Search

Life cycle assessment (LCA) represents the most established and well-developed tool for measuring environmental sustainability of products, relying on an internationally standardised methodology for the quantification of product’s impacts through all phases of its life cycle. However, despite the standardisation has contributed to its broad acceptance and use, several limitations have been pointed out over the past years and LCA is still undergoing an intense research effort. The general objective of this research is to develop an advanced LCA framework to be used as a supporting tool for decision-making. The case study for the application of the proposed framework is the novel biorefinery system currently investigated in European H2020 project To-Syn-Fuel. The ambition of this project is the demonstration of the integrated approach which combines Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR) technology, a thermochemical process of biomass conversion, to Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and Hydro-deoxygenation (HDO). The integrated TCR-PSA-HDO process is expected to enable the production of a fully equivalent gasoline and diesel substitute and green hydrogen for use in transport, using sewage sludge as feedstock. The goal of the present environmental assessment is to measure the environmental consequences of the decision to implement the TCR-PSA-HDO technology in Europe (compared with business as usual), according to the targets for future market deployment envisaged by the To-Syn-Fuel project. The proposed framework combines the use of process-based data, input-output data and dynamic scenarios, which can be included in one single tool to go beyond the modelling limitations and simplified assumptions of a conventional LCA. Practically, a dynamic hybrid input-output table is built, reflecting the gradual implementation of the technology over time and the evolution of future energy scenarios. This work demonstrates the importance of measuring environmental sustainability not as intrinsic property of products, but as a feature strictly dependent on the context and its dynamics.

In the present study the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the cultivation at pilot scale of Phaeodactylum tricornutum for the production of high quality standards bioactive compounds is performed. In particular, microalgae culture is fed with a stream of CO2 considering both the use of synthetic CO2 and waste CO2 from a biogas upgrading process, in order to assess the influence of the CO2 addition on the system environmental performance. The analysis follows the ISO14040 standards and the impact categories recommended in the ILCD Handbook are selected. Preliminary results show that the use of waste CO2 compared to synthetic CO2 allows a significant improvement in the environmental profile of the process, as it does not substantially affect the production of compounds of commercial interest by the alga, allowing instead to avoid the impacts that are linked to the synthetic CO2 production process.

The ability of microalgae to sequester carbon and at the same time synthesise valuable compounds with potential applications in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries makes them attractive for commercial deployment, especially in view of a blue bioeconomy. Among microalgae, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is considered as an important potential source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentanoic acid, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to perform the Life Cycle Assessment of the cultivation of P. tricornutum - at semi-industrial scale in photobioreactor - for the production of high-quality bioactive compounds comparing synthetic carbon dioxide supply to a supply with waste carbon dioxide from a biogas upgrading process hypothesizing industrial symbiosis network. The effect of renewable energy use instead of the European electricity mix was also examined. Primary data on the production process, including the stages of cleaning and sterilisation, cultivation, harvesting and freeze-drying, were used. The midpoint impact categories recommended in the ILCD Handbook were used for performing the impact assessment. A sensitivity analysis was also performed on algal productivity, culture medium recirculation factor and amount of solvents per cleaning cycle. Firstly, results indicate in general cultivation and freeze-drying as the most contributing stages to the impacts. Secondly, they demonstrate in the comparative assessment that the use of carbon dioxide from the biogas upgrading is a feasible and attractive alternative to the synthetic one, as it allows for the improvement of the environmental performance of the production process in all the analysed impact categories. Finally, sensitivity analysis suggests that the environmental performance could be further improved by acting on other key factors, such as electricity source, nutrients culture medium and cleaning solutions.

Il regolamento Ue n. 655 del 2014 che istituisce una procedura per l’ordinanza europea di sequestro conservativo su conti bancari.

L'autore affronta i rapporti tra il diritto comunitario e il diritto processuale nazionale, alla luce dell'art. 65 del trattato Ce come introdotto dal trattato di Amsterdam e del principio dell'autonomia procedurale degli stati membri. Quindi analizza la struttura comune dei regolamenti europei e la tendenza ad essi sottesa di favorire la circolazione delle liti negli stati membri. Conclude esaminando le modifiche apportate dal trattato dfi Lisbona del 2007, che amplia l'ambito delle misure nel settore delle cooperazione giudiziaria in materia civile, che viene attribuita alla competenza concorrente degli stati membri e dell'Unione.