IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i22p9738-d1516625.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Valorization of Oil and Gas Industry Biosolids: Optimal Reuse Pathways

Author

Listed:
  • Hesan Elfaki

    (Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA
    Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Education City, Doha 23874, Qatar)

  • Nivinya Hemachandra

    (Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Education City, Doha 23874, Qatar)

  • Georg Stockinger

    (Shell Projects & Technology (P&T), Shell, 2596 HR The Hague, The Netherlands)

  • Ali Al-Sharshani

    (Qatar Shell Research & Technology Center, QSTP LLC, Doha 21000, Qatar)

  • Sabah Solim

    (Qatar Shell Research & Technology Center, QSTP LLC, Doha 21000, Qatar)

  • Dhabia M. Al-Mohannadi

    (Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Education City, Doha 23874, Qatar
    College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha 34110, Qatar)

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of converting waste biosolids from industrial sources, focusing on economic viability and heavy metal removal efficiency. Traditional management methods like landfilling and incineration are increasingly impractical due to land constraints and environmental concerns, prompting a shift towards thermal and biological conversion technologies including anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction. Incorporating a pretreatment for heavy metal removal is essential, as industrial wastes are highly subjected to metal contamination. The study screens a range of metal removal processes, including precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, and microwave induction. Although a techno-economic analysis can help give a perspective on the economic viability and environmental impact of each technology, it does not account for technical limitations and variations in the treated waste stream. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) optimization model is developed to fill in this gap and assist in waste stream allocation to the most appropriate technology, taking into account both technology capacities and feed characteristics. This study looked into the optimal treatment route at different feed moisture contents and varying flow rates. The results demonstrate that the model distributes the feed across the different technologies on the basis of maximizing the capacity of the optimal technology while ensuring the moisture and heavy metal content limits are satisfied. Thus, it maximizes profitability and ensures heavy metal removal efficiency. By optimizing industrial biosolids treatment pathways, this study promotes sustainable resource recovery aligning with circular economy principles in waste management. The developed model facilitates informed decision-making in biosolids management and industrial waste treatment practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Hesan Elfaki & Nivinya Hemachandra & Georg Stockinger & Ali Al-Sharshani & Sabah Solim & Dhabia M. Al-Mohannadi, 2024. "Sustainable Valorization of Oil and Gas Industry Biosolids: Optimal Reuse Pathways," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9738-:d:1516625
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/22/9738/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/22/9738/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. AlNouss, Ahmed & McKay, Gordon & Al-Ansari, Tareq, 2020. "Enhancing waste to hydrogen production through biomass feedstock blending: A techno-economic-environmental evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhu, Xianqing & Xu, Mian & Hu, Shiyang & Xia, Ao & Huang, Yun & Luo, Zhang & Xue, Xiao & Zhou, Yao & Zhu, Xun & Liao, Qiang, 2024. "A novel spent LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2 battery-modified mesoporous Al2O3 catalyst for H2-rich syngas production from catalytic steam co-gasification of pinewood sawdust and polyethylene," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 367(C).
    2. Georgios Giakoumakis & Dimitrios Sidiras, 2025. "Production and Storage of Hydrogen from Biomass and Other Sources: Technologies and Policies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-41, January.
    3. Fiammetta Rita Bianchi & Arianna Baldinelli & Linda Barelli & Giovanni Cinti & Emilio Audasso & Barbara Bosio, 2020. "Multiscale Modeling for Reversible Solid Oxide Cell Operation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    4. Zhang, Junxia & Zhong, Junfeng & Yang, Li & Wang, Zehua & Chen, Dongrui & Wang, Qiaoli, 2024. "Enhancement effect of semicoke waste heat on energy conservation and hydrogen production from biomass gasification," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    5. Xiang, Yue & Cai, Hanhu & Liu, Junyong & Zhang, Xin, 2021. "Techno-economic design of energy systems for airport electrification: A hydrogen-solar-storage integrated microgrid solution," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    6. Hugo Guzmán-Bello & Iosvani López-Díaz & Miguel Aybar-Mejía & Jose Atilio de Frias, 2022. "A Review of Trends in the Energy Use of Biomass: The Case of the Dominican Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-27, March.
    7. Lan, Kai & Ou, Longwen & Park, Sunkyu & Kelley, Stephen S. & English, Burton C. & Yu, T. Edward & Larson, James & Yao, Yuan, 2021. "Techno-Economic Analysis of decentralized preprocessing systems for fast pyrolysis biorefineries with blended feedstocks in the southeastern United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    8. Sergey M. Frolov, 2022. "Organic Waste Gasification by Ultra-Superheated Steam," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Jun Sheng Teh & Yew Heng Teoh & Heoy Geok How & Mohamad Yusof Idroas & Thanh Danh Le & Huu Tho Nguyen, 2022. "Experimental Studies of Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Biomass Producer Gas (BPG) in a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber (CVCC) System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-18, October.
    10. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Al-Ansari, Tareq & Inayat, Muddasser & Sulaiman, Shaharin A. & Parthasarathy, Prakash & McKay, Gordon, 2020. "A critical review on the influence of process parameters in catalytic co-gasification: Current performance and challenges for a future prospectus," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    11. Donald Ukpanyang & Julio Terrados-Cepeda, 2022. "Decarbonizing Vehicle Transportation with Hydrogen from Biomass Gasification: An Assessment in the Nigerian Urban Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, April.
    12. Zarif Aminov & Khusniddin Alikulov & Tran-Dang Xuan, 2024. "Economic and Environmental Analyses of an Integrated Power and Hydrogen Production Systems Based on Solar Thermal Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-43, August.
    13. Pang, Yunji & Yang, Chen & Wu, Yuting & Chen, Yisheng & Li, Huan, 2022. "Study on counter-flow steam gasification characteristics of biochar with Fe2O3/CaO in-situ catalysis in fixed bed," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9738-:d:1516625. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.