Nathalie Marcela Cerón, from DAN*NA, speaks in this interview about their main role in CATCO2NVERS project and how they are working on the development of Life Cycle assessments (LCA).
1. What is the role of Danna in CATCO2NVERS?
DAN*NA will focus on evaluating the impact of the project in terms of sustainability, together with Nova Institut. Through data collection on products and processes, LCA and LCC assessments will be carried out by DAN*NA. These analyses will identify and assess the potential environmental impacts and the costs associated with the life cycle of CATCO2NVERS technologies. Our goal is to find a balance between the sustainability and profitability of the challenges proposed in the project. Finally, by filling the gaps in knowledge and providing a better understanding of the impact descriptors we will contribute to enlarging the data associated with this emergent technology.
2. What does LCA consist of?
LCA is a methodology that focuses on documenting the environmental impacts associated with different elements of the value chain of a product, process or service, and the linkage among them. Inventorying the raw material extraction and the energy consumption during all life cycles, the impact indicators can be systematically identified, analyzed, quantified, and interpreted. The LCA provides a holistic point of view on the relationship between resource use and environmental releases. For its part, LCC is another assessment tool that involves the overall costs associated with the life cycle and allows us to find a balance between the degree of impact and its economic feasibility. A comprehensive accounting of economic and environmental costs can help ensure a wide understanding of the local to global implications of the technologies developed. The result of applying both assessments is a set of enviro-economic indicators.
3. Why is so important to include LCA?
LCA and LCC allow us to quantify and compare the different CO2 utilization technologies, focusing on the most promising alternative to mitigate the environmental impact without losing sight of the profitability of the company. The sustainability objectives set by the United Nations and the new European regulation direct the way towards a viable circular economy model at the business level, so that companies do not lose their competitiveness and can reduce their negative impact. Having tools that help to quantify and contrast the impact at the level of sustainability and its related economic impact, allows making decisions inside the entire life cycle of a product, process, or service.
