a revenue loss of 36 M€ [34]. Alternatively, large facilities can be replaced with more than one smaller incinerator. ...
... Among bio-based materials, hemp insulators are seen as new materials in the choice of insulation and are increasingly favored by eco-builders [23,24]. According to the IAL Consultants data, in Europe, the share of hemp insulating materials in the total market for thermal insulation products is still very low [25]. ...
In the European Union, about 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions come from buildings; therefore, the improvement of their energy performance is a strongly focused issue. In particular, the energy efficiency of the building envelope is a very important element to pay attention to. Many studies have been conducted on this field of research, and the study illustrated in this paper also belongs to this topic. In particular, this article presents a multidisciplinary method to find sustainable solutions for energy efficiency in Italian climatic contexts using the Life Cycle Cost Analysis approach. In detail, this paper defines the reference scenario and then deepens the methodology used to determine the economically optimal thickness of a specific insulating material—hemp fiber—applied to a specific type of wall—uninsulated cavity walls made of hollow bricks, which are very widespread in Italy. The analysis is developed in relation to three different regions—Piedmont, Abruzzo, and Campania. The results show that the economically optimal thickness is different for each region analyzed and demonstrates how energy efficiency strategies must be carefully weighed according to the specific conditions of the site.
... Developing holistic strategies for life cycle waste activities requires the cooperation of various stakeholders (e.g. citizens, state authorities, and enterprises), implying trade-offs among safe collection and disposal, socio-economic feasibility, technologies available, efficient waste services and environmentally-friendly actions (e.g., GHG emissions reduction) (Zotos et al., 2009;Zaman, 2014;Cucchiella et al., 2013). Given the various operating objectives of the waste sector, alternative measures involving waste prevention, transportation improvement and disposal optimization have been proposed in current city management. ...
Waste-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been recognized as one of the prominent contributors to global warming. Current urban waste regulations, however, face increasing challenges from stakeholders' trade-offs and hierarchic management. A combined method, i.e., life cycle inventories and scenario analysis, was employed to investigate waste-related GHG emissions during 1995-2015 and to project future scenarios of waste-driven carbon emissions by 2050 in a pilot low carbon city, Xiamen, China. The process-based carbon analysis of waste generation (prevention and separation), transportation (collection and transfer) and disposal (treatment and recycling) shows that the main contributors of carbon emissions are associated with waste disposal processes, solid waste, the municipal sector and Xiamen Mainland. Significant spatial differences of waste-related CO2e emissions were observed between Xiamen Island and Xiamen Mainland using the carbon intensity and density indexes. An uptrend of waste-related CO2e emissions from 2015 to 2050 is identified in the business as usual, waste disposal optimization, waste reduction and the integrated scenario, with mean annual growth rates of 8.86%, 8.42%, 6.90% and 6.61%, respectively. The scenario and sensitivity analysis imply that effective waste-related carbon reduction requires trade-offs among alternative strategies, actions and stakeholders in a feasible plan, and emphasize a priority of waste prevention and collection in Xiamen. Our results could benefit to the future modeling of urban multiple wastes and life-cycle carbon control in similar cities within and beyond China.
... The widespread development of renewable energy sources (RESs) is mainly driven by the aim to contrast the climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in addition to the reduction of energy dependency that characterizes most European countries [3][4][5]. RESs play a key-role in the transition towards a low-carbon economy and are guided by sustainable principles [6]. The sustainability of PV source is a popular topic in literature [7,8] and the growth of this resource is impressive in the last years. ...
New installed annual solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity was equal to 76.1 GW in 2016 (+49%), reaching the total of 305 GW around the world. PV sources are able to achieve a greater energy independence, to tackle the climate change and to promote economic opportunities. This work proposes an economic analysis based on well-known indicators: Net Present Value (NPV), Discounted Payback Time (DPBT) and Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). Several case studies are evaluated for residential households. They are based on three critical variables: plant size (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 kW), levels of insolation (1350, 1450 and 1550 kWh/(m²xy)) and share of self-consumption (30%, 40% and 50%). The profitability is verified in all case studies examined in this work. The role of self-consumption, that is the harmonization between demanded and produced energy, is strategic in a mature market to improve financial performance. A sensitivity analysis, based on both electricity purchase and sales prices (critical variables), confirms these positive results. The Reduction in the Emissions of Carbon Dioxide (ERcd) signifies an environmental improvement when a PV system is used as an alternative to a mix of fossil fuels. Finally, a policy proposal is examined based on a fiscal deduction of 50% fixing the period of deduction equal to 5 years.
