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Certifications related to sustainability in agribusiness are a crucial tool for promoting agricultural processes with a higher level of socio-environmental responsibility. However, their economic impact on small and medium-sized rural properties remains a topic of discussion. This research, with its comprehensive approach, aims to assess the economic potential generated by Bonsucro certification, an innovation process in sustainability. This process introduces pioneering evaluation criteria to meet the specific sustainability demands in the sugarcane sector on small and medium-sized properties. The approach was quantitative, using the Discounted Cash Flow method supported by Monte Carlo Simulation, where four scenarios were developed considering the small and medium producers without certification and with Bonsucro certification. The results obtained not only allow for obtaining the Economic Value of certified and non-certified producers but also for profiling the modal producer (who possesses traditional characteristics of the region), identifying convergence variables that are common characteristics among them and that impact land management, such as education, average age, investment capacity, among others. The findings demonstrate that small and medium-sized rural properties certified by Bonsucro create more economic-financial and sustainable value than uncertified rural properties. These findings can serve as a powerful motivator for private entities and associations of rural producers to implement certification, thereby empowering small and medium-sized rural producers to address relevant issues that have impacted the sustainability of sugarcane production, bringing significant results in terms of economic viability and socio-environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a prominent clean fuel option for combatting global warming and producing low-emission, ecologically friendly electricity. Consequently, the proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) hydrogen refueling station has undergone thorough economic and environmental analysis. This work intends to fill the gap by presenting the influence of various operating circumstances and design parameters on the economic and environmental aspects of PEMWE based on various behaviors and features (I–V curve) under various scenarios. Profitability analysis (PA) is performed in terms of the net present value (NPV), discounted payback period (DPBP), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and internal rate of return (IRR) from cumulative discounted cash flow diagrams (CFD). Also, sensitivity analysis (SA) is conducted to assess the impact of different economic factors, while simultaneously establishing CO 2 footprint guidelines for optimal operating and design conditions. The findings highlight that enhancing economic feasibility and reducing environmental concerns are simultaneously achievable by increasing cathode pressure, operating temperature, and decreasing membrane thickness. At membrane thicknesses over 100 μm, the project becomes unprofitable and inefficient at 1.85 V. PEMWE becomes more valuable and sustainable with a current density of 12,000 A/m2 or higher, but it releases more CO 2 emissions. Hence, utilizing excess renewable electricity in PEMWE addresses environmental concerns and enhances the overall ecological sustainability of hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocellulose is a promising biopolymer compound which is produced from pulp. However, the traditional approaches do not produce it in an energy efficient and sustainable way. The production of nanocellulose through moderate refining and froth flotation has the potential to reduce the traditional nanocellulose production cost. This technoeconomic analysis explores the financial profitability of using moderate refining followed by enhanced froth flotation technology at pilot scale (best case scenario) to produce nanocellulose in an affordable and sustainable way. With a 100% nanocellulose yield, the yearly the operational cost was $7312 AUD/ton nanocellulose for the best-case scenario. The 25-year NPV coming from discounted cumulative cash flow rate for best case scenario is approximately 9.5 million AUD (profit). From the sensitivity analysis it was revealed that the key driver behind profitability of nanocellulose production is Capital Cost and Labour cost. Lastly four different case scenarios are explored to examine the economic viability for commercial scale nanocellulose production. For a similar level of nanocellulose pulp quality development, there is an energy savings of approximately 5000 kWh/t (aspect ratio), 2000 kWh/t (fines) and 15,000 kWh/t (volumetric specific surface) in moderate refining combined with enhanced flotation at bench scale, when compared with extensive refining stand alone. There is minimal or no energy savings when flotation is used at a laboratory scale. Technoeconomic assessment for nanocellulose production at pilot scale was evaluated and compared with that of bench scale and it was revealed that moderate refining followed with flotation at pilot scale is most economical. The high ROI of 175.3% and NPV of $9.5 million for moderate refining along with flotation at pilot scale demonstrates flotation technology is worth investing for nanocellulose production at pilot scale. [Display omitted] • Bench vs pilot scale comparison for nanocellulose production. • Harnessing the energy saving and financial profitability of flotation technology. • Capital expenditure and Labour Operating cost are major economic factors. • Enhanced bench scale flotation is energy efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing environmental concerns with respect to the petroleum-based adhesive production process, bio-based adhesive has been explored as a promising replacement. The purpose of this paper was to explore the economic feasibility of structural bio-adhesives made from glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production. SuperPro Designer software was employed to perform the techno-economic analysis. Several key parameters were analyzed, such as total capital investment, annual operating costs and revenues. It was found that the unit production cost of structural bio-adhesives ($2.45/kg) was compatible with that in the current market. Three different scenarios were built to investigate the worst-case scenario and the best-case scenario associated with this production process. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to evaluate the key parameters significantly influencing the economic result. In this study, material cost was determined to be the most significant factor throughout the production process. Discounted cash flow analysis was conducted to explore the influence of the time value of money. The minimum selling price obtained was $3.11/kg for this bioadhesive production process. Underlying issues and areas needed for improvement were also discussed in this study. Image 10624 • A techno-economic analysis was conducted on glycerol-based structural bioadhesive. • Material cost was determined as the most sensitive parameter in the process. • Minimum selling price of the structural bioadhesive was determined to be $3.11/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing negative impacts on the environment is the main benefit of green buildings. However, these benefits are typically evaluated using environmental indicators with different units and implications. Thus, comparisons among different technologies and projects with various benefits are difficult to perform. Moreover, the impact of green building development on economic system is difficult to analyze because of the lack of available data. This study proposes a method of identifying, quantifying and valuing the environmental benefits of green buildings based on the contributions of typical technologies. The environmental benefits are fully identified based on the cause-effect chain associated with changes in environmental endpoints caused by green technologies. Then, a valuation method is proposed, and it consists of the following four steps: quantifying the technical indicators using the application criteria and green technology impacts, quantifying the environmental indicators using available and reliable research data, valuing the environmental benefits using appropriate monetary valuation methods, and calculating the lifecycle benefits using the discounted cash flow method. All projects accredited by the Chinese Assessment Standard of Green Building from 2008 to 2015 were evaluated using the environmental valuation method. The results showed that 75% of typical green technologies could reduce the negative impacts on the environment through different endpoints. The benefit per unit area was valued as ¥ 3138.1 on average. The majority of the benefits (48.36%) were produced by underground space utilization. The public green building produced more environmental value than the residential green building. Overall, the environmental benefits were sufficient to cover the incremental costs of green building. The results obtained by the proposed assessment method provide more comprehensive information to related sectors than the green level standards; moreover, the benefits obtained by different technologies and projects with various environmental impacts can be compared, and important input data can be obtained for analyzing the macroeconomic effects of green building development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of renewable energy production worldwide, occurred in the last years, is also attributable to some agroforestry species cultivated according to the short rotation coppice technique. Although these species are able of enhancing abandoned or marginal land leading to numerous environmental benefits, an increasing number of farmers are introducing them in place of agricultural crops. Therefore, since for a farmer economic sustainability is one of the main factors to introduce a biomass crop, the study aimed at evaluating the profitability of Paulownia, a species that has been spreading in recent years. In particular, an economic analysis has been carried out in a Southern Italian farm in which Paulownia has recently replaced a vineyard, by adopting a discounted cash flow approach. The results show that the Paulownia for both timber and woodchip production, with an annual gross margin equal to 357.91 € ha−1, can represent a valid alternative compared to wine grape (237.41 € ha−1), while Paulownia for exclusively biomass production has almost zero profitability (4.22 € ha−1). However, the profitability depends not only on the product typology but also on the future market price fluctuations, on the subsidies or incentives, as well as on adequate choices by entrepreneurs for the creation of sustainable supply chains also from an environmental and social point of view. [Display omitted] • SRCs have denoted a rapid diffusion in the last years in UE also in Mediterranean area. • SRCs are grown not only in abandoned or marginal land but also in place of traditional crops. • Paper evaluates the economic profitability of SRC Paulownia in a southern Italian farm. • Results show the higher profitability for Paulownia compared to wine grape. • Market price variations and entrepreneurial choices affect profitability but also environmental and social sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patchouli oil is a commercially important essential oil in the flavor and fragrance industry. In this study, a technoeconomic feasibility assessment was conducted to commission a supercritical fluid extraction plant for the extraction of patchouli oil in Singapore. The study revealed that the manufacturing cost for patchouli oil is 53.87 USD/kg for a plant processing capacity of 400,000 kg of raw material/year with the cost of utilities being a major contributing factor to the manufacturing cost. In addition, financial indicators such as net present value, discount cash flow rate of return, return on investment and payback period have been applied to evaluate the profitability of the supercritical fluid extraction plant. The total investment cost for the plant is around 4.77 million USD. Calculation of the discounted cash