| 1. |
- Thomas, Jean-Baptiste, et al.
(author)
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A comparative environmental life cycle assessment of hatchery, cultivation, and preservation of the kelp Saccharina latissima
- 2021
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In: Ices Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 78:1, s. 451-467
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Seaweed cultivation and processing industries could contribute to sustainable blue growth and the European bioeconomy. This article contributes a case study evaluation of environmental sustainability of preserved brown seaweed Saccharina latissima by means of environmental life cycle assessment of a pilot facility in Sweden. The study accounts for nutrient bioremediation and carbon capture and includes two alternative hatchery processes, a 2-ha longline cultivation, and four alternative preservation methods (hang-drying outdoors, heated air-cabinet drying, ensiling, and freezing). The study found that as a result of carbon capture and nitrogen and phosphorus uptake (bioremediation) by seaweed, more CO2 and PO4 equivalents are (temporarily) absorbed than emitted by the supply chain. The extent of emissions is most affected by preservation methods undertaken. Impact profiles of the supply chain show that the greatest impact shares result from freezing and air-cabinet drying, both the two most energy-intensive processes, followed by the cultivation infrastructure, highlighting strategic optimization opportunities. Hatchery processes, harvesting, and the low-energy ensilage and hang-drying outdoors were found to have relatively small impact shares. These findings presage the environmentally friendliness of seaweed-based products by documenting their potential to mitigate eutrophication and climate change, even when taking a life cycle perspective.
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| 2. |
- Eivazihollagh, Alireza, et al.
(author)
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On chelating surfactants : Molecular perspectives and application prospects
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Molecular Liquids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-7322 .- 1873-3166. ; 278, s. 688-705
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chelating agents, molecules that very strongly coordinates certain metal ions, are used industrially as well as in consumer products to minimize disturbances and increase performance of reactions and applications. The widely used sequestering agents, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) belong to this branch of readily water-soluble compounds. When these chemical structures also have hydrophobic parts, they are prone to adsorb at air-water interfaces and to self-assemble. Such bifunctional molecules can be called chelating surfactants and will have more extended utilization prospects than common chelating agents or ordinary ionic surfactants. The present review attempts to highlight the fundamental behavior of chelating surfactants in solution and at interfaces, and their very specific interactions with metal ions. Methods to recover chelating surfactants from metal chelates are also described. Moreover, utilization of chelating surfactants in applications for metal removal in environmental engineering and mineral processing, as well as for metal control in the fields of biology, chemistry and physics, is exemplified and discussed.
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| 3. |
- Stolen, Reidar, et al.
(author)
-
Solcelleteknologi og brannsikkerhet
- 2018
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Bruken av solcelleteknologi er i stor vekst i Norge. I denne studien er branntekniske utfordringer ved bruk av solcelleteknologi undersøkt, med hensyn på brannstart, brannspredning og brannslokking. Studien danner et kunnskapsgrunnlag for å ivareta brannsikkerheten under montering, drift og under slokkeinnsats, samt for å utforme et enhetlig og tydelig regelverk. Resultatene fra studien viser:Brannstart: Solcelleinstallasjoner inneholder mange koblingspunkt, som kan være potensielle tennkilder, og en liten mengde brennbare materialer. Dermed er det som trengs til stede for å starte en brann. Det er viktig at alle kontaktpunkter i solcelleinstallasjonen er robuste og tåler den påkjenningen de blir utsatt for gjennom sin levetid uten at det oppstår dårlig kontakt som kan føre til brann.Brannspredning: For utenpåmonterte solcellemoduler er det ofte en åpen luftspalte mellom modul og bygning. Dersom det er en brann i denne luftspalten, vil varmen kunne bli akkumulert, noe som kan føre til raskere og større brannspredning enn om bygningsoverflaten ikke hadde vært tildekket. I fullskalaforsøk med solcellemoduler montert på tak spredte brannen seg under hele arealet som var dekket av moduler, men stoppet da den nærmet seg kanten av dette arealet. Dette illustrerer viktigheten av at områder med solceller utenpå en bygning blir seksjonert for å unngå brannspredning. Eventuelt kan det benyttes mindre brennbare materialer på taket under solcellemodulene for å motvirke den økte varmepåkjenningen som solcellemodulene gir. Luftspalten mellom modul og bygning kan potensielt også gi endringer i luftstrømningen langs bygget, som igjen kan påvirke brannspredningen.Brannslokking: Brannvesenet har behov for informasjon om det er solcelleinstallasjon i bygget og hvilke deler av det elektriske anlegget som kan være spenningssatt. Under slokkeinnsats må brannvesenet ta hensyn til berøringsfare, og fare for at det kan oppstå lysbuer og andre feil som kan føre til nye antennelsespunkt. Ferskvann kan brukes som slokkemiddel, dette må spyles fra minimum 1 meters avstand med spredt stråle og minimum 5 meters avstand med samlet stråle. Solcellemoduler kan komplisere brannslokking ved at de danner en fysisk barriere mellom brannvesenet og brannen, samt fordi det må tas hensyn til plassering av spenningssatte komponenter. Når disse punktene er tatt høyde for, bør ikke utenpåmonterte solcelleinstallasjoner være et problem.Videre arbeid: For utenpåmonterte solcelleinstallasjoner, er det lite forskning på vertikal montering (på fasader), og hvordan en eventuell endret branndynamikk kan påvirke brannspredning og slokking. Videre er det i dag økende bruk av bygningsintegrerte solcelleinstallasjoner, noe som gir mange mulige nye utfordringer for brannsikkerheten og for regelverk, ettersom solcellen da er en del av bygningskroppen, samtidig som den er en elektrisk komponent. Tysk statistikk tyder på at brannrisiko for slike installasjoner kan være større enn for utenpåmonterte solcelleinstallasjoner, og dette vil det derfor være viktig å undersøke nærmere.