Latrobe Valley circular industrial ecosystem
- Authors: Ghayur, Adeel
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Climate change, energy security, pollution and increasing unemployment in the face of automation are four critical challenges facing every region in the twenty-first century, including the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia. The Valley – location of the largest brown coal deposits and forest industry in the southern hemisphere – is undergoing unprecedented and rapid changes. Its ageing brown coal power plants are retiring and replacements are not planned, leading to job insecurity. Solutions are needed that ensure continued economic activity in the region whilst allowing for the Valley to contribute its fair share in the fight against the climate change. The aim of this study is to investigate a possible local solution that could help tackle these issues of the Latrobe Valley in addition to plastic pollution and energy insecurity. Transitioning from linear to circular materials flow is one possible solution that favours sustainability and job security. Consequently, a multiproduct succinic acid biorefinery is modelled, acting as an industrial hub in a potential Latrobe Valley circular economy. This allows for employment creation in the value-addition of its platform chemicals into carbon negative and environment-friendly products. Additionally, such a biorefinery concept has the capacity to tackle Post-combustion CO2 Capture (PCC) industry’s wastes. It is anticipated that any future utilisation of brown coal as an energy vector would entail PCC to ensure carbon neutrality. A PCC industry produces CO2 and amine wastes that require adequate disposal. The modelled biorefinery has the capacity to valorise both. The simulation and the techno-economic analysis show the modelled Carbon Negative Biorefinery consumes 656,000 metric tonnes (t) of pulp logs and 42,000 t of CO2 to produce 220,000 t of succinic acid, 115,000 t of acetic acid and 900 t of dimethyl ether, annually. Biorefinery’s CAPEX and OPEX stand at AU$ 635,000,000 and $ 180,000,000 respectively. The calculated Minimum Selling Price for succinic acid is $ 990/t, only 6.4% higher than a typical biorefinery. Subsequently, biorefinery’s capacity as an anchor tenant is also simulated via technical evaluations of four value-added products: • Poly(butylene succinate) as biodegradable polymer replacing petro-plastics – simulation results show 1 t of succinic acid produces 0.19 t of tetrahydrofuran and 0.44 t of poly(butylene succinate); • Carbon fibre for insulation products, sporting goods and foams – 1 t of lignin and 0.8 t of acetic anhydride produce 0.8 t of carbon fibre; • Succinylated lignin adhesive for replacing urea-formaldehyde in the wood industry – simulation results show the biorefinery concept having the capacity to valorise both waste amine and CO2 from a PCC plant; and • Renewable fuels like hydrogen as energy vectors – a small biorefinery can potentially provide dozens of gigawatt hours of stored power for backup and peak demands, annually. In summary, results of this research are: • A biorefinery can valorise PCC plant wastes; • Multiproduct succinic acid biorefinery is economically viable; • Renewable fuels are ideally suited as energy storage vectors for a renewable energy grid both in developing and developed countries; • Bioproducts can reduce CO2 emissions thereby mitigate climate change; • Bioproducts can replace petro-products and reduce pollution; • Bioproducts can replace construction industry materials associated with CO2 emissions; • Biorefineries can help a region transition from a linear to a circular economy; and • Circular economies have the potential to generate secure jobs. In conclusion, this research identifies platform biochemicals as potential key drivers in a linear economy’s transition to a circular economy.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Ghayur, Adeel
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Climate change, energy security, pollution and increasing unemployment in the face of automation are four critical challenges facing every region in the twenty-first century, including the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia. The Valley – location of the largest brown coal deposits and forest industry in the southern hemisphere – is undergoing unprecedented and rapid changes. Its ageing brown coal power plants are retiring and replacements are not planned, leading to job insecurity. Solutions are needed that ensure continued economic activity in the region whilst allowing for the Valley to contribute its fair share in the fight against the climate change. The aim of this study is to investigate a possible local solution that could help tackle these issues of the Latrobe Valley in addition to plastic pollution and energy insecurity. Transitioning from linear to circular materials flow is one possible solution that favours sustainability and job security. Consequently, a multiproduct succinic acid biorefinery is modelled, acting as an industrial hub in a potential Latrobe Valley circular economy. This allows for employment creation in the value-addition of its platform chemicals into carbon negative and environment-friendly products. Additionally, such a biorefinery concept has the capacity to tackle Post-combustion CO2 Capture (PCC) industry’s wastes. It is anticipated that any future utilisation of brown coal as an energy vector would entail PCC to ensure carbon neutrality. A PCC industry produces CO2 and amine wastes that require adequate disposal. The modelled biorefinery has the capacity to valorise both. The simulation and the techno-economic analysis show the modelled Carbon Negative Biorefinery consumes 656,000 metric tonnes (t) of pulp logs and 42,000 t of CO2 to produce 220,000 t of succinic acid, 115,000 t of acetic acid and 900 t of dimethyl ether, annually. Biorefinery’s CAPEX and OPEX stand at AU$ 635,000,000 and $ 180,000,000 respectively. The calculated Minimum Selling Price for succinic acid is $ 990/t, only 6.4% higher than a typical biorefinery. Subsequently, biorefinery’s capacity as an anchor tenant is also simulated via technical evaluations of four value-added products: • Poly(butylene succinate) as biodegradable polymer replacing petro-plastics – simulation