INTERNATIONAL SUGARCANE BIOMASS UTILIZATION CONSORTIUM (ISBUC)
Project proposal for ISBUC (No2, June 2007)

VINASSE: LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS AND COST
ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR ITS DISPOSAL
   Project extension: 3 years

1.                Abstract

Today, many countries are searching for energy alternatives that are environmentally favorable. Brazil, the second largest ethanol producer in the world and the holder of advanced technologies for its production, is part of this context. The country is moving fast towards the enhancement of the sugar/alcohol sector: 19 plants will start operating in 2007 and 89 are forecast to start within eight years. In addition, there will be decentralization of the production, which today is mainly concentrated in the state of São Paulo. Programs aiming at a large-scale production of ethanol out of sugar cane are being implemented in different countries of the world.

Ethanol is one of the greatest sources of resources for Brazil, which today relies on approximately 320 plants installed in the country. The sugar/alcohol sector in Brazil is responsible for 20.6% of the GNP and it generates about 14% of the country’s regulated jobs, encouraging the development of other economy sectors, given that it absorbs products and equipment from metal works, instrumentation, chemical industries and so on. Besides, ethanol is a significant strategic export issue to the country, for it may be an option for users that want to be part of the Clean Development Mechanism established by the Kyoto Protocol.

In order to increase ethanol production, the construction of 89 new sugar/alcohol plants was announced, corresponding to a total investment of over R$15 billion. Historically speaking, the state of São Paulo holds the prevalence of ethanol production in Brazil, given that there are 152 distilleries in its territory and they are responsible for 60% of the total ethanol production in the country. The state of São Paulo has about 45% of its land occupied by sugarcane crops. That is the reason why since 2001, a slight rise of 2% in the production has been registered, indicating a possible market saturation, which compromises the allocation of new resources to the state.

The greatest drawback resulting from this expansion process of the sugar/alcohol sector is the considerable amount of vinasse that will be produced. If today’s scenario is maintained, i.e., no mitigating measures regarding the generation of vinasse are adopted, recirculation for example, it is estimated that the new distilleries alone will produce 13,358,358 m³ of vinasse/year. Vinasse recirculation is a process that is still being studied, and it only exists in pilot plants at reduced scale; therefore its application at a large industrial scale is still unfeasible.

Using Life Cycle Analysis, this study intends to present an economic and environmental analysis of three ways of vinasse disposal (fertirrigation, anaerobic digestion and concentration-combustion) that may guide the decisions of companies and the direction of public policies regarding the vinasse disposal process.

2.    Bibliographic Review

Life Cycle Analysis

According to Ribeiro (2003), the growing concern about environmental quality brought about the creation of a new methodology of environmental assessment: the focus on the product. Through the years, through the development of research and scientific studies, environmental assessment criteria were elaborated, and they have lately been implemented focusing on the process. This type of assessment has an approach whose objective is to determine inputs and outputs of each operation, the unitary process or the productive facility, and generally its range is formed for one company only. Examples of these environmental assessment criteria are the Environmental Management Systems (EMS), environmental audits and the environmental licensing processes and their tools, represented by Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Reports (EIR).

According to Yokote (2003), although the focus on the processes have had excellent results regarding the reduction in environmental degradation in many countries, it is not enough to achieve the necessary changes towards sustainable development. Even if the greatest individual sources of emissions are reduced, the total environmental impact in some regions may be increasing due to the growing product flow and other activities, which although they present small isolated impacts, together these impacts may be relevant.

Chehebe (1998) states that the concern about sustainability brought about the approach focusing on the product, which recommends that the environmental evaluation should be carried out based on the function this product is intended to fulfill. This shift in paradigm assumes that products are destined to satisfy a certain need by means of fulfilling a certain function. For this function to be fulfilled the product must have the so-called life cycle, i.e., a chain of processes and activities that start at the extraction of the necessary natural resources going through the manufacturing, transport, use and final disposal after its use. This approach is known as ‘from cradle to grave’ and it is considered the new tendency towards guiding new public policies and environmental practices. The main tool used for environmental analysis of the product life cycle is the methodology known as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

Wenzel et al. (1997) report that the LCA can be used for helping the identification of more sustainable options in the selection of project and in the optimization of productive processes. LCA provides new projects with improvements regarding environmental issues, for the resulting information gives support to the search of options that have a smaller environmental impact oriented to sustainable development.