... Optimization of infrastructure systems using standard methodology is not necessarily successful in cities. In fact, an analysis of optimization processes shows interesting results for new methods and techniques of construction, tested in different sectors (construction, transport, energy), but these are not always functional or efficient within a system-oriented approach (Bunning, 2014;Cucchiella et al., 2013;Childers et al., 2014;Cucchiella and D'Adamo, 2015;Studer, 2014). The objectives are often sectorial and do not produce the exponential effect of a system-oriented approach. ...
Issues relating to the illumination of historical minor centers have taken on increasing significance in debates on urban rehabilitation. Interventions must ensure balance with the surrounding environment whilst implementing high-efficiency, energy-environment systems, and enhance architectural structures. The research presented in this paper aims to identify appropriate strategies and effective criteria for lighting design in historical centers. The methodology developed is based on transcalar analysis and has been applied to a village in the Abruzzo Region (Italy). The methodology involved surveys carried out in the urban context together with up-to-date and detailed analyses aimed at highlighting the criticalities and potentialities of the village in the case study. This allowed the elaboration of intervention strategies applied to two different areas: one within the historical nucleus of the village and the other in a peripheral area. This research has contributed to enriching the current debate on so-called “inland areas”, including developing new ways to benefit from the special characteristics of these areas and implementing more sustainable action.
... However the investments in renewable sources are becoming increasingly risky due to the dependence on uncertainties of energy market. At the same time, these investments are necessary to reach the aims of environment protection plans (Cucchiella et al., 2013Cucchiella and Gastaldi, 2014) and the transition to a sustainable energy system (Kienzle et al., 2007;Mignon and Bergek, 2016;Jones, 2015;Dzikuc and Tomaszewsky, 2016). Using a portfolio approach, it is possible to define and diversify the renewable energy production optimizing the economic and environmental performances (Allan et al., 2011). ...
The recent climate change, global warming, environmental disasters and the economic crisis are only the first signs of the failure of an economic system that, for too long, shows an uncontrolled utilization of the planet wealth. The Italian electricity market, which is strongly dependent on hydrocarbons, only in recent years has seen a first attempt to change towards renewable resources for electricity production aimed at self-consumption and for feeding into the grid. This paper presents an economic analysis whose purpose is to evaluate the profitability of investments in renewable technologies for the production of electricity. Each renewable source has its own profitability dependent on a number of factors and subject to market fluctuations, cost and frequent changes in the incentive policies. Applying Portfolio Theory is possible to select the right mix of renewable energy sources and simulate its evolution. Moreover the presented analysis can be useful for energy planners to select future green scenarios finalized to the reduction of emissions and energy imports through the increasing use of renewable energy.
... showing that the objections of the public opinion towards these projects have led to major delays or also to their withdrawal [27,28]. In this case, a quantification of the losses (in terms of time delays and additional costs) is required to guarantee the profitability of investments [29]. The following section describes the case study analyzed in this paper. ...
Wastes are resources and their prevention and recycling are sustainable pillars of any municipal solid waste (MSW) management scheme. However, in order to reduce their deposit into landfills, other treatment methods are needed. The technological development of waste to energy (WTE) plants goes into this direction, but a stakeholders’ behavioural change is mandatory. This paper proposes a social analysis, based on direct interviews, for the identification of the most critical elements determining the aversion towards a WTE plant construction in two Italian regions (Lombardia and Lazio). One thousand replies were collected and a great interest on these issues was evidenced. What emerged is that the Italian situation is critical and urgent action is required. This social framework provides quantitative and qualitative assessment that can support local and national policy makers’ strategic actions.
... A sensitivity analysis on the critical variables is conducted (Hoppmann et al., 2014;Bortolini et al., 2014;Cucchiella et al., 2013): ...
The global energy market is characterized by the strong growth of photovoltaic (PV) energy. This renewable source contributes to sustainable development and is a strategic player in the electricity market. The profitability of PV systems is determined by incentive tariffs in developing markets and by the share of self-consumption in developed markets. This paper aims to evaluate (i) the profitability of PV systems in the residential sector without subsidies and (ii) the profitability of energy storage in a mature market (Italy). In this way, it is possible to define the economic results of integrated PV-battery systems, and the indicator used is the Net Present Value. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted on the critical variables. The mathematical model proposed in this paper defines the break-even point of the increase of self-consumption at which residential PV battery systems become economically viable in a mature market. Energy storage systems are useful only when the relationship between supply and demand permits them to induce a significant increase of energy self-consumption.
... Firstly, there was the intent to make profitable also the recycling of products that, because of their composition, variability, reuse potential or uncertainty in volumes end into landfills, causing enormous economic and environmental damages to Europe and the entire world. Secondly, there was the intention to offer an innovative, and concrete, solution to all the actors involved in this supply chain [58,60]. ...
