Socio Economic Analysis based on a life cycle perspective: the comparison of trimethyl phosphite production processes

1. Socio-economic analysis based on a life cycle perspective:
the comparison of existing and emerging production
process for trimethyl phosphite
This Socio-Economic Analysis (SEA) compare the risks and
benefits of the two trimethyl phosphite (TMPi) production
processes: the existing triethyl amine (TEA) based process and
the new TRIALKYL process . The methodology is as follow:
• This SEA is comparing 2 processes, not 2 chemicals
• SEA data gap is filled with LCA data when feasible (see HTP
example)
• This SEA includes Risk of fire/explosion and life loss
• This SEA has a cradle-to-gate perspective
The results of the SEA are economic benefits and risk for the “non-use”
scenario where TMPi is produced via the Trialkyl process and the “applied
for use” scenario where the TEA process is still used. The benefits of this
continued use of the TEA based process are the costs which can be avoided
when not adopting the Trialkyl process alternative. Indeed the scenarios are
using a 5 years timeframe and include a one year period of production loss
due to the building of the Trialkyl process following by 4 years of production.
SEA could be performed using LCA data when needed. This shifts the focus
of the SEA from a product perspective to a lifecycle perspective. Hence it is
easier to use LCA data when the SEA is focusing on a process rather than a
single chemical since a process already has a “gate-to-gate” lifecycle
perspective. This is useful for the health and environmental assessment and
beneficial for the understanding of chemical risk management and decision
making. So far, the results have shown that despite the cost of a new
production plant, the EU society benefits significantly from the shift to the
Trialkyl process due to the improved benefits within human health and the
environment.
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RISE Research Institute of Sweden, Energy and Circular Economy/Sustainable Society, Energy and
Environmental Systems Analysis
Revised October 2017
Type of impact Benefits of continued use of TEA process Cost of continued use of TEA process Net impact of continued use
Economic Avoid Capital costof Trialkyl: € 1.5 Mill
Avoid Loss of production: €590,000
Higher operational costs OPEX: €36.000/yr A net economic benefit
Human Health Avoided riskof Trialkyl chemicals €25,000/yr
Avoid Trialkyl air pollution: €20,000/yr
Risk of TEA chemicals: €262,000/yr
Air pollution: €266,000/yr
A net economic cost
Environment Avoid Trialkyl Climate impact: €19,000/yr
Avoid Trialkyl Water: €1,180,000/yr
Avoid Trialkyl eutrophication: €5,000/yr
Avoid Trialkyl aquatic toxicity: €44/yr
Climate: €322,000/yr
Water: €3139,000/yr
Waste Water: €367/yr
Eutrophication: €43,000/yr
A net economic cost
Fire/explosion Risk Avoid Trialkyl methanol release/fire: €7.7E-
3/yr
Methanol release/fire: €6.9E-3/yr Likely to be no significant change
Social Avoided short term unemployment impacts No significant change Likely to be no significant change
TOTAL €7 086 176 €20 341 835 A net economic cost
Typical SEA
Process SEA (gate-
to-gate)
SEA with data
extracted from a
cradle-to-gate LCA
Change in the manufacture
of TMPi
Identification of relevant
health and environmental
impacts
Change in emissions
Change in direct/indirect
exposure
Change in health impacts
Change in environmental
impacts
Valuation of Impacts
Monetized impact
LCA
Human Toxicity
Potential (HTP) proxy
Exposure-risk relationship
ECHA SEA
PROCESS/LCA SEA
Socio-economic benefits and risks/costs associated with
use of the TEA based process:
Costs of continued
used
€20 M
Benefits of
continued used
€7 M
Data gap
filled
Data
needed