According to ABNT (2001, 2004a, 2004b) the LCA  studies in Brazil are regulated by NBR-ISO 14040, 14041, 14042 and 14043 standards, which describe the necessary procedures for the identification and characterization of the system, the systematization to group the necessary information, methods and calculations, and the release of the final report. 

 Vinasse

According to Cortez (2000), vinasse is a dark brown acid liquid that is generated by the distillation of alcohol. Its temperature ranges about 107 ºC and its smell goes from astringent to nauseating. These qualities are related to the high amount of residual sugar, which is associated with the putrefaction process that takes place as soon as the vinasse is discharged, releasing foul gases that make its environment unbearable. Vinasse has a high content of organic matter and it is produced at a quantity of 12 liters for each liter of ethanol. The quantity of some important substances found in vinasse, resulting from three different kinds of wines, are shown in  Table 1. 

Table 1 Vinasse characteristics resulting from different origin wines [Camhi, 1979]. 

Also according to Cortez (2000) the legislation in force classifies the vinasse, based on its physicochemical characteristics, as a Class II solid residue, i.e. it is not inert and it is not dangerous. The vinasse represents 55%, by mass, of all the residues of a plant, and that characterizes it as a serious pollution factor for streams and rivers, given that it has a reducing action and it needs a large amount of oxygen to be stablized. In addition, vinasse is highly hazardous to aquatic animals.

Distilleries today apply the vinasse to sugar cane crops through a process known as fertirrigation, which corresponds to irrigation with dissolved fertilizers. According to Camhi (1999), there are several alternatives to dispose of the vinasse, such as concentration based on evaporation for the production of livestock food, concentration based on evaporation for the production of yeasts and unicellular proteins, production of biogas through anaerobic biodigestion and concentration based on evaporation for its combustion in boilers aiming at the generation of heat and energy.

Fertirrigation

According to Cortez (2000), fertirrigation is a joint process of irrigation and fertilization that consists of using the irrigation water to carry and distribute the chemical or organic fertilizer over the crops. It can be applied by any irrigation system. The fertilizer can be solid or liquid and must be dissolved or diluted before its use. Within this context, the term ‘fertirrigation’ as far as vinasse is concerned, is not entirely correct because its refers to the irrigation method used, for there is not a practical control over the applied water quantity nor over the application frequency. The sole interesting aspect is the amount of potassium carried by the vinasse and transferred to the soil.

According to Luz (2005), vinasse can entirely replace the fertilization that uses potassium and sulfur and partially replace fertilization with nitrogen, a fact that is economically interesting because fertilization with potassium is carried out through the use of potassium chloride (KCl), which is costly. The use of fertirrigation is recommended for low fertile soils that demand large amounts of vinasse per area unit or for those soils that present high water deficit when irrigation is, then, necessary.

According to Rosenfeld (2003), the sugar/alcohol sector is the one that best uses its generated effluents. This use does not come from a growing environmental awareness alone, but mainly because the generated effluents have a large amount of nutrients and they do not present heavy metals in their composition. In certain cases, vinasse may present small amounts of antibiotics and acids used for decontaminating and washing equipment, which do not interfere with the fertilizing potential of this residue. Today Brazil has 653,312 hectares of fertirrigated areas, which correspond to a total of 12.44% of the cultivated area.

According to Cortez (2000), vinasse is a residue that is rich in colloidal organic matter and mineral elements, which contribute to elevating the pH of the soils and can even alkalinize then. In addition it improves the physicochemical and biological properties of the soils increasing their micro-flora. That is the reason why vinasse provides much more nitrification of the soil, giving it a higher fertility index, and then the sugarcane crops will present higher productivity along their vegetative cycle. This way, nearly all plants use the fertirrigation process nowadays as a way to dispose of the vinasse.

The extraordinary rise in the vinasse generated makes the distilleries increase the total amount of fertirrigated areas, when this is the case. However, the growth in the fertirrigated areas may not follow the amount of vinasse because, according to Normative Deliberation 12 of COPAM – December 16^th, 1986 – establishing the complementary norms regarding the storage of effluents of sugar mills and alcohol distilleries, the application of vinasse is prohibited:

• In flooded areas or areas that are subjected to floods;
• In areas not farther than 200 m from streams and rivers;
• In areas where the underground water table is less than 2 meters;
• In Permanent Preserved Areas (PPA);
• Respecting a distance of 1,000 meters from population centers and 200 meters from railways and roads.