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Shahroozi, Zahra, 1992-
(author)
-
Survivability control using data-driven approaches and reliability analysis for wave energy converters
- 2024
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Wave energy, with five times the energy density of wind and ten times the power density of solar, offers a compelling carbon-free electricity solution. Despite its advantages, ongoing debates surround the reliability and economic feasibility of wave energy converters (WECs). To address these challenges, this doctoral thesis is divided into four integral parts, focusing on optimizing the prediction horizon for power maximization, analyzing extreme waves' impact on system dynamics, ensuring reliability, and enhancing survivability in WECs.Part I emphasizes the critical importance of the prediction horizon for maximal power absorption in wave energy conversion. Using generic body shapes and modes, it explores the effect of dissipative losses, noise, filtering, amplitude constraints, and real-world wave parameters on the prediction horizon. Findings suggest achieving optimal power output may be possible with a relatively short prediction horizon, challenging traditional assumptions.Part II shifts focus to WEC system dynamics, analyzing extreme load scenarios. Based on a 1:30 scaled wave tank experiment, it establishes a robust experimental foundation, extending into numerical assessment of the WEC. Results underscore the importance of damping to alleviate peak forces. Investigating various wave representations highlights conservative characteristics of irregular waves, crucial for WEC design in extreme sea conditions.Part III explores the computational intricacies of environmental design load cases and fatigue analyses for critical mechanical components of the WEC. The analysis is conducted for hourly sea state damage and equivalent two-million-cycle loads. Finally, a comparison of safety factors between the ultimate limit state and fatigue limit state unfolds, illustrating the predominant influence of the ultimate limit state on point-absorber WEC design.Part IV, centers on elevating survivability strategies for WECs in extreme wave conditions. Three distinct controller system approaches leverage neural networks to predict and minimize the line force. Distinct variations emerge in each approach, spanning from rapid detection of optimal damping to integrating advanced neural network architectures into the control system with feedback. The incorporation of a controller system, refined through experimental data, showcases decreases in the line force, providing a practical mechanism for real-time force alleviation.This thesis aims to contribute uniquely to the goal of advancing wave energy conversion technology through extensive exploration.
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| 6. |
- Mathern, Alexandre, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Concrete Support Structures for Offshore Wind Turbines: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Trends
- 2021
-
In: Energies. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073 .- 1996-1073. ; 14:7
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today’s offshore wind turbine support structures market is largely dominated by steel structures, since steel monopiles account for the vast majority of installations in the last decade and new types of multi-leg steel structures have been developed in recent years. However, as wind turbines become bigger, and potential sites for offshore wind farms are located in ever deeper waters and ever further from the shore, the conditions for the design, transport, and installation of support structures are changing. In light of these facts, this paper identifies and categorizes the challenges and future trends related to the use of concrete for support structures of future offshore wind projects. To do so, recent advances and technologies still under development for both bottom-fixed and floating concrete support structures have been reviewed. It was found that these new developments meet the challenges associated with the use of concrete support structures, as they will allow the production costs to be lowered and transport and installation to be facilitated. New technologies for concrete support structures used at medium and great water depths are also being developed and are expected to become more common in future offshore wind installations. Therefore, the new developments identified in this paper show the likelihood of an increase in the use of concrete support structures in future offshore wind farms. These developments also indicate that the complexity of future support structures will increase due to the development of hybrid structures combining steel and concrete. These evolutions call for new knowledge and technical know-how in order to allow reliable structures to be built and risk-free offshore installation to be executed.
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| 7. |
- Bjorn, A., et al.
