Unstandardized LCA-Based Technology Sustainability Assessment for Alternative Energy Scenarios for Cogeneration System

In pursuit of higher energy savings and de-carbonization, greater fuel diversity and lower pollutant emission is possible by production processes through energy-savings opportunities and associated environmentally-benign technologies. Current production processes represents the biggest consumption of energy, and the greatest amount of emissions emitted to the environment. Improvement in energy efficiency is considered as the basic principle in realizing energy-saving, bringing cost-effective benefits and reduction of greenhouse emissions. Hence, this study proposes a framework to assess alternative sustainability of cogeneration systems, integrating the economic, environmental, and social indicators. The results showed that the cogeneration system with a new boiler with a 600 PSIG pressure and a new turbine seems to be a cost-efficient solution compared to the baseline scenario saving energy at the level of 1,823,072 kWh/yr (63%) against the baseline scenario. In the case study, the implemented solution in the plant improved the overall sustainability degree of technology by 53% (from 46% as baseline to 97%).