In addition, this norm establishes that, according to the origin of the wine, the following indexes of vinasse application to the soil must be respected: 450 m³/ha for direct juice vinasse, 300 m³/ha for blended juice vinasse and 150 m³/ha molasses vinasse.

According to these restrictions regarding the application of vinasse in cultivated areas, the occurrence of two different scenarios can be foreseen. In the first one, the cultivated areas would not be enough to dispose of all the generated vinasse; and in the second scenario, the areas are sufficient, but far from the industrial perimeter, which makes the fertirrigation process unfeasible because the costs with electricity, diesel oil, fuel oil and labor are higher. Besides, according to Ludovice et al. (2005), the application of vinasse for long periods may affect the soil and the underground water, which may reach a level of pollution incompatible with human and animal nourishment. 

 Biodigestion

According to Salerno (1991) anaerobic biodigestion is an alternative energy use of vinasse, allowing the stabilization of the organic matter with the production of a gaseous mixture called biogas, which is composed of methane and carbon dioxide. With this process it is possible to achieve high efficiencies in relation to the removal of the polluting load while an energetically valuable gaseous mixture is produced. Several groups of microorganisms act on the biodigestion process, providing each other with several substrates that are appropriate for the continuous processing of the organic matter. These microorganisms are usually found in organic residues from agricultural and industrial activities.

The process of anaerobic biodigestion has two stages (Toledo 2001): the first stage involves fermenting bacteria (which do not produce methane) that act through extracellular hydrolysis, breaking the organic polymers into fundamental units, incorporating and fermenting these products of hydrolysis into organic acids, alcohols hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In the second stage, these products are transformed into methane and carbon dioxide through the action of acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria, which reproduce more slowly and are more susceptible to changes in environmental conditions. This way, these types of bacteria need optimum operating conditions, given that they are responsible for the generation of the biogas, i.e., the pH must be close to 7.0 and the temperature must range between 35 and 37 ºC.

According to Granato (2003) the vinasse anaerobic biodigestion process must be carried out using biodigestors of the UASB type, which present lower hydraulic retention times due to external recirculation or the internal retention of microorganisms. This type of reactor operates in the thermophilic range, therefore it is not necessary to consume energy to maintain the temperature in the system, given that the vinasse is introduced in the reactor at a temperature that varies from 80 to 100 ºC. After the introduction of vinasse into the reactor, the organic acids are consumed and the formation of alkaline compounds such as ammonia takes place. Consequently, the pH of the reacting liquid will suffer a rapid elevation, and the addition of alkaline compounds for the execution of the process is not necessary.

According to Nogueira (1996), the variation among the industrial processes for ethanol production makes it difficult to define a specific composition of the vinasse. The nutrients are consumed in the process solely for microbial growth, which presents a low rate of growth, therefore the surplus amounts will be available in the effluent at the end of the biodigestion process to be used by the fertirrigation system. The anaerobic biodigestion process has a high energy efficiency, given that the biogas produced can be used to generate heat or energy and the effluent produced conserves the amounts of potassium, sulfur and nitrogen, enabling its use for fertirrigation as crop fertilizers.

Granato (2003) reports that the anaerobic sludge has a low self-consumption rate, being able to conserve its specific activity at the same intensity after a biodigestion interruption, for brief period of time. This characteristic allows the reactor to work again after post-harvest periods without the need to replace or readjust the biological sludge. The generating potential of biogas out of vinasse varies according to its content of biodegradable organic matter during the process. The application of the anaerobic fermenting process has involved the use of large volume reactors because the conventional systems are unable to retain the microbial population with an elevated duplication time. This way, the vinasse anaerobic biodigestion systems involve high implementation costs.

Combustion

According to Camargo (1990), vinasse direct combustion or incineration is the only technology that allows an almost complete disposal of the vinasse and the definitive elimination of its polluting potential. In spite of these advantages, there is no news about recent projects implementing using this technology. The concentration of the vinasse is usually carried out through an evaporation process in multiple effect,  or alternativelyevaporation with steam mechanical recompression. When its concentration ranges from 30 to 60% of total solids, the vinasse can be used as fuel, being incinerated to generate steam or electricity.