(author)
-
Review of life-cycle based methods for absolute environmental sustainability assessment and their applications
- 2020
-
In: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 1748-9326 .- 1748-9318. ; 15:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many regions and at the planetary scale, human pressures on the environment exceed levels that natural systems can sustain. These pressures are caused by networks of human activities, which often extend across countries and continents due to global trade. This has led to an increasing requirement for methods that enable absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) of anthropogenic systems and which have a basis in life cycle assessment (LCA). Such methods enable the comparison of environmental impacts of products, companies, nations, etc, with an assigned share of environmental carrying capacity for various impact categories. This study is the first systematic review of LCA-based AESA methods and their applications. After developing a framework for LCA-based AESA methods, we identified 45 relevant studies through an initial survey, database searches and citation analysis. We characterized these studies according to their intended application, impact categories, basis of carrying capacity estimates, spatial differentiation of environmental model and principles for assigning carrying capacity. We then characterized all method applications and synthesized their results. Based on this assessment, we present recommendations to practitioners on the selection and use of existing LCA-based AESA methods, as well as ways to perform assessments and communicate results to decision-makers. Furthermore, we identify future research priorities intended to extend coverage of all components of the proposed method framework, improve modeling and increase the applicability of methods. © 2020 The Author(s).
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| 8. |
- Englund, Oskar, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Large-scale deployment of grass in crop rotations as a multifunctional climate mitigation strategy
- 2023
-
In: GCB Bioenergy. - : Wiley. - 1757-1707 .- 1757-1693. ; 15:2, s. 166-184
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The agriculture sector can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and providing biomass to substitute for fossil fuels and other GHG-intensive products. The sector also needs to address water, soil, and biodiversity impacts caused by historic and current practices. Emerging EU policies create incentives for cultivation of perennial plants that provide biomass along with environmental benefits. One such option, common in northern Europe, is to include grass in rotations with annual crops to provide biomass while remediating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses and other environmental impacts. Here, we apply a spatially explicit model on >81,000 sub-watersheds in EU27 + UK (Europe) to explore the effects of widespread deployment of such systems. Based on current accumulated SOC losses in individual sub-watersheds, the model identifies and quantifies suitable areas for increased grass cultivation and corresponding biomass- and protein supply, SOC sequestration, and reductions in nitrogen emissions to water as well as wind and water erosion. The model also provides information about possible flood mitigation. The results indicate a substantial climate mitigation potential, with combined annual GHG savings from soil-carbon sequestration and displacement of natural gas with biogas from grass-based biorefineries, equivalent to 13%–48% of current GHG emissions from agriculture in Europe. The environmental co-benefits are also notable, in some cases exceeding the estimated mitigation needs. Yield increases for annual crops in modified rotations mitigate the displacement effect of increasing grass cultivation. If the grass is used as feedstock in lieu of annual crops, the displacement effect can even be negative, that is, a reduced need for annual crop production elsewhere. Incentivizing widespread deployment will require supportive policy measures as well as new uses of grass biomass, for example, as feedstock for green biorefineries producing protein concentrate, biofuels, and other bio-based products.
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| 9. |
- Petersson, Jesper, 1974
(author)
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Blurring the shoreline: De- and re-infrastructuring and the changing colors of European flood policy
- 2021
-
In: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2514-8494 .- 2514-8494 .- 2514-8486. ; 4:2, s. 623-644
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper provides a genealogy of the emergence of a common EU flood policy, including the scope and direction of this policy. Noticing how EU policy proposes green infrastructure (associated with using nature as a buffer zone in managing floods) as an alternative to grey infrastructure (implying fixed installations of concrete and cement), this paper adopts the theoretical lens of the so-called infrastructural turn, which advocates a relational investigation of infrastructure. By engaging this approach, the paper shows how flood infrastructure can contain very different compositions of (unruly) water and (settled) land. A narrative of a historically strong focus on guarding society from the powerful forces of nature through a fixed line of defense is increasingly giving way to more muddy states—quite literally—where society is expected to learn to live with flooding and show ecological consideration. To capture the EU’s, and especially the European Commission’s efforts to establish a pan-European flood infrastructure that accommodates this turn, the concepts of de- and re-infrastructuring are developed. These concepts act as heuristic devices to capture how policy performs some combinations between water and land as constituting an attractive and functional flood infrastructure, but constitutes other infrastructural relations of the aquatic and the terrestrial as undesirable and, hence, as malfunctioning. This performative act of distinguishing between what constitutes “good and proper” versus “bad and undesirable” infrastructure is referred to as a politics of infrastructure.
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Björn, 1975, et al.
