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As a consultant and researcher, I recently had the opportunity to conduct the first life cycle assessment (LCA) of an oxalic acid industrial production plant in collaboration with OXAQUIM S.A., the largest oxalic acid producer in Europe. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impact of oxalic acid production and explore pathways to make it more sustainable. In this blog post, I’ll share the key findings and insights from this detailed analysis.
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What is Oxalic Acid and Why Does It Matter?
Oxalic acid is an organic compound with a range of industrial applications, from cleaning and bleaching to being used as a fixative for dyes in fabrics. It also has niche uses in beekeeping as a treatment for varroa mites and in the semiconductor industry for copper polishing. Despite its wide applications, oxalic acid production comes with environmental impacts, primarily due to the resources and energy required.
This study focuses on evaluating the environmental footprint of producing 1 kg of oxalic acid and exploring potential improvements.
The Environmental Footprint of Oxalic Acid Production
The study assessed the environmental impacts from a cradle-to-gate perspective, meaning from raw material extraction to the point where the product leaves the factory. One of the key findings was that electricity consumption plays the largest role in several critical impact categories, including climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity, and fossil resource depletion.
Here’s a snapshot of the carbon footprint results for producing 1 kg of oxalic acid, which is influenced by the energy source used in production:
- Climate Change Impact: Between 0.53 and 0.57 kg CO2eq depending on the allocation method.
Electricity and Sugar: The Major Environmental Hotspots
The LCA revealed two key processes that contribute the most to the environmental impacts:
- Electricity consumption: This was the biggest contributor to climate change and fossil resource depletion.
- Sugar production: Sugar, used as a raw material in the process, significantly impacts the land use category due to agricultural practices.
The study explored different green energy scenarios to assess how a shift to renewable energy sources could reduce the environmental impact of oxalic acid production. Even a small shift to 20% green electricity showed significant reductions in the overall carbon footprint, suggesting that renewable energy could be a game changer for this industry.
In addition, logistics and transport also play a role in the overall footprint, with raw materials being transported long distances. A shift to more local sourcing could further decrease the environmental burden.
Conclusions: A Path Towards Greener Oxalic Acid Production
This LCA highlights the importance of green electricity in reducing the environmental impacts of oxalic acid production. While challenges remain—particularly in reducing the land use impact of sugar production—there is a clear path forward through energy transitions. By implementing the recommendations from this study, OXAQUIM S.A. can significantly reduce its environmental footprint and contribute to a more sustainable chemical industry.
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