Proefschrift
Life cycle assessment of emerging chemical technology systems: challenges and future needs
The upscaling of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data is recognized as one of the main challenges in the ex-ante LCA of emerging technologies. This challenge arises since industrial-scale system specifications for these technologies are unknown and industrial data is lacking.
- Auteur
- N. Tsoy
- Datum
- 07 november 2024
- Links
- Thesis in Leiden Repository
The only available data come from small-scale (lab or pilot) technologies, which cannot be directly applied to full-scale systems due to potential significant differences between small-scale and industrial processes. Although upscaling methods can be used to address this challenge, at the time the thesis work was conducted, there had been limited research on the examination of these methods. The aim of the thesis was to explore upscaling methods for modeling emerging chemical technology systems that were still below TRL 9. We presented a review of upscaling methods used in ex-ante LCA so far, identifying the key characteristics and principles of these methods. We also provided recommendations for LCA practitioners who intend to employ upscaling methods in ex-ante LCA. As a result, a decision tree and an upscaling framework were developed to assist LCA practitioners in navigating the upscaling process in ex-ante LCA. Furthermore, we demonstrated the practical application of the upscaling framework through a case study focused on the ex-ante LCA of the carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology. As a result, we shared insights gained from applying the upscaling framework to the CCU technology. In addition to examining upscaling methods, we reviewed methods for modeling background scenarios in the prospective LCA of chemical technology systems.