(author)
-
Power Level Sampling of Metal Cutting Machines for Data Representation in Discrete Event Simulation
- 2015
-
In: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 53:23, s. 7060-7070
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An extension to the application area for discrete event simulation (DES) has been ongoing since the last decade and focused only on economic aspects to include ecologic sustainability. With this new focus, additional input parameters, such as electrical power consumption of machines, are needed. This paper aim at investigating how NC machine power consumption should be represented in simulation models of factories. The study includes data-sets from three different factories. One factory producing truck engine blocks, one producing brake disc parts for cars and one producing forklift components. The total number of data points analysed are more than 2,45,000, where of over 1,11,000 on busy state for 11 NC machines. The low variability between busy cycles indicates that statistical representations are not adding significant variability. Furthermore, results show that non-value-added activities cause a substantial amount of the total energy consumption, which can be reduced by optimising the production flow using dynamic simulations such as DES.
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| 11. |
- Harris, Steve, et al.
(author)
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Circularity for circularity's sake? : Scoping review of assessment methods for environmental performance in the circular economy.
- 2021
-
In: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2352-5509. ; 26, s. 172-186
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Circular Economy (CE) concept is receiving increasing global attention and has captivated many disciplines, from sustainability through to business and economics. There is currently a strong drive by companies, academics and governments alike to implement the CE. Numerous “circularity indicators” have emerged that measure material flow or recirculated value of a system (e.g. product or nation). However, if its implementation is to improve environmental performance of society, the action must be based on scientific evidence and quantification or it may risk driving “circularity for circularity's sake”. This paper, therefore, aims to review the recent circular economy literature that focuses on assessing the environmental implications of circularity of products and services. To do this we divide the system levels into micro (product level), meso (industrial estate/symbiosis) and macro (national or city level). A scoping literature review explores the assessment methods and indicators at each level. The results suggest that few studies compare circularity indicators with environmental performance or link the circularity indicators between society levels (e.g. the micro and macro-levels). However, adequate tools exist at each level (e.g. life cycle assessment (LCA) at the micro-level and multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis at the macro-level) to provide the ability to adequately assess and track the CE performance if placed within a suitable framework. The challenge to connect the micro and macro-levels remains. This would help understand the link between changes at the micro-level at the macro-level, and the environmental consequences. At the meso-level, industrial symbiosis continues to grow in potential, but there is a need for further research on the assessment of its contribution to environmental improvement. In addition, there is limited understanding of the use phase. For example, national monitoring programmes do not have indicators on stocks of materials or the extent of the circular economy processes (such as the reuse economy, maintenance and spare parts) which already contribute to the CE. The societal needs/functions framework offers a promising meso-level link to bridge the micro and macro-levels for assessment, monitoring and setting thresholds. © 2020 The Authors
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| 12. |
- Buckland, Philip I., 1973-, et al.
(author)
-
The Strategic Environmental Archaeology Database : a resource for international, multiproxy and transdisciplinary studies of environmental and climatic change
- 2015
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climate and environmental change are global challenges which require global data and infrastructure to investigate. These challenges also require a multi-proxy approach, integrating evidence from Quaternary science and archaeology with information from studies on modern ecology and physical processes among other disciplines. The Strategic Environmental Archaeology Database (SEAD http://www.sead.se) is a Swedish based international research e-infrastructure for storing, managing, analysing and disseminating palaeoenvironmental data from an almost unlimited number of analysis methods. The system currently makes available raw data from over 1500 sites (>5300 datasets) and the analysis of Quaternary fossil insects, plant macrofossils, pollen, geochemistry and sediment physical properties, dendrochronology and wood anatomy, ceramic geochemistry and bones, along with numerous dating methods. This capacity will be expanded in the near future to include isotopes, multi-spectral and archaeo-metalurgical data. SEAD also includes expandable climate and environment calibration datasets, a complete bibliography and extensive metadata and services for linking these data to other resources. All data is available as Open Access through http://qsead.sead.se and downloadable software. SEAD is maintained and managed at the Environmental Archaeology Lab and HUMlab at Umea University, Sweden. Development and data ingestion is progressing in cooperation with The Laboratory for Ceramic Research and the National Laboratory for Wood Anatomy and Dendrochronology at Lund University, Sweden, the Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, the Geoarchaeological Laboratory, Swedish National Historical Museums Agency and several international partners and research projects. Current plans include expanding its capacity to serve as a data source for any system and integration with the Swedish National Heritage Board's information systems. SEAD is partnered with the Neotoma palaeoecology database (http://www.neotomadb.org) and a new initiative for building cyberinfrastructure for transdisciplinary research and visualization of the long-term human ecodynamics of the North Atlantic funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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| 13. |
- Ågerstrand, Marlene, et al.
