TY - JOUR
T1 - Life cycle assessment for hydrothermal carbonization of urban organic solid waste in comparison with gasification process
T2 - A case study of Southern Chile
AU - Corvalán, Constanza
AU - Espinoza Pérez, Andrea Teresa
AU - Díaz-Robles, Luis A.
AU - Cubillos, Francisco
AU - Vallejo, Fidel
AU - Gómez, Jaime
AU - Pino-Cortés, Ernesto
AU - Espinoza-Pérez, Lorena
AU - Pelz, Stefan K.
AU - Paczkowski, Sebastian
AU - Rumberg, Michael
AU - Carrasco, Samuel
AU - Silva, Javier
AU - Lapuerta, Magín
AU - Cereceda-Balic, Francisco
AU - Pazo, Amparo
AU - Monedero, Esperanza
AU - Meriño, Juan Figueroa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Most developing countries lack sufficient legal and management infrastructure to dispose of urban solid waste (USW). The continuous increase of USW generation requires evaluating different treatments for developing countries based on the life cycle assessment methodology to compare the environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gases and leachate. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and gasification processes are presented as potential solutions for USW treatment due to their efficiency in producing energy for local requirements. This study aimed to compare both technologies for Temuco and Padre Las Casas cities in Southern Chile that show severe air pollution and USW management problems. The results indicated that gasification had a better environmental performance than HTC when the conversion of 1 ton of organic fraction USW was analyzed. However, since HTC achieved higher energy efficiency, it had a lower environmental impact than gasification, considering the production of 1 MWh. For a definitive choice of the technology to be used, it is necessary to compare other variables, including economic and social aspects, to provide a holistic perspective.
AB - Most developing countries lack sufficient legal and management infrastructure to dispose of urban solid waste (USW). The continuous increase of USW generation requires evaluating different treatments for developing countries based on the life cycle assessment methodology to compare the environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gases and leachate. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and gasification processes are presented as potential solutions for USW treatment due to their efficiency in producing energy for local requirements. This study aimed to compare both technologies for Temuco and Padre Las Casas cities in Southern Chile that show severe air pollution and USW management problems. The results indicated that gasification had a better environmental performance than HTC when the conversion of 1 ton of organic fraction USW was analyzed. However, since HTC achieved higher energy efficiency, it had a lower environmental impact than gasification, considering the production of 1 MWh. For a definitive choice of the technology to be used, it is necessary to compare other variables, including economic and social aspects, to provide a holistic perspective.
KW - gasification
KW - hydrothermal carbonization
KW - life cycle assessment
KW - urban organic solid waste
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106331948&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ep.13688
DO - 10.1002/ep.13688
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85106331948
SN - 1944-7442
VL - 40
JO - Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy
JF - Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy
IS - 6
M1 - e13688
ER -
