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“The future of Ex-Ante LCA? Lessons learned and practical recommendations”. Buyle M, Audenaert A, Billen P, Boonen K, Van Passel S, Sustainability 11, 5456 (2019). http://doi.org/10.3390/SU11195456
Abstract: Every decision-oriented life cycle assessment (LCAs) entails, at least to some extent, a future-oriented feature. However, apart from the ex-ante LCAs, the majority of LCA studies are retrospective in nature and do not explicitly account for possible future effects. In this review a generic theoretical framework is proposed as a guideline for ex-ante LCA. This framework includes the entire technology life cycle, from the early design phase up to continuous improvements of mature technologies, including their market penetration. The compatibility with commonly applied system models yields an additional aspect of the framework. Practical methods and procedures are categorised, based on how they incorporate future-oriented features in LCA. The results indicate that most of the ex-ante LCAs focus on emerging technologies that have already gone through some research cycles within narrowly defined system boundaries. There is a lack of attention given to technologies that are at a very early development stage, when all options are still open and can be explored at a low cost. It is also acknowledged that technological learning impacts the financial and environmental performance of mature production systems. Once technologies are entering the market, shifts in market composition can lead to substantial changes in environmental performance.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB)
Impact Factor: 1.789
Times cited: 4
DOI: 10.3390/SU11195456
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“Ex-ante LCA of emerging carbon steel slag treatment technologies : fast forwarding lab observations to industrial-scale production”. Buyle M, Maes B, Van Passel S, Boonen K, Vercalsteren A, Audenaert A, Journal Of Cleaner Production 313, 127921 (2021). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2021.127921
Abstract: The valuable properties of carbon steel slag are currently underexploited. To date, research mainly focusses on valorising a single property of the slag. In this study an ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to evaluate the environmental profile of a novel technological pathway aimed at the extraction of chromium from carbon steel slag in combination with high quality valorisation of the residual matrix material. A comparison with current practice was made, not only by calculating the environmental impact of the lab scale observations, but more importantly by estimating the impact on an industrial scale. Practical guidance on ex-ante LCA is limited, so this study contributes by incorporating simulations on thermodynamic behaviour, complemented with empirical calculation rules and including information derived from similar technologies to perform the upscaling. These principles of ex-ante LCA were applied to the lab results of two consecutive research iterations. Substantial improvements of the environmental profile were observed: ex-ante results turned out to be a factor 20 lower compared to the results from the lab observations after the first iteration and had decreased by a factor 2 compared to the small pilot scale of the second iteration. All upscaled results are better than those from the worst case reference scenario (landfill). Based on the experience gained after this iterative research cycle, a practical recommendation is that at a low technology readiness level using more simple calculation rules in combination with a flowsheet based on elementary design principles for processes at an industrial scale is a more efficient way of modelling compared to a fully-fledged process design from the start.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB)
Impact Factor: 5.715
DOI: 10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2021.127921
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“Rebound effects following technological advancement? The case of a global shock in ferrochrome supply”. Buyle M, Audenaert A, Brusselaers J, Van Passel S, Journal of cleaner production 391, 136264 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2023.136264
Abstract: Novel recycling technologies aim at increasing material efficiency by turning former waste products into valuable reclaimed resources. A key question is whether such technologies really reduce primary resource consumption or instead stimulate aggregated market demand. In this study the consequences of a positive shock in ferrochrome supply to the global stainless steel value chain is assessed quantitatively. This new source might be unlocked by technology under development for the recovery of chromium from carbon and stainless steel slags. The aim of this study is to quantitatively assess the income and substitution effects of reclaimed ferrochrome along a part of the stainless steel value chain. The impact of the supply shock is analysed by means of a vector autoregression (VAR), a dynamic model where lagged values of all included variables estimate current state of the system. Additionally, the VAR model is extended to a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) to account for contemporary effects as well. Both the VAR and SVAR model indicate that additional ferrochrome supply leads to an increase in aggregated supply of stainless steel, in combination with a substitution effect between ferrochrome and nickel. The extended SVAR model additionally highlights that contemporaneous effects do play an important role as well to capture the direct rebound effect in the ferrochrome market when working with quarterly data. In other words, an additional supply of reclaimed ferrochrome triggers a complex combination of interactions and consequences, yet it does not necessarily lead to a lower overall material consumption. The main contributions of this paper are the assessment of direct rebound effects of supplying reclaimed metals along the value chain and the demonstration that quantifying the effects of circular strategies is feasible.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings; Engineering Management (ENM)
Impact Factor: 11.1
DOI: 10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2023.136264
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“A review on the leaf area index (LAI) in vertical greening systems”. De Bock A, Belmans B, Vanlanduit S, Blom J, Alvarado Alvarado AA, Audenaert A, Building and environment 229, 109926 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.BUILDENV.2022.109926
Abstract: The leaf area index (LAI) is a key dynamic parameter in Vertical Greening Systems (VGS). It quantifies the total amount of leaf area in the canopy and largely determines the extent of co-benefits of VGS. Whereas many studies on VGS discuss the importance of the LAI, only few elaborate on the parameter itself, how it is determined and what the current limitations are in VGS. Moreover, although there is scientific consensus on the importance of LAI in VGS, specific non-destructive monitoring techniques for continuous LAI monitoring appear to be absent, which results in limited overall data on the LAI of VGS under different spatial and temporal conditions and problems in quantifying the benefits of VGS in practice. To fill these gaps, this paper specifically focuses on the LAI of VGS and its monitoring techniques. An overview of existing LAI monitoring techniques in the field of VGS is presented. To arrive at dedicated techniques, this is complemented by a thorough analysis of LAI monitoring techniques used in other research fields, e.g. agriculture and forestry. It is established that two indirect techniques for LAI monitoring are currently available in the VGS sector, but a proper standardized sampling methodology currently lacks. Monitoring techniques used in other sectors offer opportunities for developing dedicated monitoring methods for VGS, but require further research due to the specific features of VGS systems. Furthermore, guidelines are proposed for a more standardized LAI determination of reporting of LAI values in VGS.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Sustainable Pavements and Asphalt Research (SuPAR); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings
Impact Factor: 7.4
DOI: 10.1016/J.BUILDENV.2022.109926
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