According to Freire (2000), vinasse incineration leads to the elimination of the polluting potential of this effluent with an economic recovery of the salts that can be used as fertilizers, presenting the advantages of a reduced cost and the elimination of sacrificing areas (vinasse intensive disposal areas). By using vinasse incineration, one intends to recover the potassium, which is pivotal for the growth of sugarcane and has a high commercial value, and it also is the economic justification for fertirrigation.

According to Cortez (1997), the interest in the combustion of sugarcane vinasse in Brazil is growing because the companies have started to realize that the market for combustion equipment will become attractive within a few years due to the rise in vinasse production. Some companies, such as Alfa Laval, already have prototypes of vinasse combustion operating in Brazil. However, these prototypes are still inefficient at an industrial scale, for steam consumption is high and the energy balance of the system could be negative. The absence of a commercial technology for vinasse combustion causes all the published economic estimates to be related to the non-use of the energy through bagasse burning and the economy of fertilizers.

In terms of technical and scientific production, the studies in this area are negligible. The main studies that were found on this area were carried out by Nilsson (1981), Spruytenburg (1982) and Cortez and Brossard (1997). These studies focus on the combustion of the pure concentrated vinasse blended with other liquid fuels such as diesel oil and fuel oil.

According to Cortez (2000), the problem surrounding vinasse combustion is related to its high content of water, therefore the calorific value of the vinasse is low. This way, the water must be evaporated before the combustion takes place. When a concentration of 60% solids is achieved, the vinasse is ready to be burned because the calorific value is about 7,600 kJ/kg.

Conclusion

According to the bibliographic review, it is possible to conclude that there are no solid criteria to recommend any of the methods used for the treatment and disposal of the vinasse. 

References 

Associação Brasileira De Normas Técnicas, NBR-ISO 14040 Gestão Ambiental – Avaliação do ciclo de vida – Princípios e estrutura, ABNT, Brasil, 10p, 2001.

Associação Brasileira De Normas Técnicas, NBR-ISO 14041 Gestão Ambiental – Avaliação do ciclo de vida – Definição do objetivo e escopo e análise de inventário, ABNT, Brasil, 25p, 2004a.

Associação Brasileira De Normas Técnicas, NBR-ISO 14042 Gestão Ambiental – Avaliação do ciclo de vida – Avaliação do impacto do ciclo de vida, ABNT, Brasil, 17p, 2004b.

Camargo, C. A., Conservação de Energia na Indústria do Açúcar e do Álcool: Manual de Recomendações, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, São Paulo, 1 ed., v 1, 696p, 1990.

Camhi, J. D., “Tratamento do vinhoto, subproduto da destilação de álcool”, Brasil Açucareiro, v 94, n 1, pp 18-23, 1999.

Chehebe, J. R. B.), Análise do Ciclo de Vida de Produtos, QualityMark, 1 ed., 120p, 2004.

Cortez, L. A. B.; Brossasrd P. L. E., “Experiences on Vinasse Disposal: Combustion of Vinasse #6 Fuel Oil Emulsions”, Bazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, v 14 n 1, pp 9-18, 1997.

Freire, W. J., Cortez, L. A. B., Vinhaça de Cana-de-açúcar. Livraria e Editora Agropecuária, Campinas, 1ed., 202p, 2000.

Granato, E. F., Geração de Energia Através da Biodigestão Anaeróbia de Vinhaça, Dissertação de Mestrado, Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, UNESP, Bauru, 139p, 2003.

Ludovice, M. T. F.; Vieira, D. B.; Guimarães, J. R., Infiltração de Vinhaça em Canal de Terra: Alteração no Teor de Matéria-orgânica e Sais no Solo e na Água, Sociedade Brasileira de Química, 2005.

Luz, P. H. C., “Novas Tecnologias no Uso da Vinhaça e Alguns Aspectos Legais”, II Simpósio de Tecnologia de Produção de Açúcar, Pirassununga, São Paulo, 53p, 2005.

