Life cycle assessment of solid recovered fuel for energy sector in declining coal region: Replacement of coal within the regional energy mix

IF 6.7 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Environmental Technology & Innovation Pub Date : 2025-07-02 DOI:10.1016/j.eti.2025.104349

Jiří Ryšavý , Jakub Čespiva , Lukasz Niedzwiecki , David Kupka , Mateusz Jackowski , Cheng-Chi Wang , Jenn-Kun Kuo , Anna Trusek , Calin-Cristian Cormos , Milan Dej , Wei-Hsin Chen

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Abstract

Solid recovered fuel derived from non-recyclable waste represents an alternative energy source suitable for use in waste incineration or combustion facilities. Its adoption reduces fossil fuel consumption in heat and electricity production, thereby mitigating associated environmental impacts. This study evaluates the environmental benefits of substituting coal with SRF in the energy mix of the Moravian-Silesian Region (Czech Republic), a post-coal region currently dependent on fossil fuels. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted according to the methodology outlined in EN ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, using the PEF 3.0 method and OpenLCA software, assessing three SRF composition scenarios and four energy conversion efficiency scenarios (WtE and CHP). The study focuses on key environmental indicators, such as "climate change" and "resource use, fossils," which collectively represent over 70 % of the total environmental impacts. The findings reveal that integrating SRF into the region’s energy mix has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of electricity and heat production. Specifically, the reductions in the "climate change" indicator range from 4.42 % to 35.7 %, while the overall "environmental footprint" indicator shows reductions between 10.86 % and 40.5 %. These findings confirm SRF’s potential as a key tool in transitioning toward a more sustainable regional energy strategy.

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煤炭衰退地区能源部门固体回收燃料的生命周期评估：区域能源结构中煤炭的替代

从不可回收废物中提取的固体回收燃料是一种适合用于废物焚化或燃烧设施的替代能源。它的采用减少了热能和电力生产中的化石燃料消耗，从而减轻了相关的环境影响。本研究评估了莫拉维亚-西里西亚地区（捷克共和国）能源结构中以SRF替代煤炭的环境效益，这是一个目前依赖化石燃料的后煤炭地区。根据EN ISO 14040和14044标准中概述的方法，使用PEF 3.0方法和OpenLCA软件进行了生命周期评估（LCA），评估了3种SRF组成情景和4种能量转换效率情景（WtE和CHP）。该研究侧重于关键环境指标，如“气候变化”和“资源利用、化石”，这些指标合计占总环境影响的70% %以上。研究结果表明，将SRF纳入该地区的能源结构有可能显著减少电力和热力生产的环境足迹。具体来说，“气候变化”指标的降幅在4.42 %到35.7 %之间，而整体“环境足迹”指标的降幅在10.86 %到40.5 %之间。这些发现证实了SRF作为向更可持续的区域能源战略过渡的关键工具的潜力。

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来源期刊

Environmental Technology & Innovation Environmental Science-General Environmental Science

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

4.20%

发文量

435

审稿时长

74 days

期刊介绍： Environmental Technology & Innovation adopts a challenge-oriented approach to solutions by integrating natural sciences to promote a sustainable future. The journal aims to foster the creation and development of innovative products, technologies, and ideas that enhance the environment, with impacts across soil, air, water, and food in rural and urban areas. As a platform for disseminating scientific evidence for environmental protection and sustainable development, the journal emphasizes fundamental science, methodologies, tools, techniques, and policy considerations. It emphasizes the importance of science and technology in environmental benefits, including smarter, cleaner technologies for environmental protection, more efficient resource processing methods, and the evidence supporting their effectiveness.