... The installed power capacity in Italy in 2011 was 41,399 MW, this result shows that the country will surely exceed the 2020 target. This means that there are significant investment opportunities in RES, notably in the wind and photovoltaic segments, where the most relevant growth is expected [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The Italian Government has recently published and submitted to the EU Commission the National Plan for the RES development to 2020 aiming at reducing constraints to the development of renewables through the implementation of a number of administrative, technological, fiscal and financial measures [7,8]. ...
In Italy in the past three years, electricity generation from renewables recorded high growth rates. In 2011, it continued to have an upword trend (+7.8% on 2010), reaching 82,961 GWh. The EU directive on renewable requires to increase renewable energy with a target of 19.6% of total electricity consumption from renewables. In 2011, Italy recorded 23.5%, surpassing by wide margin the proposed target. Moreover the year 2011 represents a turning point since until 2010, the extent of renewable generation was mostly affected by the behavior of the hydro source, while in 2011 the hydro output is stable and the new renewables (solar, wind and biomass) increase. At the same time the effort of management science to assessing efficiency is reaching its goals with the use of Data Envelopment Analysis, a mathematical programming technique able to estimate the comparative efficiency of a set of units which, though distinct production processes and technology, take a given level of inputs to produce a given quantity of outputs. In this paper the efficiency of renewable energy technology (photovoltaic, wind, biomass, hydro) is evaluated with Data Envelopment Analysis at regional level in Italy considering investment and operating costs as inputs and installed power capacity, energy intensity and the CO2 avoided as outputs. For each sources the more and the less efficient region is selected and an accurate analysis of the obtained results is outlined. The policy implications of the obtained results conclude the paper.
... Each group is characterized by a levelized cost and project cost ranges (high, median, low) are established. The costs estimation are based on the data available in the study report appointed by Department of Energy and Climate Change to look the generation costs of renewable electricity technologies in the UK up to 2030[11, 17, 18].The costs analyzed are capital expenditure (capex) and operating expenditure (opex). The unit cost ranges on project capex and opex expenditure are explained by different variables including scale effects, a trade-off between capital and operating costs, technological variations, requirements for fuel processing, different plant efficiencies and site specific conditions. ...
The portfolio analysis is a method for the strategic selection of energy sources able to drive the sustainable evolution of the renewable energy balance. In this paper the portfolio theory is applied in the Italian electricity market for different renewable energy sources (biomass, hydro, photovoltaic and wind) with the aim to select, by diversification, optimal portfolios that minimize investment risk. This analysis can be useful for energy planners to select future green scenarios based on the increasing use of renewable energy.
Sustainable Supply Chain have become a cornerstone to any company that seeks to achieve sustainable goals. A company's image is no longer related to the old paradigm of being sustainable in its own activities, but instead is associated with a strong collaboration between all supply chain stakeholders, towards a sustainable activity. It is then critical to create new methods and tools to account for the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social, in a multi-stakeholder chain. In this context, operational research (OR) methods play a key role in supporting sustainable supply chain activities. This paper aims to review the trends and directions of OR methods applications towards the achievement of sustainable supply chain. A set of 220 papers has been reviewed to identify the OR methods being employed, the levels of decision considered and how sustainability practices were treated through OR. We found that optimization models applied to strategic level decisions are the most preponderant studies. Moreover, it was verified that sustainability has been mainly tackled by assessing economic and environmental aspects, leaving behind the social aspects. Additionally, OR-based studies do not yet present a clear definition of sustainability, a fact that is proven by the number of environmental and social methodologies explored. Based on the major trends identified in the literature, a research framework is derived, pointing towards a future research agenda in the area.
Recently, European countries agreed on a new 2030-pact establishing challenging levels for a set of climate and energy indexes in order to achieve a more competitive, safe and sustainable energy system. In order to evaluate current sustainability performances of European countries from the environmental and energetic perspectives, this research proposes a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) that, starting from both Eurostat data and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), allows a direct comparison of nations. To this aim, multiple indexes are taken into account (e.g. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Government expenditures for environmental protection, Recycled and reused waste from electric and electronic equipments (WEEEs), Recycled and reused waste from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), Recycled materials from Municipal Solid Wastes (MSWs), Share of renewable energy (RE) in electricity, Share of RE in transport, Share of RE in heating and cooling and Primary energy consumption). This assessment model provides a sustainability value for each European country and the related ranking with the European average. Results show as, even nowadays, twelve out of twenty-eight European countries have a value greater than the European average in 2013. Top four nations (Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Austria) have high indexes of sustainability and Sweden is the best country from both the environmental and energetic perspectives.