(author)
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Improving Environmental Risk Assessment of Human Pharmaceuticals
- 2015
-
In: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 49:9, s. 5336-5345
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents 10 recommendations for improving the European Medicines Agency's guidance for environmental risk assessment of human pharmaceutical products. The recommendations are based on up-to-date, available science in combination with experiences from other chemical frameworks such as the REACH-legislation for industrial chemicals. The recommendations concern: expanding the scope of the current guideline; requirements to assess the risk for development of antibiotic resistance; jointly performed assessments; refinement of the test proposal; mixture toxicity assessments on active pharmaceutical ingredients with similar modes of action; use of all available ecotoxicity studies; mandatory reviews; increased transparency; inclusion of emission data from production; and a risk management option. We believe that implementation of our recommendations would strengthen the protection of the environment and be beneficial to society. Legislation and guidance documents need to be updated at regular intervals in order to incorporate new knowledge from the scientific community. This is particularly important for regulatory documents concerning pharmaceuticals in the environment since this is a research field that has been growing substantially in the last decades.
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| 14. |
- Ahrné, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Tillstånd och trender för arter och deras livsmiljöer – rödlistade arter i Sverige 2015
- 2015
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- 2015 års upplaga av den svenska rödlistan är den fjärde i ordningen. Den är baserad på IUCN:s rödlistningskriterier och revideras vart femte år. I rödlistan bedöms risken som enskilda arter av djur, växter och svampar löper att försvinna från Sverige. Bedömningen utförs av ArtDatabankens medarbetare i samverkan med över 100 externa experter, indelade i 14 expertkommittéer för olika organismgrupper. Under arbetet med 2015 års rödlista har tillstånd och trender bedömts för 21 600 arter och 1 318 lägre taxa (apomiktiska arter, underarter och varieteter), sammanlagt ca 22 900 taxa. Av de bedömda arterna klassificerades 2 029 som hotade (kategorierna CR, EN och VU) och 4 273 som rödlistade (inkluderar även kategorierna NT, RE och DD). Förhållandet mellan antalet rödlistade och antalet bedömda arter ar 19,8 %, vilket är ungefär samma värde som 2010 och 2005. I denna rapport jämförs antalet och andelen rödlistade arter mellan olika organismgrupper, biotoper, substrat och påverkansfaktorer. Texten ar indelad i en allmän del och åtta kapitel inriktade på olika landskapstyper. Landskapstyperna utgör en grov indelning av landets miljöer enligt följande kategorier: Skog, Jordbrukslandskap, Urbana miljöer, Fjäll, Våtmarker, Sötvatten, Havsstränder och Havsmiljöer. Skogen och jordbrukslandskapet är de artrikaste landskapstyperna med 1 800 respektive 1 400 arter som har en stark anknytning dit, och ytterligare flera hundra arter som förekommer där mer sporadiskt. De faktorer som påverkar flest rödlistade arter i Sverige är skogsavverkning och igenväxning, som båda utgör ett hot mot vardera ca 30 % av de rödlistade arterna. Avverkning minskar arealen av skog där naturliga strukturer och naturlig dynamik upprätthålls, och den orsakar därmed förlust av livsmiljöer. Igenväxning orsakas av ett antal faktorer, bland annat upphörande hävd (bete och slåtter), gödsling, trädplantering och brist på naturliga störningsregimer som t.ex. regelbundna översvämningar kring vattendrag och sjöar. Andra viktiga påverkansfaktorer är fiske, torrläggning av våtmarker, tillbakagång hos värdarter (främst alm och ask som drabbats av invasiva svampsjukdomar), klimatförändringar och konkurrens från invasiva arter. IUCN:s rödlisteindex beräknas för ett urval av de bedömda organismgrupperna. Rödlisteindex visar att skillnaderna mellan rödlistorna från 2000, 2005, 2010 och 2015 är små. Ett par undantag finns dock. Groddjur och stora däggdjur har fått en något förbättrad situation sedan 2000. Totalt förefaller det ändå som att trycket mot Sveriges artstock har förblivit relativt konstant under de senaste 15 åren.
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| 15. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(author)
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Developing Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methodology by applying values-based sustainability weighting - Tested on biomass based and fossil transportation fuels
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 181, s. 337-351
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The production and use of transportation fuels can lead to sustainability impacts. Assessing them simultaneously in a holistic way is a challenge. This paper examines methodology for assessing the sustainability performance of products in a more integrated way, including a broad range of social impacts. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodology is applied for this assessment. LSCA often constitutes of the integration of results from social LCA (S-LCA), environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). In this study, an S-LCA from an earlier project is extended with a positive social aspect, as well as refined and detailed. E-LCA and LCC results are built from LCA database and literature. Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology is applied to integrate the results from the three different assessments into an LCSA. The weighting of key sustainability dimensions in the MCDA is performed in different ways, where the sustainability dimensions are prioritized differently priority based on the assumed values of different stakeholder profiles (Egalitarian, Hierarchist, and Individualist). The developed methodology is tested on selected biomass based and fossil transportation fuels - ethanol produced from Brazilian sugarcane and US corn/maize, and petrol produced from Russian and Nigerian crude oils, where it delineates differences in sustainability performance between products assessed. The outcome in terms of relative ranking of the transportation fuel chains based on sustain ability performance differs when applying different decision-maker profiles. This result highlights and supports views that there is no one single answer regarding which of the alternatives that is most sustainable. Rather, it depends strongly upon the worldview and values held by the decision maker. A key conclusion is that sustainability assessments should pay more attention to potential differences in underlying values held by key stakeholders in relevant societal contexts. The LCSA methodology still faces challenges regarding results integration but MCDA in combination with stakeholder profiles appears to be a useful approach to build on further.
