Life cycle assessment of Eden® technology : case study: application to the wine sector

Abstract

The integration of a carbon capture unit into the winery presents a possibility to reduce carbon emissions within the industry. The study herein employed an integrated experimental and sustainability assessment (LCA & LCC) of the EDEN® technology performance in the decarbonization of the wine industry. Two carbon capture configurations, electro-absorption and column absorption, were assessed. The experimental study of this technology has demonstrated its technical feasibility, achieving a CO2 capture efficiency over 70% for both capture approaches. Regarding the carbon footprint of the technology, five scenarios were modelled based on a cradle-to-gate system boundary: four EDEN-based systems and one benchmark using column absorption with commercial NaOH. All the EDEN-based scenarios recorded net negative emissions under renewable energy. A significant variability in the carbon footprint was observed between the capture approaches and the cell types. The integration of the EDEN technology into the winery demonstrated a potential reduction of the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine by about 11.4%. In terms of economic performance, the commercialization of co-products (H2, Cl2, and Na2CO3) shows a significant reduction in the capture cost, achieving net-zero cost or even potential revenue generation. Sensitivity analyses revealed the major influence of the energy source on the technology sustainability score, with the technology meeting its global warming mitigation purpose when integrated with renewable energy. These results highlight the environmental and economic score of the EDEN® technology integration into the winery sector.