The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been identified as one of the global challenges that must be carefully faced in order to achieve sustainability goals. European Union (EU) has defined as Waste to Energy (WTE) technology is able to create synergies with EU energy and climate policy, without compromising the achievement of higher reuse and recycling rates. The methodology used in this paper is based on two levels. A strategy analysis defines the amount of waste to incinerate with energy recovery considering different approaches based on unsorted waste, landfilled waste and separated collection rate, respectively. Consequently, it is evaluated the sustainability of a WTE plant as an alternative to landfill for a specific area. Two indicators are used: the Reduction of the Emissions of equivalent Carbon Dioxide (ERCO2eq) and Financial Net Present Value (FNPV). Furthermore, a social analysis is conducted through interviews to identify the most critical elements determining the aversion toward the WTE realization.
One of the problems facing researchers in the application of renewable energy systems is that the evaluation of the sustainability is extremely perplex. Decision making in energy projects requires consideration of technical, economic, environmental and social impacts and is often complicated. This paper presents a review of the current state of the art in decision support methods applied to renewable and sustainable energy throughout the literature in the field of energy planning. The selected papers were classified by their year of publication, decision making technique, energy type, the criteria used, geographic distribution and the application areas.
Biomethane is an interesting source for sustainable energy systems, featuring great flexibility that translates into multiple possible applications (vehicle fuel, combined production of thermal and electrical energy, injection in the gas grid). Compared to biogas, biomethane permits greater efficiency. Its use is not limited to the immediate area of the plant and purification of the raw methane means greater lifespans for the equipment. This paper analyses its use in the transport sector in light of recent statutory changes that introduce incentives. Net present value and discounted payback time are applied for the evaluation of profitability of biomethane plants, and are calculated in function of the feedstocks used, the plant dimensions and the firm configuration (producer and distributor combined; separate firms). Environmental considerations and a high number of natural gas vehicles define its strategic role in the Italian transport sector.
The management and exploitation of renewable energy sources is now recognised as central to sustainable development. Environmental concerns, recurring oil crises and market weaknesses, combined with the availability of power from natural resources and resulting possibilities for job creation and energy independence, have all pushed developed and developing countries towards new energy strategies that include RES. This paper analyses the profitability of potential investments in small, medium and large RE electrical power facilities, applying a Net Present Value (NPV) methodology. The proposed financial analysis permits strategic selection of an energy portfolio from among available sources and plant sizes. The paper then discusses potential constraints, and where possible applies the NPV methodology for estimating the necessary changes in decision-making. It defines the role of government incentive schemes in the financial results and evaluates the impact of variation in critical variables (subsidies, sale price of electricity, investment cost, operating cost and equivalent operating hours) on the estimation of NPV. Finally, the paper analyses the environmental impact of all the energy sources examined, examines the links with the financial results and proposes socio-economic policy considerations based on the entirety of the research results. While the methodology is applied to the Italian case, it could be modified to serve in other nations by adapting the input parameters to reflect the different regulatory and market contexts.
In this study, an IFJMP (interval-parameter full-infinite joint-probabilistic mixed-integer programming) method is developed for supporting EPS (electric power systems) management. The IFJMP-EPS model cannot only deal with uncertainties expressed as joint probabilities, crisp interval values and functional intervals, but also examine the risk of violating joint-probabilistic constraints. The developed IFJMP-EPS model is then applied to a case study for planning EPS of Beijing within a multi-energy resource, multi-electric power plant and multi-period context, where MILP (mixed integer linear programming technique is employed to facilitate dynamic analysis for decisions of facility-capacity expansion. With the aid of IFJMP, tradeoffs among system costs, electricity-supply security, and air-pollution control can be obtained under joint probabilities. The results can be used to help managers to identify desired system designs and to determine which of these designs can most efficiently accomplish optimizing the system objective under uncertainty. The results can also address the challenges generated in the processes of electric-power production (such as imbalance between electricity supply and demand, the contradiction between air pollution emission and environmental protection); this allows an increased robustness in controlling electricity-generation and -supply risk for Beijing's EPS under various complexities and uncertainties.
The growing concern in the negative effects of fossil fuels on the environment and the heavy dependency on fossil fuels imports has forced many countries to use renewable energy sources. The Kyoto Protocol and the EU policies are examples of political goals fostering the use of these green sources. In this paper the efficiency of photovoltaic technology is evaluated with Data Envelopment Analysis in Italy considering installed power capacity, solar irradiation, investment and operating costs as inputs and energy intensity and the CO2 avoided as outputs; the more and the less efficient region is selected and an accurate analysis of the obtained resultsis outlined. The policy implications of the obtained results conclude the paper.
