State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
Environ Int. 2024 Nov;193:109124. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109124. Epub 2024 Nov 5.
The carbon-neutral target presents a significant challenge for the sewage sludge treatment and disposal (SSTD) industry, necessitating strategic planning for a low-carbon transition. However, flexible and comprehensive carbon emission analysis tools to support this goal remain lacking. This study presents a carbon emission analysis tool to evaluate the carbon emission characteristics and future mitigation potentials of SSTD. The tool integrates life cycle inventory (LCI) modeling-based analysis, sensitivity analysis, regression analysis, and scenario analysis. Carbon emissions are dynamically calculated based on sludge properties, technological level, and industry external parameters, providing a foundation for adaptable evaluation tailored to local conditions. The framework considers the potential effects of multi-parameter and multi-aspect changes in scene design, both within and outside the industry, to achieve dynamic and comprehensive simulations. A case study conducted in Wuhan, China, demonstrated the usability and application processes of the framework. The results indicated that carbon emissions from SSTD are projected to more than double from 2021 to 2060 without interventions. Among the mitigation measures, energy and chemical savings would yield the largest reduction potential, followed by the technical layout adjustment and the promotion of energy efficiency. Operational optimization in the sludge industry and outside the industry would contribute the least. With all mitigation measures applied, emissions could decrease to -82.91 kt CO in 2060, equivalent to 13.03% compensation for emissions from the sewage treatment line. Among all the processes, incineration routes are recommended due to their current and future low carbon emissions. The cooperative resource route of anaerobic digestion and land use also shows promise as it progressively demonstrates superior performance with increasing organic matter and nutrient content of sludge. Critical factors, sub-processes, and emission types for different routes were identified and can be optimized accordingly. The developed method demonstrates sufficient flexibility to be applied to other cities and larger-scale regions, thereby offering technical and strategic support for SSTD towards carbon-neutral operation.
碳中和目标给污水污泥处理处置（SSTD）行业带来了重大挑战，需要进行低碳转型的战略规划。然而，支持这一目标的灵活而全面的碳排放分析工具仍然缺乏。本研究提出了一种碳排放分析工具，用于评估 SSTD 的碳排放特征和未来的减排潜力。该工具集成了基于生命周期清单（LCI）建模的分析、敏感性分析、回归分析和情景分析。根据污泥特性、技术水平和行业外部参数动态计算碳排放，为适应本地条件的评估提供了基础。该框架考虑了场景设计中多参数和多方面变化的潜在影响，包括行业内外，以实现动态和全面的模拟。在中国武汉进行的案例研究展示了该框架的可用性和应用过程。结果表明，如果不采取干预措施，SSTD 的碳排放预计将从 2021 年到 2060 年增加一倍以上。在减排措施中，能源和化学品节约将产生最大的减排潜力，其次是技术布局调整和提高能源效率。污泥行业内部和外部的运营优化贡献最小。在所有减排措施实施的情况下，到 2060 年排放量可减少到-82.91kt CO，相当于污水处理线排放量的 13.03%补偿。在所有过程中，焚烧路线由于其当前和未来的低碳排放而被推荐。厌氧消化和土地利用的协同资源路线也具有前景，因为随着污泥中有机物和养分含量的增加，其性能逐渐提高。确定了不同路线的关键因素、子过程和排放类型，并可以相应地进行优化。所开发的方法具有足够的灵活性，可应用于其他城市和更大规模的地区，从而为 SSTD 实现碳中和运营提供技术和战略支持。