Nilsson, M. (1981), “Energy Recovery from Distillery Wastes, from Alfa-Laval A. B.” International Sugar Journal, v 83, n 993, pp 259-261, 1981.

Nogueira, L. A. H., Biodigestão: A Alternativa Energética, Nobel, São Paulo, 135p, 1986.

Ribeiro, F. de M., Análise do Ciclo de Vida da Geração Hidrelétrica no Brasil – Usina de Itaipu: Primeira Aproximação, Dissertação de Mestrado em Energia, Departamento de Engenharia Química, USP, São Paulo, 456p, 2003.

Rosenfeld, U., “Irrigação e Fertirrigação nas Regiões de São Paulo e Centro-Oeste”, I Simpósio de Tecnologia de Produção de Cana-de-açúcar, Piracicaba, GAP/ESALQ/USP, 30p, 2003.

Salerno, A. G., Pré-Estudo para Implantação da Biodigestão Anaeróbia de Vinhaça na Usina de Açúcar e Álcool Zanini, Sertãozinho, 1991.

Spruytenburg, G. P., “Vinasse Pollution Elimination and Energy Recovery, from Hollandse Constructie GROEP B.V”, International Sugar Journal, pp 73-74, 1982.

Toledo, L. R., “Energia Reciclada & Máquinas para Acelerar o Tempo”, STAB, v 33, pp 43-47, 2001.

Wenzel, H.; Hauschild, M.; Alting, L., Environmental Assessment of Products, Kluwer Academic Press, v 2, Copenhague, 455p, 1997.

Yokote, A. Y., Análise do Ciclo de Vida da Distribuição de Energia Elétrica no Brasil, Dissertação de Mestrado, Departamento de Engenharia Química, USP, São Paulo, 344p, 2003.

3.           Objectives of the proposed project

 General Objectives

The two general objectives of this project are related below:

• This study intends to provide support and information that can help the decision making processes, based on the consolidation of environmental indicators through the assessment and comparison of the environmental performance of the vinasse disposal options analyzed.
• Application of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis as a tool for the specification of the total cost of the vinasse disposal options. This mechanism enables the optimization of the performance of these systems according to the economic aspect.

 Specific Objectives

For the full execution of the aforementioned general objectives, seven inter-related specific objectives were established:

• Definition of the locations (3 sites) where the case studies will be carried out;
• Developing and adjusting methodologies to models that describe the exact behavior of the analyzed vinasse disposal systems for the definition of the borders of the systems, within the goal of development of a database;
• Adjustment of the classical LCA methodologies aiming at the elaboration and dissemination of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) that represents the analyzed systems, which include the collection of information on the materials that constitute the defined product system, so that it would be possible to develop or adjust auxiliary database to this project;
• The consolidation of the LCI data of the analyzed systems so as to allow their use in future LCA studies, both in terms of academic production and in terms of technological innovation;
• Quantification, classification, characterization and weighting of the most significant environmental impacts involved in the life cycle of the systems through the definition of environmental indicators and according to the respective allocation of the environmental impact to the material balance and energy determined by the LCI;
• Determination of the optimum factor of weighting of the environmental indicators for the analyzed product system, including regional particularities related to the analysis and quantification of the environmental impacts;
• Comparison of the results attained in the stage of life cycle impact assessment and elaboration of a list of impacts of the analyzed options, going from the smallest to the largest impacts;
• Determination of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) for all the analyzed options, formed by the three known techniques: Life Cycle Cost (LCC), Engineering Analysis/Economy and Investment Return Period, whose objective is to select the best way to use the available resources.

4.     Justification

According to the panorama showing the expansion in the world’s ethanol production, it is mandatory to invest in research and development actions that prioritize new ways of vinasse disposal, aiming at the best use of this residue. That is the reason why this project intends to analyze, from economic and environmental points of view, three options of vinasse disposal: the traditional fertirrigation, anaerobic biodigestion and incineration.

The methodology that will be used to analyze the options will be Life Cycle Analysis, which is an important tool as far as environmental analysis is concerned. In addition, it is also intended to calculate the cost of the analyzed disposal options through the methodology of Life Cycle Cost Analysis.

