Water Footprint of Bioethanol Production from Sugarcane in Thailand

Following Thailand’s policy framework on bioenergy as stipulated in the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), ethanol use is encouraged and thereby results in increasing cultivation of sugarcane and other ethanol plants. Inadvertently, the use of scarce water resources has increased in tandem. This research aims to assess water footprint (WF) of sugarcane-based bioethanol production in Thailand. The study consists of into two parts, i.e., cultivation and ethanol production processes. The study result shows WF of sugarcane of 226 m3/ton, which consists of green WF of 146 m3/ton, blue WF of 31 m3/ton, and grey WF of 49 m3/ton. Based on the AEDP ethanol production targets of 3, 6.2 and 9 million m3/day by 2011, 2016, and 2022, demand of water is thus anticipated at 18,041; 37,787 and 54,853 million m3/year, respectively. The promotion of ethanol use in such an agricultural country as Thailand is definitely poised to cause the competition for water resources in plant growing for human consumption and energy production. The results of this study can be applied to drawing up the future policy on water and to producing bioethanol in the manner that is the most efficient use of water resources. Keywords: Water footprint, sugarcane, Bioethanol, water resource, Thailan

Empowering a Sustainable City Using Self-Assessment of Environmental Performance on EcoCitOpia Platform

In Thailand, many municipalities lack the information to guide decision-making for improving environmental performance. They need tools to systematize the collection and analysis of data, and then to self-assess environmental performance to increase efficiency in environmental management toward a sustainable city. The aim of this study is to develop a platform for self-assessment of an environmental performance index. Nonthaburi municipality, Hat Yai municipality, and Yasothon municipality were selected to study the work context for six indicators, viz., energy, greenhouse gas, water, air, waste, and green area, which were important environmental problems. The development of an online system called “EcoCitOpia” divides municipality assessment into four parts: data collection, database creation, data analysis, and data display. The municipality can use the system for the assessment of environmental performance and the creation of a separate database based on indicators. The system can analyze the results and display them in the form of radar graphs, line graphs, and tables for use in public communication that will lead to cooperation in solving environmental problems at the policy level for urban development to meet the Sustainable Development Goals

Green GDP Indicator with Application to Life Cycle of Sugar Industry in Thailand

The objective of this study was to develop new indicators that reflect economic growth by taking into account the impact on the environment and natural resources as well. The indicator calculated by subtracting environmental cost from the “Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” and is used in the assessment of the GDP by taking into consideration the cost of natural resources and the environment, called “green GDP”. This study uses Life Cycle Assessment, which is a technique used to assess the environmental impact of sugar industry from raw materials, distribution, production, and waste management. The system boundary for the life cycle inventory are cultivation, planting, transportation and sugar production. The results of the green GDP and GDP is difference about 6–12% due to the depletion cost resulting from the use of natural resources between 9.0–9.52 /ton of sugar production and the degradation cost caused by the airborne emission and waterborne emission between 37–57 /ton of sugar production. The quantity of Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) generated from the sugar production process is the main causing the environmental cost about 55%. In order to solve environmental causes, the policy making as Circular Economy Strategies can be used to meet the sustainable development in the future

Green GDP Indicator with Application to Life Cycle of Sugar Industry in Thailand

The objective of this study was to develop new indicators that reflect economic growth by taking into account the impact on the environment and natural resources as well. The indicator calculated by subtracting environmental cost from the “Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” and is used in the assessment of the GDP by taking into consideration the cost of natural resources and the environment, called “green GDP”. This study uses Life Cycle Assessment, which is a technique used to assess the environmental impact of sugar industry from raw materials, distribution, production, and waste management. The system boundary for the life cycle inventory are cultivation, planting, transportation and sugar production. The results of the green GDP and GDP is difference about 6–12% due to the depletion cost resulting from the use of natural resources between 9.0–9.52 $/ton of sugar production and the degradation cost caused by the airborne emission and waterborne emission between 37–57$/ton of sugar production. The quantity of Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) generated from the sugar production process is the main causing the environmental cost about 55%. In order to solve environmental causes, the policy making as Circular Economy Strategies can be used to meet the sustainable development in the future

Thin-Layer Drying Models for Para Rubber Sheet

The purpose of this project was to study para rubber sheet drying at temperature of 40°, 50°, 60° and 70°, air velocity of 0.5 and 1 meter/second. The obtained experimental results were used to calculate moisture ratio values. Then the results obtained from 10 different types of thin layer drying models were compared with the experimental results. The experimental results of moisture ratio values of para rubber sheets indicated that at the same rate of air flow velocity but with different temperature, the higher the temperature, the faster velocity rate of the moisture evaporation of para rubber sheet. Whereas, with same temperature but at the different velocity rates of air flow, the higher the velocity rate of air flow, the faster the moisture evaporation of para rubber sheet. The comparative results of the 10 different types of thin layer drying models revealed that 5 models could predict the moisture ratio of para rubber sheet drying with a satisfactory level in all experimental conditions. The said 5 models were Modified Henderson and Pabis, Verma et al., Midilli et al., Weibull Distribution; and Page respectively with R2 ranges of 0.984 to 0.9995, adjusted R2 range of 0.9817 to 0.9993, SSE range of 0.0004162 to 0.01981 and RMSE range of 0.006451 to 0.03209. The best model that could predict moisture ratio in all experimental conditions was Modified Henderson and Pabis with R2 range of 0.9956 to 0.9992, adjusted R2range of 0.9943 to 0.9989, SSE range of 0.0008541 to 0.005914 and RMSE range of 0.007811 to 0.01786