27. Oct 2022
LCA shows significantly lower CO2 footprint of Avantium’s plantMPG™
Avantium (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, has published Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data for its plantMPG™ (plant-based mono-propylene glycol) from its Ray Technology™: a chemical intermediate used in a variety of applications including in functional fluids and unsaturated polyester resins.
The ISO-certified LCA for plantMPG shows a significant improvement of up to 81 % in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the full life cycle when Avantium’s plantMPG is compared with its incumbents.
Avantium partnered with Sphera (Chicago, IL, USA) to perform a cradle-to-grave LCA for plantMPG, produced with its Ray Technology™ from sucrose derived from Dutch sugar beet. The LCA takes into account wastewater treatment as the end-of-life for plantMPG. Avantium’s plantMPG is compared to incumbent MPG production routes from fossil raw materials (naphtha- and shale-derived propylene) and renewable raw materials (soy- and rapeseed-derived glycerine). For the plantMPG production process, electricity from wind power, green hydrogen based on wind power and thermal energy from natural gas was assumed. The plantMPG LCA study has been conducted according to the guidelines of ISO 14040/14044 and has been reviewed by an external independent critical review panel.
The impact on climate change of plantMPG is significantly lower, with 50% to 81% lower GHG emissions, compared to fossil-based and biobased incumbents. The climate change reduction for plantMPG is largely driven by the use of plant-based feedstock (sugar beet) and the resulting biogenic nature, with the carbon being absorbed and stored by the sugar beets and re-entering the natural carbon cycle at the end of life of plantMPG. Furthermore, the non-renewable primary energy demand of plantMPG is significantly lower (-41 % to -82 %) compared to other fossil and renewable MPG alternatives. PlantMPG also outperforms all incumbent MPG technologies in water use (-13% to -99 %).
"The LCA clearly demonstrates the potential of Avantium's plantMPG to help reducing global warming. As 100 % plant-based intermediate, plantMPG entails a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to its alternatives. This accommodates the global need to transition to climate neutrality and a green future”, says Math Lambalk, Business Development Manager at Avantium Renewable Chemistries and responsible for the plantMPG LCA.
A summary of the LCA, also addressing other relevant impact categories, is available on the Avantium website. AT
www.avantium.com