Implications of the european
renewable energy directive for
Industrial Symbiosis in the Biofuel Industry
Michael Martin, Niclas Svensson, Surendraprabu Rangaraju, Mats Eklund
LINKÖPING UNIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
The European Renewable Energy Directive (RED)
Aims:
• Control the Growth of Biofuels
• Set Targets for Member States
• Assure Targets are Met
• Promote Sustainability
Provides:
• Sustainability Guidlines
• Fuel Standards
• LCA Methodology
• GHG limits
Aim
Targets:
2009/28/EC
• 20/20/20-Overall Targets
• 35% GHG Reductions by 2012
• 50% GHG Reductions by 2017
• 60% GHG Reductions by 2018
What implications does the RED have on:
To dertermine the implications of the
RED on the application of industrial
symbiosis in the biofuel industry
Case Study
integrated
biogas & Ethanol
Production
Material
Ethanol
Plant
Energy
Biogas
Plant
1. Environmental Performance Calculations of an
integrated system?
2. Implementation of Exchanges & Cooperation?
Research questions
•How do we calculate environmental performance of an integrated system?
•Does the RED allow for exchanges?
•What type of exchanges are considered?
•Can we have mutual benefits under this policy?
•How do we regard by-products? As waste or
co-products?
•What system boundaries are we allowed to
use?
Implications for Industrial Symbiosis
Environmental Performance calculations of
an integrated system
- Benefits from by-products are not taken into
account
- Energy allocation is the only allocation method
- Improvements from by-product exchanges hard to model
- Only the global warming potential is considered
- One system must take all the disadvantages
+ Takes into account direct land use
implementation of exchanges & cooperation
- Each firm must produce its own report on sustainability
- Biofuels can be produced outside the member states to meet targets
- Does not promote by-product exchanges between firms
+ Promotes the use of waste for biofuel production for further collaboration in the agricultural sector
- No clear defnition classification of what is considered a waste and what is a by-product
Conclusions
•RED may overlook potential improvements with industrial symbiosis concepts
•RED does not promote cooperation but does not inhibit it
•Future technologies in place of optimization with IS is promoted
•Mutual benefits from integration are not able to be modeled
•The use of waste products from industry and agriculture is promoted