This project may help the formation of a database that will be able to give support to the private sector as well as to the governments for the establishment of public policies and appropriate methods of vinasse disposal. The expected results will be useful, for an LCA database will be set up for different options of vinasse disposal. This way, as a first estimate, this project intends to introduce, into to the range of products and processes LCA information regarding vinasse disposal whose values will be more adjusted to the Brazilian reality than the information found in European databases.

Hence, the realization of this research project is briefly described by the following items:

• The high polluting impact of vinasse;
• The rise in the world’s ethanol production;
• The need for tools to analyze the impacts and the costs.

• The supply of support for the formation of environmental indicators for the establishment of public policies regarding the processes of vinasse disposal.
• The supply of data for the elaboration of a inventory international database that characterizes all the inputs and outputs of mass and energy of the analyzed system, allowing its execution or improving its quality and reliability.
• Quantification of the environmental aspects of the life cycle of the three analyzed options, allowing their comparison, planning research actions in order to look for processes that cause smaller impacts; and determination of the costs along the entire life cycle.

5.                 Methodology and Action Plan

Because this project is multidisciplinary the project coordination team must include specialists in different areas, such as: ethanol technology, irrigation and soil chemistry, anaerobic digestion, energy conversion and others.

Main project stages are described below: 

1. Definition of the objective and range of the study containing the tasks that will be developed, mainly regarding the functional unit, the product system that will be studied, the borders of the system, types of impacts, impact assessment methodologies and limitations. Elaboration of instructive material regarding project execution methodology and data collection and verification procedures.
2. Afterwards, the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and the Life Cycle Cost Inventory (LCCI) of all the vinasse disposal options are elaborated, considering the requirements that were previously described. The LCV will involve the collection of the data and the calculation procedures in order to quantify the inputs and outputs suited to the analyzed options. The LCCA will involve the collection of the costs of these inputs and outputs of mass and energy defined by the LCA. This data constitute the starting point for the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIOA). This way, the LCI and the LCCA definition processes are completely iterative.
3. The collection of the data stipulated in the LCA through a direct and indirect way and the refinement of the borders of the system.
4. The determination of the LCCA through the significance of the potential impacts. This process involves the association of LCA data with specific environmental impacts and the attempt to understand them. The detail level, the selection of assessed impacts and the methodologies used depend on the objective and on the range of the study. This process involves a great deal of data, which is the reason why a computational analysis must be carried out. We propose the use of the Simapro® commercial software, which carries out the calculations and groups them according to similar impact categories.
5. Definition of the Life Cycle Interpretation of the analyzed options. This stage provides the identification of the critical points and suggestions for environmental improvements in relation to each analyzed option. It is based on this interpretation that conclusions can be assumed, recommendations can be given to those who make the decisions and recommendations can be made to optimize the process. This process must involve a sensitivity analysis in order to reflect the potential impacts clearly. In addition, the comparison of the results among all the analyzed options and the elaboration of comparative charts and tables must be carried out.
6. The application of the Life Cycle Cost methodologies (LCC), Engineering/Economy and Investment Return Rate for the determination of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). The LCCA will help to make the decision during the planning of each system, related with the operating system, performance and system maintenance.
7. Elaboration of a final report to release the results of the research.

6.                             Public Target

As the study is very complex, its public target is also comprehensive:

• Research Centers;
• Universities;
• Civil Institutions;
• Distilleries;
• Governments aiming at the adoption of measure and control policies.

7.           Description of the technical proposal

Project Execution Procedure

The LCA execution methodology that will be applied to analysis of vinasse disposal must be determined through the adjustment to the ISO 14040 standards. These standards have all the necessary procedures for the elaboration of an LCA study, therefore all the criteria must be entirely fulfilled aiming the correct execution of the study.

An extensive bibliographic review of the environmental impacts related to the analyzed ways the vinasse can be disposed will help the definition of the data allocating procedures, types of impacts, impact assessment methodology, data requirement, suppositions and adopted limitations.

This way, the bases for the information collection for the elaboration of the Life Cycle Inventory are established. The questionnaire must comprehend all the information that will be used as data input in the Simapro® software. This process is iterative and, based on successive refinements, an appropriate result is achieved within an acceptable limit. That is the reason why the LCA is said to be a continuous process of successive improvements.

Instructive material must be prepared by the project coordination regarding project execution methodology and data collection and verification procedures.

