environmental and socioeconomic indicators for sustainable...
TRANSCRIPT
October 1, 2015 Algae Biomass Summit
Washington, DC
Rebecca Efroymson Virginia Dale
Matthew Langholtz
Environmental and socioeconomic indicators for
sustainable production of algal biofuels
Purposes of sustainability assessments and indicators
• Energy comparisons • Life-cycle analysis • Simulations of effects of best practices • Certification • Comparisons with regulatory targets • Monitoring and early warning signals
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Defining sustainability • General definitions are available
– Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Report 1992)
– A process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations (World Commission on Environment and Development)
• Precise, operational definitions are needed that relate to the purpose of a sustainability assessment – The U.S. Department of Energy’s goal “By 2017, model the
sustainable supply of 1 million metric tonnes ash free dry weight cultivated algal biomass.”
– What does sustainable mean? 3
Defining sustainability • To operationally define
“sustainable,” we need to define important categories of sustainability, indicators (metrics) of sustainability, targets for those metrics, and best practices to meet those targets
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Case studies
DOE San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology
Categories of indicators of bioenergy sustainability
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McBride et al. (2011) Ecological Indicators 11:1277-1289.
Greenhouse gas emissions
Soil quality
Water quality and quantity
Air quality
Biological diversity
Productivity
Social well being External
trade
Energy security
Profitability
Resource conservation
Social acceptability
Dale et al. (2013) Ecological Indicators 26:87-102.
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Indicator selection
Strain selection criteria
Resource requirements
Infrastructure
Cultivation media
Supply chain steps
NRC algae
metrics
Global Bioenergy
Partnership indicators
Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials
indicators
ORNL/BETO bioenergy
sustainability indicators
Case studies
Case studies
Practical, science-based set of sustainability indicators for algal biofuel
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• Indicators are numerous, costly, broad, and difficult to measure • Hundreds of metrics and criteria for bioenergy sustainability have been proposed
Environmental sustainability indicators
8 Efroymson, Dale. 2015. Ecological Indicators 49:1-13
Category Indicator Units
Soil quality Bulk density g/cm3
Water quality Nitrate conc in streams and export
conc: mg/L; export: kg/ha/yr
Total P conc in streams and export
conc: mg/L; export: kg/ha/yr
Salinity conductivity
Water quantity
Peak storm flow L/s
Minimum base flow L/s
Consumptive water use
feedstock production: m3/ha/day; biorefinery: m3/day
Greenhouse gases
CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2 and N2O)
kgCeq/GJ
Category Indicator
Biodiversity Presence of taxa of special concern
Presence
Habitat area of taxa of special concern
ha
Abundance of released algae
Number/L
Air quality Tropospheric ozone ppb
Carbon monoxide ppm
Total particulate matter less than 2.5µm diam
µg/m3
Total particulate matter less than 10µm diam
µg/m3
Productivity Primary productivity or yield gC/L/year or based on chlorophyll a
Red ovals indicate differences from general bioenergy sustainability indicators
Moving toward applications
Greenhouse gas emissions
Soil quality
Water quality & quantity
Air quality Biological diversity
Productivity
Social well being External
trade
Energy security
Profitability
Resource conservation
Social acceptability Environmental
sustainability indicators
Socioeconomic sustainability
indicators
Pond bioliner Use of polycultures
Resource analysis
Accident scenario
Freshwater vs saltwater
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Measures & interpretations
are context-specific Efroymson et al. (2013)
Environmental Management 51:291-306.
6. Determine selection criteria for indicators
7. Identify & rank indicators that meet criteria
4. Identify & assess necessary tradeoffs
Information as determined by • Available data • Resources needed to collect & assemble required data
9. Determine whether objectives
are achieved
No 10. Assess lessons learned & identify good
practices
Yes
3. Identify & consult stakeholders 1. Define goals 2. Define context
5. Determine objectives for analysis
8. Identify gaps in ability to address goals & objectives
Determine baselines & targets
Compare to values for indicators Conduct assessment
Framework for selecting
sustainability indicators
Dale et al. (2015) Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining
51:291-306.
Industry interactions • Queries of companies regarding
– Ongoing measurements of environmental sustainability – Interest in categories of sustainability that are not being
measured – Interest in potential case studies – Industry data available to support case studies
• Preliminary conclusions – Companies are measuring aspects of sustainability – Some companies have a greater focus on on-site sustainability
over regional environmental sustainability – Challenge: availability of data to support sustainability case
studies, given confidentiality concerns • Plans for 2016
– Query additional companies – Add questions about socioeconomic sustainability – Summarize industry approaches to sustainability 11
Collaborator: Val Smith, University of Kansas
Socioeconomic sustainability indicators
1) Dale et al. 2013. Ecological Indicators 26:87-102
2) Efroymson et al. in review. GCB Bioenergy
Category Indicator Units
Social well-being
Employment # FTE jobs
Household income
$/day
Workdays lost to injury
workdays lost per worker per yr
Food security % change food price volatility
Energy security
Energy security premium
$/gal
Fuel price volatility
St dev monthly percentage price change over 1 yr
External trade
Terms of trade Ratio (price exports/price imports)
Trade volume $ (net exports or balance of payments)
Profitability Return on investment
% (net investment/initial investment)
Net present value $ (present value benefits minus present value costs)
Category Indicator Units
Resource conservation
Depletion of non-renewable energy resources
MT petroleum extracted/yr
Fossil energy return on investment
MJ (ratio fossil energy inputs to useful energy output)
Social acceptability
Public opinion % favorable
Transparency % indicators for which timely, relevant performance data reported
Effective stakeholder participation
# documented responses to concerns/yr
16. Risk of catastrophe
Annual probability of catastrophic event
Indicators developed for terrestrial bioenergy are appropriate for algae
• Indicators not yet measured in published sustainability assessments for commercial facilities
• Some indicators estimated in scientific literature – Profitability (return on investment, net present value) – Resource conservation (fossil energy return on
investment)
• Food security indicator, percent change in food price volatility, is probably zero if ag lands not used
• Some indicators cannot be projected into the future with accuracy, prior to commercialization
– Energy security (energy security premium, food price volatility)
– External trade (terms of trade, trade volume) 13
Socioeconomic sustainability indicators
Summary
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• Environmental, economic, and social factors can impede commercial viability of energy technologies
• Using indicators to assess progress toward sustainability can help mitigate unfavorable outcomes and speed social acceptance
• Based on needs of the algal biofuel community, this project is branching into research areas that should result in sustainability solutions PNNL photo
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Publications Efroymson RA, VH Dale. 2015. Environmental indicators for sustainable production of algal biofuels. Ecological Indicators 49:1-13 Efroymson RA, VH Dale, M Langholtz. In review. Socioeconomic indicators for sustainable production of algal biofuels. GCB Bioenergy Langholtz M. In review. Potential land competition between open-pond microalgae production and dedicated feedstock supply systems in the U.S. Renewable Energy
Acknowledgments This research was supported by the US Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office. We thank Daniel Fishman, Kristen Johnson, and Alison Goss Eng for insights and project sponsorship. We appreciate helpful discussions with Susan Schoenung, Andre Coleman, Mark Wigmosta, and Shahab Sokhansanj. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for DOE under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.