Ascher, S. et al. (2024) Trigeneration based on the pyrolysis of rural waste in India: environmental impact, economic feasibility and business model innovation. Science of the Total Environment, 921, 170718. (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170718) (PMID:38331270)
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Abstract
Pyrolysis-based waste-to-bioenergy development has the potential to resolve some of the major challenges facing rural communities in India such as poor electrification, household air pollution, and farmland degradation and contamination. Existing understanding and analysis of the economic feasibility and environmental impact of bioenergy deployment in rural areas is limited by parameter uncertainties, and relevant business model innovation following economic evaluation is even scarcer. This paper uses findings from a new field survey of 1200 rural households to estimate the economic feasibility and environmental impact of a pyrolysis-based bioenergy trigeneration development that was designed to tackle these challenges. Based on the survey results, probability distributions were constructed and used to supply input parameters for cost-benefit analysis and life cycle assessment. Monte Carlo simulation was applied to characterise the uncertainties of economic feasibility and environmental impact accounting. It was shown that the global warming potential of the development was 350 kg of CO2-eq per capita per annum. Also, the survey identified a significant mismatch between feedstock prices considered in the literature and prices asked for by the surveyed villagers. The results of the cost-benefit analysis and life cycle assessment were then applied to propose two novel business models inspired by the Business Model Canvas, which had the potential to achieve up to 90 % economic profitability and result in a benefit-cost ratio of 1.35–1.75. This is the first study achieving combined environmental and economic analysis and business model innovation for rural bioenergy production in developing countries.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the University of Glasgow & Scottish Funding Council Global Challenges Research Fund (SFC/AN/14/2019). Siming You also acknowledge the financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Programme Grant (EP/V030515/1) |
| Keywords: | Bioenergy, sustainable development, economics, life cycle assessment, business model, cost-benefit analysis. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Watson, Dr Ian and Bongiovanni, Dr Ivano and Ascher, Mr Simon and Hermannsson, Professor Kristinn and You, Dr Siming and Gordon, Professor Jillian and Biakhmetov, Bauyrzhan and Gillespie, Dr Steven |
| Creator Roles: | Ascher, S.Formal analysis, Writing – original draft Gordon, J.Writing – original draft, Supervision, Formal analysis Bongiovanni, I.Writing – original draft, Supervision, Formal analysis Watson, I.Writing – review and editing, Supervision, Methodology Hermannsson, K.Writing – review and editing, Supervision, Methodology Gillespie, S.Writing – review and editing, Supervision, Methodology Biakhmetov, B.Writing – review and editing, Formal analysis You, S.Writing – original draft, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis |
| Authors: | Ascher, S., Gordon, J., Bongiovanni, I., Watson, I., Hermannsson, K., Gillespie, S., Sarangi, S., Biakhmetov, B., Chaturvedi Bhargava, P., Bhaskar, T., Krishna, B. B., Pandey, A., and You, S. |
| College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Robert Owen Centre College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability |
| Journal Name: | Science of the Total Environment |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0048-9697 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1879-1026 |
| Published Online: | 06 February 2024 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2024 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Science of the Total Environment 921:170718 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
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