As the calculations involved in this operation are complex, it is necessary to use some sort of commercial software to carry them out. We propose the use of the Simapro® 7.0 commercial software, developed by the Dutch company PRé Consultants. According to Ribeiro (2003) this is the software that presents the best results carrying out LCA studies. The interface for the input/inclusion of the attained data in the LCI is friendly, and the calculation methodology of the impacts is totally based on the ISO 14040 standards. However, qualification courses on the operation of this software can be provided for the companies and universities because a detailed study regarding its operation will be carried out during the execution of this study.

The collection of the information for determining the impacts must be carried out in two different ways: in a direct way, by making three visits to the studied distilleries in each region in order to collect “in situ” data; and in an indirect way through publications and interviews with experts on the theme. The necessary resources for the visits are forecast in the budget of the technical scientific proposal.

The collected data will be input in the software and the classification calculation, characterization and weighting of the environmental impacts can be executed. This way, it is possible to establish the main points that are responsible for the largest environmental impacts (hot spots) at each stage, and also a comparison between the systems will be carried out. The weighting factor of the environmental impacts must be adjusted to the Brazilian reality for the emission of the final results.

The cost along the life cycle of the analyzed options will be defined by applying three cost analysis techniques applied to the data of the Life Cycle Cost Inventory. The first one, the Life Cycle Cost, is the sum of the purchase price and of the annual operation costs discounted throughout the useful life of the system. The second technique, the Investment Return Rate, is the relation between the rise in the purchase price and the installation cost to the reduction in the annual operation expenses.

Before describing the economic techniques, it is necessary to carry out an Engineering Analysis of each product that will be analyzed. This way, in order to attain an efficiency increase in a process, it is mandatory to know each part and the way it works, so that the operation and maintenance costs and installation of the most efficient equipment can be estimated afterwards. This is the premise of the third technique, Engineering/Economy. 

Project Management Mechanisms

The follow-up of this research project must be carried out through the following mechanisms:

• Definition of the physical time program of the activities;
• Elaboration of instructions for project teams related to data collection and elaboration.
• Monthly meetings with all the members of the team;
• Elaboration of reports about the activities forecast in the physical chronogram;
• Dissemination of the acquired knowledge to companies in the sugar/alcohol sector through consultancies and trainings.
• International seminar for project results presentation and discussion.

Impacts of the project

• Scientific Impact: collection of reliable information on the vinasse disposal options and determination of the costs and environmental impacts;
• Environmental Impact: Reduction in the polluting emissions to the soil, water and air;
• Economic Impact: Reduction in the vinasse disposal costs;

·  Social Impacts: Rise in the life quality level.

8.          Expected Results

This project is expected to generate some scientific studies and publications, which are listed below:

• Report on the research containing the conceptual part of the outline of the system borders, the data attained for the elaboration of the Life Cycle Inventory and calculation of the environmental impacts of the analyzed vinasse disposal options;
• Report on the research containing the conceptual part and the calculations of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis of the Analyzed vinasse disposal options;
• Presentation of papers at international and national meetings such as the ISSCT (International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists) and the STAB (Brazilian association of sugar and alcohol technicians).
• Publication of articles on international magazines such Biomass and Bioenergy, International Sugar Industry and Zuckerindustrie/Sugar Industry.
• Formation of human resources for the creation of courses and seminars focusing on Life Cycle Analysis that will be given or held in companies and universities using the Simapro® software

9.         Project budget

Simmapro software acquisition (3 units):                            US$ 0,05 10⁶. 

Simmapro training courses and seminar for data
collection teams (3 courses, one in each site):                     US$ 0,3 10⁶ 

Data collection sites determination:                                     US$ 0,05 10⁶. 

Data collection:                                                                  US$ 0,12 10⁶. 

Data collection repetition for the verification of
doubtful information:                                                           US$ 0,05 10⁶. 

Project team members salaries:                                           US$ 1,5 10⁶ 

Travel and dairies expenditures:                                          US$ 0,5 10⁶ 

Travel insurance:                                                                 US$ 0,12 10⁶. 

International seminar for results presentation and discussion: US$ 0,5 10⁶.

Project contingency (10 %):                                                US$ 0,2. 10⁶.

 Total:                                                                               US$ 2,39 10⁶.

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