Valorizing Biodiesel and Bioethanol Side-Streams: Sustainability Potential Assessment through a Multicriteria Decision Analysis Framework and Appraisal of Valuable Compound Recovery Prospects

Marta Macias Aragonés (), Petra Ondrejíčková, Raul Ugarte Lodeiro and Fátima Arroyo Torralvo
Additional contact information
Marta Macias Aragonés: Fundación Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía, C Albert Einstein S/N, 41092 Seville, Spain
Petra Ondrejíčková: ENVIRAL, a.s., Trnavská cesta, 920 41 Leopoldov, Slovakia
Raul Ugarte Lodeiro: TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Astondo Bidea, Edificio 700, 48160 Derio, Spain
Fátima Arroyo Torralvo: Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain

Energies, 2022, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: A framework for assessing, from a sustainability and circular bioeconomy point of view, the best valorization approach for biorefineries side-streams has been developed and validated. Two biorefinery side streams are considered as case-studies for validation: rapeseed meal from biodiesel and corn oil from bioethanol production. Firstly, a methodology to evaluate different valorization scenarios has been developed following a holistic approach that addresses technical aspects, environmental impact, and economic analysis. This way, a framework (inspired by the Battelle Method and using insights from Multicriteria Decision Analysis) has been produced where the sustainability potential of each scenario can be assessed. Such framework has been validated for five valorization scenarios for rapeseed meal and seven scenarios for corn oil. It can be concluded that protein extraction through alkaline (NaOH) hydrolysis is the best approach for rapeseed meal valorization while carotenoids recovery through ion exchange extraction is the most suitable strategy for corn oil. Secondly, for the selected scenarios, an estimation of the maximum recoverable amount of valuable compounds is conducted at the European and country-level. The use of this framework substantially aids in the best choice of the cutting-edge conversion technologies, supporting industry practitioners in the selection of processes to be further scaled-up.

Keywords: sustainability; biorefinery; circular bioeconomy; biomass; biodiesel; bioethanol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/176/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/176/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2022:i:1:p:176-:d:1013395

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().