Assessing Distillation Processes through Sustainability Indicators Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals

A generally applicable framework for the evaluation of the sustainability of distillation processes is proposed by aligning indicators directly to selected sustainable development goals (SDGs) created by the United Nations. The indicators are related to the goals good health and well-being (SDG 3), clear water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13) and life below water (SDG 14). A total of 12 sustainability indicators, including human toxicity potential, wastewater generation, water consumption, renewable energy share, energy demand, material footprint, profit, waste generation, recycling ratio of waste, greenhouse gas emission, eutrophication potential and acidification potential are assigned to selected SDGs. The application of the indicators is illustrated by two case studies: a batch (BD) and a continuous (pressure-swing) distillation process. Case BD6, where the CO2 emission was minimized, proves to be the most sustainable BD process. It has the lowest greenhouse gas emission, acidification potential and waste generation. Although it has the lowest profit, the variations across the BD cases are minimal. By the pressure-swing distillation, L4 (feeding into low-pressure column, heat integration with optimization) is the best case, with the highest profit and the lowest energy demand, material footprint and greenhouse gas emission values.