The pressing need to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources and the emission of greenhouse gases into the environment,
in recent decades has led to the wide development of bio-based plastics that are produced from renewable sources, such as
corn, wheat, oil seeds etc. Actually, the most important bio-based plastics on the market are the poly(lactic acid) (PLA)
produced from Nature Works (USA) and the Mater-Bi, a starch based bioplastics, made from Novamont (Italy). The aim of this
work is not only to assess the actual energy and greenhouse gases (GHGs) savings resulting from the production of bioplastics,
compared with the production of conventional plastics, but also to analyze what might be the best final disposition of bioplastic
wastes in order to maximize the energy saving. Therefore, by using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, LCAs cradle
to gate and cradle to grave were carried out both for PLA and Mater-Bi, taking into consideration as final scenarios composting,
incineration, anaerobic digestion and mechanical recycling processes. The work demonstrates how incineration, composting and
anaerobic digestion processes are clearly under-performing, from an environmental point of view, with respect to the mechanical
recycling process.
Environmental protection is one of the key challenges of our society in which you want to combine this with the needs of future generations. The prevention and minimization of waste production is therefore one priority. It is well-known in Italy how data on the use of recycling is registering a growing trend, even by users such aspects are evaluated with a growing importance, however, recourse to the use of the landfill is in Italy still very high (53%). This work focuses on the downstream phase of the waste collection and seeks to define the possible environmental strategy to be adopted in the Abruzzo region. In fact, the location of the plant, the choice between a centralized or decentralized if it were possible to fix the area of expertise on a regional and non-provincial basis and the system design choices are critical for a proper environmental policy. These choices even if they aspire to help reduce air pollution, must have their financial and / or economic justification. It is therefore necessary to quantify the profitability of a plant with energy recovery compared to the use of landfills.
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to conceptualise a structural model of natural resource based green supply chain management (GSCM), and its relationship, with an indication of cause and effect, to relevant performance measures and drivers.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature, describing GSCM from a natural resource based view (NRBV), along with performance measures and institutional drivers, is critically evaluated and used to develop the model.
Findings
Constructs are identified in terms of intra‐ and inter‐organisational environmental practices, performance measures and institutional drivers. Causal relationships, within and between the constructs, are also proposed in the form of hypotheses.
Research limitations/implications
At this stage the model is purely conceptual and the causal relationships are only proposed. Empirical tests of the model and hypotheses are required.
Practical implications
On empirical verification, this work can furnish managers with validated measurement scales to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in their GSCM implementation and determine how firms can successfully implement GSCM to promote sustainable industrial development.
Originality/value
GSCM from within the NRBV perspective, and incorporating performance measures and institutional drivers, has yet to be comprehensively synthesised in a coherent model. This conceptual work is the first step in that direction.
Diverting waste from landfill is one of the basic priorities on improving the use of resources and reducing the environmental impacts of waste management. In order to achieve this goal it is necessary to limit the amount of materials sent to final disposal and promote energy recovery. In Italy the use of recycling is registering a growing trend but the recourse to landfill is still too high with respect to European Commission targets. The aim of the paper was to analyse the financial and economic benefits that energy recovery could produce by diverting waste from landfills in an Italian region, as landfilling cannot be a solution in the long term because of its finite capacity and for various other ecological reasons. A sensitivity analysis on the critical variables of this plan and a risk analysis are also provided.
The renewable based electricity generation technologies were assessed against a range of sustainability indicators using data obtained from the literature. These indicators are cost of electricity generation, greenhouse gas emissions and energy pay-back time. All the three parameters were found to have a very wide range for each technology. For grading different renewable energy sources a new figure of merit has been proposed, linking greenhouse gas emissions, energy pay-back time and cost of electricity generated by these renewable energy sources. It has been found out that wind and small hydro are the most sustainable source for the electricity generation.
Incineration of municipal solid waste is a debated waste management technology. In some countries it is the main waste management option whereas in other countries it has been disregarded. The main discussion point on waste incineration is the release of air emissions from the combustion of the waste, but also the energy recovery efficiency has a large importance. The historical development of air pollution control in waste incineration was studied through life-cycle-assessment modelling of eight different air pollution control technologies. The results showed a drastic reduction in the release of air emissions and consequently a significant reduction in the potential environmental impacts of waste incineration. Improvements of a factor 0.85-174 were obtained in the different impact potentials as technology developed from no emission control at all, to the best available emission control technologies of today (2010). The importance of efficient energy recovery was studied through seven different combinations of heat and electricity recovery, which were modelled to substitute energy produced from either coal or natural gas. The best air pollution control technology was used at the incinerator. It was found that when substituting coal based energy production total net savings were obtained in both the standard and toxic impact categories. However, if the substituted energy production was based on natural gas, only the most efficient recovery options yielded net savings with respect to the standard impacts. With regards to the toxic impact categories, emissions from the waste incineration process were always larger than those from the avoided energy production based on natural gas. The results shows that the potential environmental impacts from air emissions have decreased drastically during the last 35 years and that these impacts can be partly or fully offset by recovering energy which otherwise should have been produced from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.
