Towards an integrated environmental techno-economic assessment: A case study on algal-biorefineries

Abstract

A low carbon-economy requires new technologies to have a minimal environmental impact. However, the current sustainability assessment methodologies are often not suited to assist in minimizing the environmental impact of new technologies. Classical methods assess the environmental impact only when the technology is already mature. At this stage, a technological change to lower the environmental impact can be hard to implement and costly. Moreover, the classical methods do not take the technological process and the economic viability of the assessed technology into account. The direct effect of a change can only be quantified in separate technological and economic assessments. To minimize the environmental impact of new technologies in the low-carbon economy, an integrated environmental, technological and economic assessment is required which can guide the new technology alongside the different stages of technology development.