Circular Sustainability Optimisation Model for Diverse Oil Crops Feedstock System via Element Targeting Approach

Abstract

Need of oil crops for bio-diesel production has been increasing due to its sustainable characteristic as compared to fossil fuel. Nonetheless, effort to ensure sustainable practise along bio-diesel production is essential to prevent back-fire from sustainable development. Each oil crop production and plantation activities are unique, leading to various in sustainability profile. In such context, systematic process optimisation for oil crop utilisation and selection is critical to ensure highest overall sustainable performance in the diverse oil crop system. This research adapts concept of element targeting in multi biomass selection to determine best diverse oil crop utilisation strategic. Various sustainable indexes are considered such as land used, carbon footprint, deforestation, water usage and fertiliser usage are considered. Cost calculation including transportation and production cost is incorporated in the study, while concept of circular economy is incorporated into the model by considering circular carbon element within the system. Demonstration case study is discussed to evaluate the performance of the model. The result shows that rapeseed oil is favourable in highest sustainability case, soybean provide lower cost and sunflower promote less carbon release.