A model for life-cycle assessment of waste incinerators is described and applied to a case study for illustrative purposes. As life-cycle thinking becomes more integrated into waste management, quantitative tools for assessing waste management technologies are needed. The presented model is a module in the life-cycle assessment model EASEWASTE. The module accounts for all uses of materials and energy and credits the incinerator for electricity and heat recovered. The energy recovered is defined by the user as a percentage of the energy produced, calculated on the lower heating value of the wet waste incinerated. Emissions are either process-specific (related to the amount of waste incinerated) or input-specific (related to the composition of the waste incinerated), while mass transfer to solid outputs are governed by transfer coefficients specified by the user. The waste input is defined by 48 material fractions and their chemical composition. The model was used to quantify the environmental performance of the incineration plant in Aarhus, Denmark before and after its upgrading in terms of improved flue gas cleaning and energy recovery. It demonstrated its usefulness in identifying the various processes and substances that contributed to environmental loadings as well as to environmental savings. The model was instrumental in demonstrating the importance of the energy recovery system not only for electricity but also heat from the incinerator.
Effective policy is vital for creating greener economies, new jobs and industries, for securing energy supplies and for protecting the climate and environment. As renewable energy is fundamental to achieving all of these objectives, it too needs the best possible policy to drive it. Feed-in tariffs have proven to deliver the fastest, most cost-effective and inclusive deployment, by allowing anyone to sell renewable energy into the grid and get a long term, guaranteed return for it. This book, from authors who have spent years working on feed-in tariff design and advocacy, provides a broad and detailed resource on feed-in tariffs and other renewable energy support schemes. It shares many lessons on good and bad design and implementation, as well as discussing the challenges faced by policy, and renewable energy in general. Powering the Green Economy: - Situates renewable energy and feed-in tariffs within the context of the global moves towards a green economy - Provides an introduction to feed-in tariffs and brings developments in key countries around the world up to date - Investigates effective design for developed and emerging economies - Explores technical, social and political issues - Analyses other support schemes - Describes the barriers to renewable energy - Presents a blueprint for campaigning successfully for feed-in tariffs Written in a clear, practical style, this is a must-read for policymakers, businesses, investors, campaigners, academics, community groups and anyone concerned with creating successful and sustainable energy policy. © World Future Council, Benjamin K. Sovacool and David Jacobs, 2010. All rights reserved.
Food waste is composed of raw or cooked food materials and includes food loss before, during or after meal preparation in the household, as well as food discarded in the process of manufacturing, distribution, retail and food service activities. It comprises materials such as vegetable peelings, meat trimmings, and spoiled or excess ingredients or prepared food as well as bones, carcasses and organs. Although it constitutes a large proportion of bio-waste, no overall view of the situation of food waste in the European Union is available. More information on the issue was necessary to determine the scale of the problem and to identify appropriate measures that could be taken. This is the very first EU-wide study which investigates food waste, quantifying the scale of the problem in the EU, identifying the causes of food waste, its environmental impacts and existing reduction initiatives, forecasting the evolution of food waste over a fifteen year period (2006-2020) and finally developing additional policy options and modelling their potential results.
The high level of uncertainty characterising the future market demand in many industrial sectors makes it necessary to use strategic investment evaluation models that foresee the possibility of determining and managing uncertainty in order to be able to fully take the potentials for creating the value associated with it. By using the approach of real options in this work, a mathematical model is provided for choosing a strategic investment in the photovoltaic industry; this model allows management to handle the uncertainty of the demand that cannot otherwise be dealt with by using the Net Present Value (NPV) as a tool to support decisions. Moreover, it will be shown how this evaluation model is able to reduce the risk of a strategic investment, if compared to the NPV, and point out the hidden value drivers of a managerial decision.