flow rate of return shows that a maximum interest rate of 26.3% can be loaned from investors and the project would still breakeven. At an interest rate of 5.25%, the return on investment for the project is calculated to be 27.4% and the payback time is estimated to be 5.4 years with a total profit of 5.27 million USD after 10 years. [Display omitted] • Cost estimation and profitability analysis were applied on the SFE of patchouli oil. • Specific cost of manufacturing for patchouli oil was 53.87 USD/kg. • Cost of utilities is the largest contributor in the COM of patchouli oil. • Difference between selling price and patchouli oil COM showed economic feasibility. • Profitability study presented 27.4% ROI and payback time of 5.4 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mine wastes such as tailings contain minerals that can be valorised. However, their resource potential remains widely misjudged because of non-standardised assessment and classification methods. The current United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) concept is tested for its applicability to metalliferous tailings mining projects from a private mining company's perspective with economic focus on a scoping study level. For the case study tailings storage facility (TSF) Cabeço do Pião (Portugal), a rehabilitation scenario, and two resource recovery scenarios with low and high degree of tailings valorisation are defined and evaluated. A risk assessment shows that actions are necessary to protect human health and the environment. Material flows are modelled and a discounted cash flow analysis, under consideration of mineral price uncertainty, indicates the project's economic viability. The application of the UNFC principles exemplifies that they cover a broad range of aspects in contrast to the conventional classification principles of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) which focus on techno-economic aspects: TSF rehabilitation is identified as a necessary base case and positive socio-environmental impacts are prioritised. However, the resource recovery scenarios cannot be differentiated with the current UNFC concept. The evaluation reveals the necessity for a stronger user guidance in the assessment and classification process. Additionally, a more detailed subcategorisation is required to identify a project's benefits and barriers, particularly in social and environmental domains. These aspects are essential for the further development of the UNFC concept to achieve its full potential. • Applicability of the UNFC to tailings mining project is demonstrated exemplarily. • Scoping study indicates economic viability of resource recovery. • Socio-environmental risks are identified as project's main driving factors. • Shortcomings of the current UNFC concept are identified with case study scenarios. • Subcategory extension is recommended to highlight project benefits and barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased frequency of hot days due to climate change can potentially impair the environmental and economic performance of pig-fattening farms. Several pig-cooling strategies have been proposed to address these impacts, however their implementation is not always economically viable and the potential environmental-economic trade-offs not well understood. Here, we propose and implement a novel framework for environmental and economic evaluation of pig-cooling strategies in a whole farm context. We also demonstrate through a sensitivity analysis how such models can be integrated with projected climate data to investigate how climate change may affect the assessment of capital investments that are made over significant timescales. We considered two strategies implemented in a pig-fattening farm in south Sweden: pig-cooling with showers and with increased air velocity. Operation of the farm under non-cooling conditions was considered as the baseline system against which the analysis was conducted. We calculated whole-farm annual equivalent values (AEV) with the implementation of each strategy through a discounted cash flow analysis and annualised system environmental impact through a life cycle assessment. Both cooling strategies significantly reduced system environmental impact across all categories except water footprint. Acidification potential was reduced the most, exhibiting a −3.28% reduction with pig showers and −1.51% with increased air velocity. Farm profitability improved by +6.79% with showers and +3.37% with increased air velocity. Ambient temperature increase under non-cooling conditions significantly increased all impact categories with acidification being affected the most (+2.24%), and caused a −4.43% decrease in AEV. Both pig-cooling strategies mitigated these effects on system environmental performance. With increased air velocity we observed a +0.718% increase in acidification, while pig showers were the more resilient option exhibiting a +0.690% increase. The study represents a case-in-point for how to rationalise economically environmental management technologies in pig housing systems based on their cost-effectiveness in mitigating environmental impacts. Image 1 • The environmental and economic impacts of two pig-cooling strategies were evaluated. • We considered pig-cooling with showers and increased air velocity at pig lying area. • Both strategies improved farm environmental performance for AP, EP and NRRU. • Both strategies mitigated heat stress, improved pig welfare and farm profitability. • The strategies mitigated the effects of global warming on pig farm sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have boomed in China over recent years. However, knowledge about the economic performance of residential PV investments is still limited. Therefore, this study attempts to make a complete economic assessment of residential PV systems at the county-level. After a brief description of China's incentive policies, a model is constructed with economic measures of internal rate of return and payback period based on discounted cash flow. Then, a reference PV system of 5 kW p is investigated in 2181 geographical areas using scenario analysis and