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| 16. |
- Skagestad, Ragnhild, 1978, et al.
(author)
-
GCCSI Webinar: Cutting Cost of CO2 Capture in Process Industry (CO2stCap) Project overview & first results for partial CO2 capture at integrated steelworks
- 2017
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- GCCSI Webinar: Cutting Cost of CO2 Capture in Process Industry (CO2stCap) Project overview & first results for partial CO2 capture at integrated steelworks This publication has the format of a webinar: The CO2StCap project is a four year initiative carried out by industry and academic partners with the aim of reducing capture costs from CO2 intensive industries (more information here). The project, led by Tel-Tek, is based on the idea that cost reduction is possible by capturing only a share of the CO2 emissions from a given facility, instead of striving for maximized capture rates. This can be done in multiple ways, for instance by capturing only from the largest CO2 sources at individual multi-stack sites utilising cheap waste heat or adapting the capture volumes to seasonal changes in operations. The main focus of this research is to perform techno-economic analyses for multiple partial CO2 capture concepts in order to identify economic optimums between cost and volumes captured. In total for four different case studies are developed for cement, iron & steel, pulp & paper and ferroalloys industries. The first part of the webinar gave an overview of the project with insights into the cost estimation method used. The second part presented the iron & steel industry case study based on the Lulea site in Sweden, for which waste-heat mapping methodology has been used to assess the potential for partial capture via MEA-absorption. Capture costs for different CO2 sources were discussed, demonstrating the viability of partial capture in an integrated steelworks.
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| 17. |
- de Klijn-Chevalerias, M., et al.
(author)
-
The Dutch approach for assessing and reducing environmental impacts of building materials
- 2017
-
In: Building and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-1323. ; 111, s. 147-159
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy and materials, and hence they are also one of the largest contributors to negative environmental impacts. Traditionally, energy consumed by buildings during their operation phase was the most significant in their lifecycles and far exceeded the embodied energy. However, in contemporary low-energy buildings, the embodied energy is proportionally higher because of the prevalent use of energy-intensive materials. To determine the embodied energy and environmental impacts of building materials, the Dutch have developed an assessment method, which has also been adapted by BREEAM-NL. This paper offers an overview of the Dutch approach for assessing the environmental impacts of building materials and demonstrates its practical application. The use of the Dutch Assessment Method to identify, and quantify materials-related design improvements has been demonstrated through an exemplifying case study. It has been identified that the environmental impact of a building is largely influenced by the material choices made at the early design stage of the project.
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| 18. |
- Chen, Xiaoxia, 1983, et al.
(author)
-
Enabling the twin transitions : Digital technologies support environmental sustainability through lean principles
- 2023
-
In: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2352-5509. ; 38, s. 13-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Manufacturing companies seek innovative approaches to achieve successful Green and Digital transitions, where adopting lean production is one alternative. However, further investigation is required to formulate the strategy with practical inputs and identify what digital technologies could be applied with which lean principles for environmental benefits. Therefore, this study first conducted a case study in three companies to collect practice-based data. A complementary literature review was then carried out, investigating the existing frameworks and complementing practices of digitalized lean implementations and the resulting environmental impact. Consequently, the Internet of Things and related connection-level technologies were identified as the key facilitators in lean implementations, specifically in visualization, communication, and poka-yoke, leading to environmental benefits. Furthermore, a framework of DIgitalization Supports Environmental sustainability through Lean principles (DISEL) was proposed to help manufacturing companies identify the opportunities of digitalizing lean principles for Environmental sustainability, thus enabling the twin transitions and being resilient. © 2023 The Authors
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| 19. |
- André, Hampus, 1989
(author)
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Resource and Environmental Impacts of Resource-Efficiency Measures Applied to Electronic Products
- 2018