Photovoltaic (PV) connected systems are experiencing rapid market growth. This is due to the continually downward trend in PV cost together with government support programs. A scenario has been assumed to analyse the geographical market of PVs. The results provide clear evidence of the influence that some variables have on the profitability of PV investments. This study presents a model for minimising investment risk and maximising the return of a renewable energy portfolio in Italy. The value of the paper is in showing that the energy and CO2 reduction potential that can be reached through consumer-oriented policy measures, but the paper also looks at the effectiveness and social implications of such measures. Private households possess immense unused potential for energy reductions (and climate protection) that could be realised through gains in energy efficiency, behavioural changes, and extended use of low-emission energy. The focus of energy policy has been on businesses rather than on private households, which are only partly captured by direct policy measures. To achieve the goals of climate policies, the current political and scientific discussion increasingly considers measures that aim to reduce energy consumption in the private sector. Quantitative estimates are presented for economic indicators and will show the various effects of policy measures on the implemented household types.
On the basis of a content analysis, this paper explores the role of sustainable supply chain management as a catalyst of generating valuable inter-organizational resources and thus possible sustained inter-firm competitive advantage through collaboration on environmental and social issues. Drawing on the resource-based view and its extension, the relational view, this paper highlights that partner-focused supply management capabilities evolve to corporate core competences as competition shifts from an inter-firm to an inter-supply-chain level. The ‘collaborative paradigm’ in supply chain management regards strategic collaboration as a crucial source of competitive advantage. Collaboration is even more essential when supply chains aim at ensuring simultaneously economic, environmental and social performance on a product's total life-cycle basis. Inter-firm resources and capabilities emerging from supply-chain-wide collaboration are prone to become sources of sustained inter-firm competitive advantage, since they are socially complex, causally ambiguous and historically grown and hence particularly difficult to imitate by competitors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Nowadays, the dominant option for organic waste management (OW) is recycling trough soil-crop production system, usually in the same local area from wastes comes from. To achieve environmental conservation and protect public health, waste management should be carefully planned tacking into account the specific conditions of each factor involved in land reuse. This paper addresses the importance and constrains, in local geographical areas, for transference of research results to agricultural engineering schools and agricultural community when OW are used in agriculture.
In Japan, a revised Food Recycling Law went into effect in 2007 to promote a "recycling loop" that requires food industries to purchase farm products that are grown using food waste-derived compost/animal feed. To realize and expand food recycling, it is necessary to evaluate how the recycling facilities work in the recycling loop. The purpose of this study is to assess the environmental and economic efficiency of the food recycling facilities that are involved in the recycling loop, which are also known as looped facilities. The global warming potential and running cost of five looped facilities were evaluated by LCA (life cycle assessment) and LCC (life cycle cost) approaches: machine integrated compost, windrow compost, liquid feed, dry feed, and bio-gasification. The LCA results showed low total GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of -126 and -49 kg-CO(2)/t-waste, respectively, for dry feed and bio-gasification facilities, due to a high substitution effect. The LCC study showed a low running cost for composting facilities of -15,648 and -18,955 yen/t-waste, respectively, due to high revenue from the food waste collection. It was found that the mandatory reporting of food waste emitters to the government increased collection fees; however, the collection fee in animal feed facilities was relatively low because food waste was collected at a low price or nutritious food waste was purchased to produce quality feed. In the characterisation survey of various treatment methods, the composting facilities showed a relatively low environmental impact and a high economic efficiency. Animal feed facilities had a wide distribution of the total GHG emissions, depending on both the energy usage during the drying process and the substitution effect, which were related to the water content of the food waste and the number of recycled products. In comparison with incineration, the majority of the food recycling facilities showed low GHG emissions and economic effectiveness. This paper also reported on the effects of recycling loops by comparing looped and non-looped animal feed facilities, and confirmed that the looped facilities were economically effective, due to an increased amount of food waste collection.
In real life, decisions are usually made by comparing different options with respect to several, often conflicting criteria.
This requires subjective judgements on the importance of different criteria by DMs and increases uncertainty in decision making.
This article demonstrates how uncertainty can be handled in multi-criteria decision situations using Compromise Programming,
one of the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques. Uncertainty is characterised using a probabilistic approach
and propagated using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. The methodological approach is illustrated on a case study which
compares the sustainability of two options for electricity generation: coal versus biomass. Different models have been used
to quantify their sustainability performance for a number of economic, environmental and social criteria. Three cases are
considered with respect to uncertainty: (1) no uncertainty, (2) uncertainty in data/models and (3) uncertainty in models and
decision-makers’ preferences. The results shows how characterising and propagating uncertainty can help increase the effectiveness
of multi-criteria decision making processes and lead to more informed decision.
KeywordsUncertainty analysis–Multi-criteria decision analysis–Monte Carlo simulation–Compromise programming–Sustainability assessment
This paper develops a decision support framework for modeling and analysis of supply chain networks with corporate social responsibility (CSR). We consider the multicriteria decision-making behavior of the various decision makers (manufacturers, retailers, and consumers), which includes the maximization of net return, the minimization of emission, and the minimization of risk. The emission and the risk are penalized by variable weights. The model allows one to investigate the interplay of the heterogeneous decision makers in the supply chain and to compute the resultant equilibrium pattern of product outputs, transactions, product prices, and levels of social responsibility activities. The results show that social responsibility activities can potentially reduce transaction costs, risk and environmental impact.
Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Costs (BATNEEC) options, technology quality method and multi-criteria analysis were proposed as means of developing indices for evaluating municipal waste management systems. The proposed indices can be treated as a tool for ranking the system taking into account technical, environmental, economic, social and other objectives, bearing in mind specific features of the area involved. The analysis was made for three different incineration plants (Spittelau in Vienna, Warsaw and Tarnobrzeg) together with alternative waste disposal versions (with or without biogas burning and with MBP Mechanical-Biological Process) and the waste management infrastructure. The results showed that incineration of waste is much more beneficial than disposal. These results conform to the waste hierarchy identified in EU Directive 2008/98, but the indices created are easy to interpret and useful as a tool for communicating with the public, which is often a crucial factor in determining the location of investment.
Limited to insufficient land resources, incinerators are considered in many countries such as Japan and Germany as the major technology for a waste management scheme capable of dealing with the increasing demand for municipal and industrial solid waste treatment in urban regions. The evaluation of these municipal incinerators in terms of secondary pollution potential, cost-effectiveness, and operational efficiency has become a new focus in the highly interdisciplinary area of production economics, systems analysis, and waste management. This paper aims to demonstrate the application of data envelopment analysis (DEA)--a production economics tool--to evaluate performance-based efficiencies of 19 large-scale municipal incinerators in Taiwan with different operational conditions. A 4-year operational data set from 2002 to 2005 was collected in support of DEA modeling using Monte Carlo simulation to outline the possibility distributions of operational efficiency of these incinerators. Uncertainty analysis using the Monte Carlo simulation provides a balance between simplifications of our analysis and the soundness of capturing the essential random features that complicate solid waste management systems. To cope with future challenges, efforts in the DEA modeling, systems analysis, and prediction of the performance of large-scale municipal solid waste incinerators under normal operation and special conditions were directed toward generating a compromised assessment procedure. Our research findings will eventually lead to the identification of the optimal management strategies for promoting the quality of solid waste incineration, not only in Taiwan, but also elsewhere in the world.
The environmental impacts of municipal solid waste (MSW) management have been highlighted in China, due to the continually increasing amount of MSW being generated and the limited capacity of waste treatment facilities. Of particular interest is greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, aided by the Kyoto Mechanisms. China is an important case study for this global issue; however, an analysis of the entire life cycle of MSW management on GHG emissions is not available for China. This study evaluates the current and possible patterns of MSW management with regard to GHG emissions, using life cycle assessment (LCA), based on the Tianjin case. We assess the baseline scenario, reflecting the existing MSW management system, as well as a set of alternative scenarios, five exploring waste treatment technology innovations and one exploring integrated MSW management, to quantitatively predict potentials of GHG mitigation for Tianjin. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is used to investigate the influence of landfill gas (LFG) collection efficiency, recycling rate and methodological choice, especially allocation, on the outcomes. The results show GHG emissions from Tianjin's MSW management system amount to 467.34 Mg CO2 eq. per year, based on the treatment of MSW collected in the central districts in 2006, and the key issue is LFG released. The integrated MSW management scenario, combining different improvement options, shows the highest GHG mitigation potential. Given the limited financial support and the current waste management practice in Tianjin, LFG utilization scenario would be the preferred choice. The sensitivity analysis of recycling rate shows an approximately linear relation of inverse proportion between recycling rate and total GHG emissions. Kitchen waste composting makes a considerable contribution to total GHG emissions reduction. Allocation choices result in differences in total quantitative outcomes, but preference orders and contributions analysis are found to be robust, suggesting LCA can support decision making.
Organic wastes are utilized in agriculture mainly for improving the soil physical and chemical properties and for nutrient sources for growing crops. The major source of organic waste used in agriculture is animal manure, but small amounts of food processing and other industrial wastes (along with municipal wastes) are also applied to land. In the last 35 years, and especially in the last 10 years, there have been increasing environmental regulations affecting farms that have resulted in more animal manure treatment options, and thus affecting characteristics of residues that are subsequently applied to land. Farms are being assessed for nutrient balances, with the entire nutrient and manure management system evaluated for best management alternatives. Because of inadequate available land on the animal farm in some cases, organic wastes must be treated and/or transported to other farms, or utilized for horticultural or other uses. This paper discusses the various factors and challenges for utilizing organic wastes in agriculture.
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