Consideration of Environmental and Socio-economic Aspects …
51
rience and know-how are already present within the industry. However, if the effects
of some parameters (e.g. transportation distance or degree of heat integration) are
rather easy to evaluate, the effects of others (e.g. existing experience and know-how)
are more difficult to quantify.
Harvey and Pettersson have also shown that a co-location of biorefineries with
different types of industries could be very advantageous. For example, pulp and
paper industries are specifically interesting in terms of biorefinery co-location for
several reasons, namely closeness to biomass resources, long-term experience, welldeveloped infrastructures for handling large biomass volumes, etc. The co-location
with the petrochemical and oil refinery industries could also present many positive
aspects. For example, these industries could use intermediate biorefinery products
as feedstocks for their production processes. They also provide possibilities for heat
integration. Besides, petrochemical/oil refinery industries have experience and knowhow concerning final products and their possible markets. However, if these industries are far from the biomass resources, and lack knowledge/experience in biomass
handling, this could be regarded as disadvantages to this type of co-location. The
authors highlight, in addition, that all types of industrial processes could consider
the integration with a biorefinery for heat integration purposes, without any material
flow exchanges or use of existing process units.
In conclusion, it is noted by the authors that the appropriate location for the
different parts of the biomass conversion chain, in relation to each other and to
existing industries, is very important for the biorefinery performance. However, the
entire chain “raw material—final products” need not necessarily be located on the
same site; intermediate products could be produced and transported to other places
for further upgrading.
Thus, the literature review shows that several parameters, such as raw materials (biomass), transport, energy and market, are commonly identified within the
aforementioned studies aimed at identifying the optimal biorefinery location. Other
parameters are only mentioned in one or two studies, despite this fact their importance cannot be questioned and we cannot ignore them, each of them has its unique
sense within the specific case study. However, it should be stressed that all the papers
described are based on real case studies, i.e. already existing biorefineries, while our
investigation deals with a potential biorefinery. Thus, a broader selection of parameters could be necessary.
3 Towards Sustainable Biorefinery Location Based
on Social, Economic and Environmental Aspects: A Case
Study of a Potential Biorefinery Facility
As mentioned before, the construction of a new biorefinery or the integration of the
chemical process to an already existing industrial infrastructure is considered. The
new biorefinery, producing various bio products from the sunflower plant, will be
51
rience and know-how are already present within the industry. However, if the effects
of some parameters (e.g. transportation distance or degree of heat integration) are
rather easy to evaluate, the effects of others (e.g. existing experience and know-how)
are more difficult to quantify.
Harvey and Pettersson have also shown that a co-location of biorefineries with
different types of industries could be very advantageous. For example, pulp and
paper industries are specifically interesting in terms of biorefinery co-location for
several reasons, namely closeness to biomass resources, long-term experience, welldeveloped infrastructures for handling large biomass volumes, etc. The co-location
with the petrochemical and oil refinery industries could also present many positive
aspects. For example, these industries could use intermediate biorefinery products
as feedstocks for their production processes. They also provide possibilities for heat
integration. Besides, petrochemical/oil refinery industries have experience and knowhow concerning final products and their possible markets. However, if these industries are far from the biomass resources, and lack knowledge/experience in biomass
handling, this could be regarded as disadvantages to this type of co-location. The
authors highlight, in addition, that all types of industrial processes could consider
the integration with a biorefinery for heat integration purposes, without any material
flow exchanges or use of existing process units.
In conclusion, it is noted by the authors that the appropriate location for the
different parts of the biomass conversion chain, in relation to each other and to
existing industries, is very important for the biorefinery performance. However, the
entire chain “raw material—final products” need not necessarily be located on the
same site; intermediate products could be produced and transported to other places
for further upgrading.
Thus, the literature review shows that several parameters, such as raw materials (biomass), transport, energy and market, are commonly identified within the
aforementioned studies aimed at identifying the optimal biorefinery location. Other
parameters are only mentioned in one or two studies, despite this fact their importance cannot be questioned and we cannot ignore them, each of them has its unique
sense within the specific case study. However, it should be stressed that all the papers
described are based on real case studies, i.e. already existing biorefineries, while our
investigation deals with a potential biorefinery. Thus, a broader selection of parameters could be necessary.
3 Towards Sustainable Biorefinery Location Based
on Social, Economic and Environmental Aspects: A Case
Study of a Potential Biorefinery Facility
As mentioned before, the construction of a new biorefinery or the integration of the
chemical process to an already existing industrial infrastructure is considered. The
new biorefinery, producing various bio products from the sunflower plant, will be