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Social Cost Benefit Analysis of Operating Compressed Biomethane (CBM) Transit Buses in Cities of Developing Nations: A Case Study
Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry.
Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry. (System analysis)
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2019 (English)In: Sustainability, E-ISSN 2071-1050, Vol. 11, no 15, article id 4190Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Cities in developing nations have to deal with two significant sustainability challenges amidst rampant urbanization. First, consumer-generated food waste is increasing monumentally since open dumping is still followed as a predominant practice, the negative environmental externalities associated with food waste disposal are growing beyond manageable proportions. Second, the dependency on conventional fuels like diesel to operate transit buses, which is one of the major causes for deteriorating urban air quality. A nexus established between food waste management and operation of transit buses can improve the sustainable performance of cities in developing nations. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) supported Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) is performed by considering a hypothetical scenario of establishing a large food waste treating biomethanation plant in Mumbai, India. The food waste from the city is transported to a biomethanation plant where it is subjected to an anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The biogas produced as a byproduct is upgraded to compressed biomethane (CBM) and used as a vehicle fuel to operate transit buses within the city. The LCA results suggest that CBM buses can reduce greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions by 60% compared to diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Fossil depletion potential of CBM buses is 98% lower than diesel, suggesting CBM’s importance in decoupling developing nations dependency on imported crude oil. The SCBA considers: (a) costs to stakeholders, i.e., fees for open dumping of food waste and cost of fuel for operating transit buses; and (b) social costs incurred by negative environmental externalities (obtained by monetizing LCA results) resulting from both, open dumping as well as fuel combustion. SCBA results indicate that the food waste-based CBM model can save 6.86 billion Indian rupees (USD 99.4 million) annually for Mumbai. The savings are made due to a reduction in stakeholder’s costs (fuel) coupled with societal, i.e., environmental externality costs if entire transit bus fleet operates on CBM fuel instead of conventional fuel mix (33:67 diesel to CNG) currently used. Although the study is performed for Mumbai, the results will be replicable to any city of developing nations facing similar issues.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2019. Vol. 11, no 15, article id 4190
Keywords [en]
compressed biomethane for transit buses, food waste management in cities of developing nations, life cycle assessment, social cost benefit analysis, private and sustainable rate of returns
National Category
Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-162914DOI: 10.3390/su11154190ISI: 000485230200195Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85070478704OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-162914DiVA, id: diva2:1347650
Projects
Bio4Energy
Funder
Bio4EnergyAvailable from: 2019-09-02 Created: 2019-09-02 Last updated: 2022-02-10Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Circularity Assessment of Water and Waste in Cities: A Proposed Framework for Sustainable Performance Evaluation using LCA and LCC
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Circularity Assessment of Water and Waste in Cities: A Proposed Framework for Sustainable Performance Evaluation using LCA and LCC
2021 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Urbanization is a global phenomenon, happening on a massive scale and at a rapid rate, with 68% of the planet’s population predicted to be living in cities by 2050 (UN-DESA, 2018). The sustainability of a city (Goal 11 of UN SDGs) undergoing rapid urbanization depends on its ability to maintain a low consumption of resources and materials at any given time (referred to as the urban metabolic rate), whilst simultaneously providing essential municipal services to its inhabitants, such as a water supply, wastewater treatment and solid waste management. The latter must comply with circular economy principles, meaning recovery of byproducts, prevention of discharge of toxic pollutants, and avoidance of landfill usage. The appended papers in the thesis (Papers I–V) describe sustainable assessments of wastewater and waste services to increase their degree of circularity, using tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). Paper I describes the environmental performance of using the biogas from a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and converting it to Liquefied Biomethane (LBM), which can used as fuel in Tractor-Trailers (TT). Overall, the study suggests that changing from diesel to LBM fuel improves the environmental performance of TT. However, the magnitude of environmental benefit depends on an alternate source of electricity required for operation of the WWTP. Paper II evaluates the Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) of Compressed Biomethane (CBM) obtained from a food waste digestion plant in Mumbai, India for use as a fuel in transit buses. SCBA results indicate that the food waste-based CBM model can save 6.86 billion Indian rupees (99.4 million USD) annually for Mumbai. Paper III describes the Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI) of lightweight Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) intensive multi-material Body in White (BIW) for automobiles. The SROI of CFRP BIWs is maximized when carbon fiber production uses energy from a low carbon-intensity electric grid or decentralized sources such as waste-to-energy incineration plants. Paper IV assesses the ecoefficiency of a thermal insulation panel that consists of a Polyurethane (PU) foam core sandwiched between two epoxy composite skins, prepared by reinforcing Glass Fibers (GF) and SFA (Silanized Fly Ash) in epoxy resin. The results revealed that the ecoefficiency of the composite panels is positive (47%) and superior to that of market incumbent alternatives with PU foam or rockwool cores and steel skins. Paper V quantifies the Total Cost to Society (TCS) (sum of private cost and environmental externalities cost) of a centralized urban WWTP, including the operation as well as byproduct utilization stream. The environmental performance and circular compliance are both factored in, when determining the TCS of a WWTP. The results revealed savings of 1.064 million USD, which include direct and indirect revenues to the plant, as well as avoidance costs attributed to environmental externalities. Based on the studies described in4these papers, a five-stage assessment framework for determining the overall sustainability performance of essential treatment services in a city is proposed in this thesis. The framework considers the combined effect of urban metabolic features and initiatives aimed at improving circular compliance of essential services.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
umeå: Umeå University, 2021. p. 70
Keywords
Life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, environmental externalities cost, sustainable city, circularity, wastewater treatment, organic waste, waste to energy, assessment framework
National Category
Natural Sciences
Research subject
environmental science
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-182194 (URN)978-91-7855-527-7 (ISBN)978-91-7855-528-4 (ISBN)
Public defence
2021-05-10, Glasburen KBC/ Fokusrummet, KBC Linneus väg 6, 907 36, Umeå, Umeå, 09:30 (English)
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Supervisors
Available from: 2021-04-19 Created: 2021-04-12 Last updated: 2021-04-19Bibliographically approved

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Shanmugam, KavithaAbdelfattah, DaliaTysklind, MatsUpadhyayula, Venkata K.K.

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