LCA-TEA Integrator: An Open-Source Tool for Integrated Sustainability and Economic Assessment of Biotechnological Innovations: Exploring Qualitative, Quantitative Combined Indicator-Based, and Preference-Based Integration Methods
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: LCA-TEA Integrator is an open-source Jupyter notebook (Python) for integrated sustainability assessment of biotechnological processes. It links a modular Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—configured for EF 3.0, cradle-to-gate—with a Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) (CAPEX/OPEX, LCOS, NPV/IRR/payback), so that scenarios (throughput, yields/FCR, energy mix, by-product credits, prices) stay consistent across both lenses. The tool supports three integration modes to combine environmental and economic evidence: (A) qualitative trade-off mapping, (B) quantitative combined indicator-based scoring, and (C) preference-based MCDA for stakeholder-weighted decisions. Inputs include step-level mass/energy data and price/financial parameters; outputs include LCA indicators, cost metrics, sensitivity/what-if analyses, and integrated decision summaries. The notebook ships with documented worked examples (insect lipid case) and is designed to be adapted to other processes and sectors.
Source: Lirias
Authors: Zarafshani, Hanie, Van Caneghem, Jo, Granata, Giuseppe
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7112647091