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Natural resources such as ecosystems, land, water and metals underpin the functioning of economies and human well-being, and are becoming increasingly scarce due to growth in population and affluence. Metals are increasingly demanded for their specific properties as modern technology develops. The dependence on metals is of growing concern due to the environmental impacts related, for example, to energy use and local impacts from mining, as well as the scarcity risks posed by socio-economic, geological and geopolitical constraints. Thus, there is a clear need to use metals and other natural resources more efficiently. The vision of a circular economy has been proposed as a way to do this, for example by improving durability, reusing, repairing and recycling. Such so-called resource-efficiency (RE) measures are commonly assumed to be environmentally beneficial, although the evidence is not plentiful. It is plausible that focusing on recirculating products and materials could shift burdens to other environmental impacts or life cycle stages. It has therefore been argued that a life cycle-based approach, such as in life cycle assessment (LCA), is useful to critically assess the environmental implications of RE measures. LCA aims to quantify the environmental impacts of products over their entire life cycles - from cradle to grave - assessing a wide range of impacts such as toxicity, climate change and metal resource use. For metal resource use, however, there are a number of perspectives as to what constitutes the actual environmental problem. These perspectives are represented in a variety of life cycle impact assessment methods (LCIA) which have previously been shown to give diverging results. Electronic products are emblematic of metal resource use challenges since they deploy a broad spectrum of scarce metals. This thesis aims to provide knowledge on the potential for RE measures to reduce the environmental impacts of electronic products, by addressing the following research questions: (1) What resource-efficiency measures result in reduced potential environmental impacts and resource use – for what types of products and under what conditions? (2) How does extended use of electronic products through design for increased technical lifetime, reuse and repair affect environmental impacts, particularly metal resource use? (3) How does the application of different LCIA methods for metal resource use influence interpretations of resource-efficiency measures applied to electronic products? This thesis builds on three appended papers which are all based on comparative assessments of resource efficiency, studied as resource use and environmental impacts per function delivered, using LCA and material flow analysis. The results indicate that extended use of electronic products through increasing technical lifetimes, reusing and repairing, is generally resource-efficient. Exceptions may occur, however, if extended use is insufficient to motivate impacts from producing more durable products or spare parts. Use extension of electronic products leads to resource efficiency in two distinct ways: through the intended use extension and by increasingly steering material flows into recycling. Further resource efficiency could be realised by combining RE measures over the entire life cycles of products. With regards to metal resource use, the choice of LCIA method can influence the interpretation of the results of RE measures for electronic products. Therefore, it is advisable to use several complementary LCIA methods to minimise the risks of overlooking potentially important resources issues. Furthermore, better understanding and transparency of such issues is valuable in order to provide more comprehensive information to decision-makers.
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| 20. |
- Baresel, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Uncertainty-Accounting Environmental Policy and Management of Water Systems
- 2007
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In: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 41:10, s. 3653–3659-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental policies for water quality and ecosystemmanagement do not commonly require explicit stochasticaccounts of uncertainty and risk associated with thequantification and prediction of waterborne pollutant loadsand abatement effects. In this study, we formulate andinvestigate a possible environmental policy that does requirean explicit stochastic uncertainty account. We compareboth the environmental and economic resource allocationperformance of such an uncertainty-accounting environmentalpolicy with that of deterministic, risk-prone and riskaverseenvironmental policies under a range of differenthypothetical, yet still possible, scenarios. The comparisonindicates that a stochastic uncertainty-accountingpolicy may perform better than deterministic policies overa range of different scenarios. Even in the absence ofreliable site-specific data, reported literature values appearto be useful for such a stochastic account of uncertainty.
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| 21. |
- Liu, Yu, et al.
(author)
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Linking Simulation-Based LCA to Manufacturing Decision Support : An Iron Foundry Case Study
- 2022
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In: Advances in Manufacturing Technology XXXV. - : IOS Press. - 9781643683300 - 9781643683317 - 9781614994398 ; , s. 325-333
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, an increasing number of legislations have mandated environmental impact evaluations of products from a life cycle perspective. This study applies a discrete-event simulation-based life cycle assessment to study the environmental consequences that respond to system configuration changes in production processes. The proposed method allows capturing the dynamic links in production processes, which is lacking in conventional static LCA modelling. This approach is demonstrated via a real-world case study of a Swedish foundry production line, where its environmental impacts’ hotspots are identified. These environmental consequences are further analyzed to link to the respective production decision domains for providing suggestions on potential improvements. This study demonstrates the value of combining DES and LCA for revealing the hidden environmental consequences of production processes that are difficult to uncover with traditional LCA studies. Moreover, the strengths and difficulties of the proposed method are also discussed.
