Question 1: LCA of Plastic Waste Gasification for Energy Recovery
Scenario:
A municipal waste management facility is evaluating gasification as an alternative to
landfilling and incineration for plastic waste disposal in France. In the year 2024, the facility
processes 500 tons of mixed plastic waste, converting it into syngas (CO + H₂), which is
further used for electricity generation.
The process consists of the following unit processes:
1. Plastic waste collection & sorting: Requires 5 liters of diesel per ton of waste for
transportation. Sorting consumes 50 kWh per ton of plastic waste.
2. Gasification process: Requires 10 kWh of electricity per ton of plastic waste, steam
(50 kg/ton), and oxygen (100 kg/ton). Produces 20 GJ of syngas per ton of plastic
waste and 5% of waste remains as solid char.
3. Emissions & waste disposal: Includes CO₂ (250 kg/ton of plastic waste), CO (5
kg/ton), NOx (2 kg/ton).
Exam Task:
a) Define the goal and scope of the LCA for plastic waste gasification.
b) Draw a system boundary diagram including collection, gasification, energy use, and
emissions.
c) Determine a suitable functional unit and justify why it is appropriate.
d) Using the data provided, prepare a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) table listing inputs (10
marks)
Question 2: Explain the concept of Material Efficiency and Energy Efficiency in the context
of Circular Economy.
Question 3: An energy concern supplies natural gas to its customers. The following figures
are known (even though the unit kilowatt hour should only be used for electricity, it is also
applied in technical contexts, as in this case, to indicate low and high heat values):
Calculate the CO2 emissions in g MJ−1 that are released due to the incineration of the natural gas.
Use the low heat value. Energy expenditure for extraction and transport of the natural gas to the
customer (upstream) is not considered here. For simplification, assume all gases have the same
density: 821 g/m3.
Question 4: A cement plant produces 1 million tons of cement in 2020, using limestone,
clay, and gypsum as raw materials in Rajasthan. The plant consumes 750 kWh of electricity
per ton of cement and requires 3000 MJ of thermal energy, mainly from coal combustion.
The energy mix consists of 60% coal, 25% natural gas, and 15% alternative fuels. The plant
is considering replacing 30% of coal with waste-derived fuel, which is expected to reduce
CO₂ emissions by 15%.
The cement production process includes:
1. Raw material extraction & transportation: Limestone mining uses 150 liters of diesel
per ton of cement produced, and transportation requires 10 liters of diesel per ton of
limestone.
2. Grinding & mixing: Uses 300 kWh of electricity per ton of cement.
3. Clinker production (high-temperature kiln process): Requires 3000 MJ of heat energy
per ton of cement, emitting 800 kg CO₂, 2.5 kg SO₂, and 1.2 kg of particulate matter
(PM10) per ton of cement.
4. Final grinding & packaging: Consumes 450 kWh of electricity per ton of cement.
5. Waste & emissions: Produces 200 kg of slag and dust per ton of cement, and 50 liters
of wastewater per ton of cement.
Exam Task:
a) Define the goal and scope of the LCA study for cement production.
b) Identify the unit processes involved and draw a system boundary diagram including raw
material extraction, clinker production, and emissions.
c) Propose a suitable functional unit for this study and justify your selection.
d) Using the provided data, create a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) table, listing all major inputs
(raw materials, energy) and outputs (emissions, waste products, byproducts).
