Incorporation of sustainability demands into the conceptual process design phase of chemical plants

Incorporating sustainability issues into the chemical industry requires a society-focussed methodology for the design of processes and products. In this paper, we present our design methodology that is able to support both students and experienced process engineers. We constructed this methodology from existing chemical process design practices, insights from various engineering disciplines, and the main issues from the societal debate on sustainability. The methodology is illustrated by a conceptual design for the conversion of biomass into methanol, which is done by students trained in the methodology. We found some striking differences in comparing this case to an existing industrial case.