Multilayer Approach for Product Portfolio Optimization: Waste to Added-Value Products

Area of Science:

• Biomass valorization
• Circular economy principles
• Sustainable chemical production

Background:

• Waste biomass, particularly from the olive oil industry, presents a significant underutilized resource.
• Integrating waste valorization into the water-energy-food nexus is crucial for sustainability.
• Existing methods for biomass processing lack a systematic approach for optimal product portfolio selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multistage, hybrid methodology for selecting the optimal product portfolio from waste biomass.
• To evaluate the economic and environmental performance of value-added products derived from waste.
• To optimize the valorization of olive industry residues for food, chemical, and energy applications.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid heuristic, metric-based, and optimization approach was employed.
• Stage 1: Literature review and metric-based preselection of promising products.
• Stage 2: Superstructure optimization to determine the best facility design and product mix.

Main Results:

• Membrane technology is optimal for recovering phenols from "alperujo" (wet solid waste).
• Adsorption is effective for recovering phenols from olive leaves and branches.
• An investment of €110.2 million is estimated for a 100 kt/yr facility, with potential annual profits ranging from €14.5 to €34.3 million depending on integration and feedstock cost.

Conclusions:

• The developed systematic procedure effectively identifies optimal product portfolios from waste biomass.
• Valorization of olive industry waste offers significant economic benefits and contributes to a circular economy.
• The methodology provides a robust framework for waste-to-value applications in the water-energy-food nexus.