Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Production from Solid Waste Valorization and Wastewater Purification: A Case Study of Meat Processing Industry

Christos Boukouvalas (), Tryfon Kekes, Vasiliki Oikonomopoulou and Magdalini Krokida
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Christos Boukouvalas: Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Athens, Greece
Tryfon Kekes: Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Athens, Greece
Vasiliki Oikonomopoulou: Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Athens, Greece
Magdalini Krokida: Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Athens, Greece

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: The meat processing industry is a very energy-intensive and water-demanding industry that produces large amounts of solid and aqueous wastes. Therefore, methods for the effective treatment of the produced wastes have been studied in order to treat and reuse water within the industry and valorize the solid wastes for the production of energy and value-added products. The primary aim of this work is to evaluate the overall sustainability of energy produced from solid waste valorization and wastewater treatment in the meat processing industry via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). For this purpose, the total environmental impact of a typical meat industry that utilizes conventional waste management methods (Scenario A) was evaluated and compared with two different industries with appropriate waste treatment/valorization processes. In the first studied valorization scenario (Scenario B), waste management is conducted using anaerobic digestion, composting, membrane bioreactors, and ultraviolet (UV) treatment, whereas in the second studied valorization scenario (Scenario C), aeration treatment, chlorination, and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) are the selected treatment techniques. As expected, it is evident from this LCA study, that both Scenarios B and C exhibited a significantly improved environmental footprint in all studied indicators compared with Scenario A, with the reduction in certain environmental impact categories reaching up to 80%. Between the two studied alternative scenarios, the biggest improvement in the environmental footprint of the meat industry was observed in Scenario C, mainly due to the substantial quantity of the produced thermal energy. According to the results of the present case study, it is evident that the incorporation of appropriate methods in the meat industry can result in the efficient generation of energy and a significant improvement in the environmental footprint contributing to environmental safety and sustainability.

Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment; sustainability; waste valorization; energy production; wastewater treatment; meat processing industry (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: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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