Efficiency assessment in co-production systems based on modified emergy accounting approach
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Shrestha, Keshab
Shah, Izhar Hussain
Liu, Zhe
Park, Hung-Suck
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Emergy accounting in a system with co-production branch is of great scientific interest since each branch corresponds to a different transformity value. In previous studies, limitations associated with emergy accounting in co-production systems have been highlighted where some “inputs” have to be added to obtain a “useful” product from a “co-product” – giving rise to inaccuracies in the emergy accounting process. To address these methodological aspects of emergy assessment in co-production systems, a modified physical quantity method (MPQM) – that goes in line with the standard emergy algebra – has been proposed in order to provide a different perspective for accounting co-products efficiency. The robustness of MPQM has been verified by taking the case study of Eucalyptus pulp production and a comparison is made against conventional and energy/exergy weighting methods. As per the results, MPQM was able to provide accurate results for co-production systems as compared with other emergy accounting methods. However, the case of Eucalyptus pulp production was found to be “inefficient” following the MPQM approach. These findings are expected to strengthen the methodological aspects of emergy accounting based on the physical quantity criterion.
Date Issued
2021-07
Date Acceptance
2021-03-29
Citation
Ecological Indicators, 2021, 126, pp.1-7
ISSN
1470-160X
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
1
End Page
7
Journal / Book Title
Ecological Indicators
Volume
126
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X2100340X?via%3Dihub
Subjects
03 Chemical Sciences
05 Environmental Sciences
06 Biological Sciences
Ecology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
107675
Date Publish Online
2021-04-13