Wastewater System Integration: A Biogenic Waste Biorefinery Eco-Industrial Park

Yin Hui Lai and Irene Mei Leng Chew ()
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Yin Hui Lai: Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
Irene Mei Leng Chew: Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: In recent years, great interest has been shown in the utilization of biogenic wastes in biorefineries as part of the concept of a circular bioeconomy. However, various challenges arise including the availability, cost and characteristics of the biogenic wastes in ensuring consistent biorefinery production processes. This work presents an optimization-based approach of a biogenic waste biorefinery eco-industrial park (BWB EIP). An indirect integration scheme is presented with a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) acting as a centralized utility hub to treat the biogenic wastes generated from the participating plants and to supply volatile fatty acid (VFA) demanded by the participating plants through the WWTP interceptors. The objective of minimizing the VFA demanded by the participating plants from external sources is achieved. To further assess the influence of a future increase in VFA demand for one of the participating plants which is the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) plant on the integration network, a sensitivity analysis is conducted. The results indicated that two WWTP interceptors are required with a 32.8% and 27.4% reduction in fresh VFA from external sources achieved through the integration network before and after sensitivity analysis. This work provides an insight into developing the framework for other BWB processes.

Keywords: biogenic waste; circular bioeconomy; eco-industrial park; wastewater management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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