sensitivity analysis. There is breakeven for residential PV investments all over China even without incentives. The areas with good performance of residential PV investments are located mostly in Northern China (Shandong and Hebei), Southern China (Guangdong and Hainan), northeast China (Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang), and southwest China (Sichuan and Tibet). The boom of residential PV installations is likely to recede in 2021 as the population with acceptable profitability declines since the central and local subsidies expire. But some excellent residential PV suppliers have the potential to compensate for the performance decrease in many ways such as increasing annual generation and reducing initial cost. This paper contributes by providing some insights into the economic performance and market of residential PV installations in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining industry produces large volumes of mine tailings – a mix of crushed rocks and process effluents from the processing of mineral ores. Mine tailings are a major environmental issue due to implications related to their handling and storage. Depending on the mined ore and the process used, it may be possible to recover valuable elements from mine tailings, among them critical raw materials (CRMs) like rare earths, vanadium, and antimony. The aim of this study was to investigate the techno-economic feasibility of producing critical raw materials from mine tailings. Data from 477 Chilean tailings facilities were analyzed and used in the techno-economic assessment of the valorization of mine tailings in the form of CRMs recovery. A review of applicable technologies was performed to identify suitable technologies for mine tailings processing. To assess the economic feasibility of CRMs production, net present value (NPV) was calculated using the discounted cash flow (DCF) method. Sensitivity analysis and design of experiments were performed to analyze the influence of independent variables on NPV. Two options were assessed, rare earth oxides (REOs) production and vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5) production. The results show that it is possible to produce V 2 O 5 with an NPV of 76 million US$. In the case of REOs, NPV is positive but rather low, which indicates that the investment is risky. Sensitivity analysis and the ANOVA run using the design of experiments indicated that the NPV of REOs is highly sensitive to the price of REOs and to the discount rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the natural rubber industry, concentrated latex (CL) holds a prominent position due to its use in manufacturing dipped rubber products (e.g., gloves, condoms, etc.). With no previous studies on the process efficiency at commercial level of CL manufacture, this study aimed at adopting process analyses tools in three CL factories (factory A, B and C) in Sri Lanka in view of improving CL manufacture process in financial and environmental terms. This approach possessed three steps: 1) quantification of resource use, financial losses and global warming potential using material flow analysis (MFA), material flow cost accounting (MFCA) and environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA), 2) identification of key issues and proposing improvement options with help of Pareto and what if analyses, field interviews and literature, and 3) determination of potential improvement and feasibility through re-performing MFA, MFCA and ELCA, and discounted cash flow analysis, greenhouse gas payback time and novel loss reduction efficiency index. On average, the present level of financial loss and global warming potential per 1 MT of rubber input were found to be LKR 9608 and 112.8 kg CO2e, respectively. Installation of an advanced trap tank was proposed to factory A (i.e., option-1) whilst extending sedimentation time (i.e., option-2) and Installing inverters and solar panels (i.e., option-3) were recommended to all factories as improvement options. Combined scenario entailing options 2 and 3 for all factories, was found to be the most applicable in terms of financial returns and environmental benefits. • Monetary losses and environmental impact of Concentrated Latex manufacture quantified. • Factors affecting monetary losses and environmental impact identified. • Options with remarkable impacts proposed to improve the overall efficiency. • Novel approach developed to assess the efficiency of multi-factor improvement options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to formulate a deteriorating inventory model with a hybrid-price-stock dependent demand with credit for units in stock period in the presence of trade credit policy by using the discounted cash flow approach on re-manufactured products. In real life, the demand function is not always constant or linear or nonlinear. The demand rate of any items goes up and down in the real market due to the sum of two different types of demand. This study observes that the demand is depending on price and stock of the product, time value of money and trade credit policy. The objective of this study is to find optimum cycle time, optimum selling price and present profit of all future cash flows. The model starts with mathematical formulating and thereafter studies the necessary and sufficient conditions for obtaining the unique optimal solution. The theoretical solution procedure and case examples have studied for validation of this model. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis is expressed out with respect to main parameters and managerial application is obtained. This study uses the different demand functions of a simple pricing-inventory system to find out the maximum profit on re-manufactured products. • A hybrid price-stock dependent demand with credit for units in stock period under deterioration. • This study is to find optimum cycle time, selling price and present profit of all future cash flows. • A mathematical model is formulated and characterizes the optimal solution. • A sensitivity analysis is expressed the main parameters and managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]