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| 22. |
- Svensson, Olle, 1967-
(author)
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Experimental results from the Lysekil Wave Power Research Site
- 2012
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis presents how experimental results, from wave power research performed offshore at the Lysekil research site, were obtained. The data were used to verify theoretical models as well as evaluate the feasibility of wave power as a future sustainable energy source.The first experiments carried out at the research site was the measurement of the force in a line where one end was connected to a buoy with a diameter of 3 m and the other end to a set of springs with limited stroke length. The system is exposed to high peak forces compared to average forces. The maximum measured force in the line, when the buoy motion is limited by a stiff stopper rope is ten times the average force in that particular sea state.The experiment performed on the first wave energy converter tested at the Lysekil Research Site is described. The infrastructure of the site is presented where the central connection point is the measuring station. The key finding is that it is possible to transform the motions of ocean waves into electrical energy and distribute it to land.Many wave energy converters must be interconnected if large amounts of energy are to be harvested from the waves. The first submerged substation intended for aggregation of energy from wave power converters is described, with focus on the measurement and control system placed inside the substation. During this experiment period the generators were equipped with many different sensors; these measurements are explained in the thesis.The system that aggregates power from the studied wave energy converter is regularly exposed to peak power of up to 20 times the maximum average output from the converter.Vertical and horizontal movement of the buoy has been measured in different ways. The result is that the vertical displacement of the buoy can be measured with a simple accelerometer circuit but it is much more complicated to measure the horizontal displacement. A special method for measuring the horizontal displacement has been implemented by measuring the strain in the enclosure and the force in the line.
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| 23. |
- Despeisse, Mélanie, 1985, et al.
(author)
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A systematic review of empirical studies on green manufacturing: eight propositions and a research framework for digitalized sustainable manufacturing
- 2022
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In: Production and Manufacturing Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2169-3277. ; 10:1, s. 727-759
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Manufacturers are facing increasing pressures to adapt their operations to meet sustainability goals. Research and developments on industrial digitalization (aka Industry 4.0) present new opportunities to create and capture value in ever-more complex and connected industrial systems. However, digitalization does not always align with sustainability, and case studies combining these two topics are still scarce. To address these gaps, we adopted a bottom-up approach to (1) identify existing environmental solutions and their implementation challenges by reviewing 208 empirical studies, and (2) formulate eight propositions to guide further work so that digitalization supports environmental improvements more systematically. Finally, a framework for Digitalized Sustainable Manufacturing consisting of four research themes is proposed, pointing to future research needed to align industrial development with sustainable development goals. The propositions and framework aim to structure and focus future research by targeting specifically the challenges encountered when implementing environmental solutions in manufacturing.
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| 24. |
- Johansson, Björn, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation and Calculation of Dynamics in Environmental Impact Assessment
- 2013
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In: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg. - 1868-4238 .- 1868-422X. - 9783642403514 ; 397:1, s. 135-141
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In ten years customers will select products not only based on price and quality but also with strong regard to the product value environmental footprint, including for example the energy consumed. Customers expect transparency in the product realization process, where most products are labeled with their environmental footprint. Vigorous companies see this new product value as an opportunity to be more competitive. In order to effectively label the envi-ronmental impact of a product, it is pertinent for companies to request the envi-ronmental footprint of each component from their suppliers. Hence, companies along the product lifecycle require a tool, not only to facilitate the computing of the environmental footprint, but also help reduce/balance the environmental impact during the lifecycle of the product. This paper proposes to develop a procedure that companies will use to evaluate, improve and externally advertise their product’s environmental footprint to customers.
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| 25. |
- Lee, Christina, 1992
(author)
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A Life Cycle Approach to Environmental Sustainability in Aggregate Production Systems
- 2024
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rock materials, such as sand, gravel, and crushed rock, serve as the foundation of our society. Known collectively as aggregates, these materials are essential for building foundations, concrete, and roads, making them the second most extracted material globally after water. Since these materials are often extracted directly from nature, responsible production is crucial to ensure long-term environmental sustainability. Meeting sustainability objectives requires comprehensive environmental reporting to fulfil Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) demands. In response to this need, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have gained prominence in the construction sector. However, EPDs, based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), do not fully capture all relevant environmental aspects for aggregate extraction and production facilities, often referred to as quarries. This highlights the need for a holistic perspective when it comes to environmental management. EPDs can also cause challenges for producers who may face resource constraints, data collection difficulties, and limitations in environmental knowledge during the process of producing an EPD. Moreover, regarding EPDs solely as communication tools overlooks a value creation opportunity to identify environmental improvements in production systems. Therefore, integrating LCA with production simulations can enhance environmental management, necessitating the development of tools that simplify and support producers in this endeavour. This thesis proposes a tool structure based on the development work of an industry-specific EPD software tool, and explores its integration into environmental management practices for quarries, with the aim of improving environmental performance. By identifying potential industry-specific environmental impacts, the thesis highlights knowledge gaps and delineates the limitations of LCA tools when combined with production simulations aiming towards a more holistic perspective of environmental performance. Additionally, it offers recommendations for best practices in combining LCA tools into quarry environmental management to overcome limitations, and identifies key areas where industry improvements can be achieved.
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