results show 1 t of succinic acid produces 0.19 t of tetrahydrofuran and 0.44 t of poly(butylene succinate); • Carbon fibre for insulation products, sporting goods and foams – 1 t of lignin and 0.8 t of acetic anhydride produce 0.8 t of carbon fibre; • Succinylated lignin adhesive for replacing urea-formaldehyde in the wood industry – simulation results show the biorefinery concept having the capacity to valorise both waste amine and CO2 from a PCC plant; and • Renewable fuels like hydrogen as energy vectors – a small biorefinery can potentially provide dozens of gigawatt hours of stored power for backup and peak demands, annually. In summary, results of this research are: • A biorefinery can valorise PCC plant wastes; • Multiproduct succinic acid biorefinery is economically viable; • Renewable fuels are ideally suited as energy storage vectors for a renewable energy grid both in developing and developed countries; • Bioproducts can reduce CO2 emissions thereby mitigate climate change; • Bioproducts can replace petro-products and reduce pollution; • Bioproducts can replace construction industry materials associated with CO2 emissions; • Biorefineries can help a region transition from a linear to a circular economy; and • Circular economies have the potential to generate secure jobs. In conclusion, this research identifies platform biochemicals as potential key drivers in a linear economy’s transition to a circular economy.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
An experimental investigation into the drainage properties of coarse Loy Yang pond ash
- Authors: Stipcevich, Jack
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The Latrobe Valley mines, Victoria, Australia, are facing some major challenges as they approach the end of their mining life. Most of these challenges surround current rehabilitation practice and the ability to create safe and stable landforms for future land uses well after the mines have closed. As there has been no developed alternative use for the brown coal at this stage, stopping power generation leads to the cessation of mining. AGL Loy Yang is undertaking rehabilitation cover trials on exposed coal batters to investigate optimal cover materials that will enable safe and stable batters well beyond mine closure. A series of rehabilitation trials using coarse coal ash have been constructed by AGL to assess the performance of coarse coal ash as a ‘subsurface drainage layer’. One of the trials includes the use of a 1 metre coarse coal ash layer placed below a 1 metre thick clay cover and above a coal surface shaped to approximately 18 degrees (1V:3H). Without a drainage layer, water may percolate through the clay cover or seep through the intact brown coal, resulting in a build of pore water pressure at the coal – clay interface and increasing the potential for slope failure. The aim of this research work was to assess the spatial distribution of ash properties known to affect drainage behaviour at the field scale; to test and calibrate field-monitoring equipment that can be used to assess drainage behaviour at the field-scale; to provide recommendations for further research on the use of coal ash drainage layer; and to provide a benchmark for future testing and monitoring. Through an experimental investigation, it was shown that there no significant variation exists in the coarse fraction of Loy Yang pond ash’s physical and chemical properties. Monitoring equipment used to determine the field drainage performance of the ash included a T8 Tensiometer and EnviroPro (multi-capacitance sensor) that were calibrated and tested in the laboratory. It was determined that monitoring devices used in this study were suitable for measuring the ash’s hydraulic behaviour only once calibrations had been performed. As a result the tested field equipment were included in the design of a future monitoring program.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Stipcevich, Jack
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The Latrobe Valley mines, Victoria, Australia, are facing some major challenges as they approach the end of their mining life. Most of these challenges surround current rehabilitation practice and the ability to create safe and stable landforms for future land uses well after the mines have closed. As there has been no developed alternative use for the brown coal at this stage, stopping power generation leads to the cessation of mining. AGL Loy Yang is undertaking rehabilitation cover trials on exposed coal batters to investigate optimal cover materials that will enable safe and stable batters well beyond mine closure. A series of rehabilitation trials using coarse coal ash have been constructed by AGL to assess the performance of coarse coal ash as a ‘subsurface drainage layer’. One of the trials includes the use of a 1 metre coarse coal ash layer placed below a 1 metre thick clay cover and above a coal surface shaped to approximately 18 degrees (1V:3H). Without a drainage layer, water may percolate through the clay cover or seep through the intact brown coal, resulting in a build of pore water pressure at the coal – clay interface and increasing the potential for slope failure. The aim of this research work was to assess the spatial distribution of ash properties known to affect drainage behaviour at the field scale; to test and calibrate field-monitoring equipment that can be used to assess drainage behaviour at the field-scale; to provide recommendations for further research on the use of coal ash drainage layer; and to provide a benchmark for future testing and monitoring. Through an experimental investigation, it was shown that there no significant variation exists in the coarse fraction of Loy Yang pond ash’s physical and chemical properties. Monitoring equipment used to determine the field drainage performance of the ash included a T8 Tensiometer and EnviroPro (multi-capacitance sensor) that were calibrated and tested in the laboratory. It was determined that monitoring devices used in this study were suitable for measuring the ash’s hydraulic behaviour only once calibrations had been performed. As a result the tested field equipment were included in the design of a future monitoring program.
- Description: Masters by Research
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