Accepted manuscript
Biorefinery site selection using a stepwise biogeophysical and social analysis approach
Biomass & bioenergy, Vol.97, pp.139-148
02/2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/110733
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
A key factor in the production of economically viable and environmentally sustainable biofuels is biorefinery site selection. Facility location analysis has traditionally been driven by access to feedstock, proximity to customers, and local incentives. While economic constraints will always be major factors in site selection, incorporating social metrics may further reduce the cost of constructing a biorefinery. A community's disposition toward a biorefinery project may significantly impact implementation success: grassroots support can lower implementation costs while opposition may increase the costs of permitting blockages and other scale-up delays. The proposed biorefinery siting tool improves upon previous research by incorporating site-specific biogeophysical measures and more complete and comprehensive social measures of community innovation and capacity for collective action. A refined biogeophysical analysis assesses pulp mills for their potential as repurposed biorefineries. The social asset components of site selection are greatly improved by enhancing and disaggregating key metrics through the use of multiple indicators of community collective action capacity and propensity for change. The refined measures are integrated into a biorefinery site-selection tool. Pulp mills that rank highly in both the biogeophysical and social asset measures may be considered more suitable candidates for repurpose into a biorefinery. This enriched methodology has been applied to biorefinery siting decisions in the U.S. Pacific Northwest region; however, it is suitable for applications to infrastructure development projects in any region of the U.S.
•Stepwise approach to biorefinery siting decisions.•Biogeophysical analysis of pulp mills performed through decision matrix.•Social asset assessment measured through social, cultural, and human capital.•High biogeophysical and social measures indicate potential biorefinery locations.•Renewed integrated approach applicable to any region in U.S.
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Details
- Title
- Biorefinery site selection using a stepwise biogeophysical and social analysis approach
- Creators
- Natalie Martinkus - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, United StatesSanne A.M Rijkhoff - Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Division of Political Science, Portland State University, United StatesSeason A Hoard - Washington State University, WSU Extension Community Economic DevelopmentWenping Shi - Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, United StatesPaul Smith - Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, United StatesMichael Gaffney - Washington State University, WSU Extension Community Economic DevelopmentMichael Wolcott - Washington State University, Office of Clean Technology
- Publication Details
- Biomass & bioenergy, Vol.97, pp.139-148
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Alternative Jet Fuel
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grants
- 13-C-AFJE-WaSU-03,06,10, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900581163001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Accepted manuscript