Tine Compernolle

Bio: Tine Compernolle is an academic researcher from University of Antwerp. The author has contributed to research in topics: Record locking & Incineration. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 5 publications receiving 46 citations.

The effect of waste incineration taxation on industrial plastic waste generation: A panel analysis

Abstract: Waste treatment taxation is a popular policy instrument in many European countries and regions. Its impact on household waste has extensively been researched. However, only little research exists which looks into the impact of waste treatment taxation on industrial waste generation. Nevertheless, industrial waste constitutes more than ninety percent of waste generated in the European Union. This study assesses the impact of an incineration tax on the generation of industrial plastic waste in Flanders, Belgium. We conduct different types of econometrical panel analyzes and provide statistical evidence that firms show lagged behavior, which means that the previous year’s waste generation partly determines the current year’s. The dynamic panel estimations show robust results, indicating that a growth of incineration taxes exert significant negative effects on the growth of industrial plastic waste generation. This result offers no argument to iteratively raise incineration taxes. We conclude that incineration taxation is meaningful if tax rates are set according to the prevailing market conditions, i.e. taking into account the marginal costs of alternatives for incineration. In the short run, the effectiveness of taxation will quickly diminish due to the rapidly rising marginal costs of waste reduction. In the long run, extra recycling capacity is needed to recycle the minimized waste fraction. The role of taxation in the long run is to maintain an equilibrium in which recycling is preferred by the market.

Real option applications in megaproject planning: trends, relevance and research gaps. A literature review

Abstract: Megaprojects are complex and contain multiple risks and uncertainties. The dominant ‘predict and control’ planning method mainly ignores risks and uncertainties, making megaprojects inflexible and ...

Simulation of a controlled water heating system with demand response remunerated on imbalance market pricing

Abstract: Buildings are responsible for 40% of our worldwide energy consumption and 50% of this energy is converted for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in buildings. The increasing share of renewable energy production required to make the transition towards a carbon neutral energy system challenges the stability of the grid. Through demand response it becomes possible to activate these systems in support of grid balancing. However, this flexibility is currently not rewarded in the market. We simulate a domestic water heater participating in the balancing of the electricity net and calculated the revenue from this action. We simulate a water heater in connection with an Economic Model Predictive Controller (EMPC) which takes future usage, energy cost, and reward for delivering balanced power into account. We show that the choice of an EMPC controller is valid as it allows the setpoint to change if certain conditions are met, leading to a more optimal revenue stream from selling flexibility. We find that the economic benefits of participating in delivering balancing power is considerable and offset an increase in energy costs. The increase in energy consumption could be justified as the participation in net stabilisation allows the macro-system to integrate more renewable energy sources. More importantly, the simulations also show that the poorer the energy performance of the water heater, the more flexibility can be sold. From a policy point of view, a minimal energy performance should be determined before allowing participation in net stabilisation.

Uncertainties in the decision-making process of megaprojects: the Zeebrugge new sea lock

Abstract: Complexity and uncertainty are inherent to megaprojects. While the social cost−benefit analysis (SCBA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) are increasingly used to support decision making (DM...

Guidelines for performing lignin-first biorefining

Abstract: The valorisation of the plant biopolymer lignin is now recognised as essential to enabling the economic viability of the lignocellulosic biorefining industry. In this context, the “lignin-first” biorefining approach, in which lignin valorisation is considered in the design phase, has demonstrated the fullest utilisation of lignocellulose. We define lignin-first methods as active stabilisation approaches that solubilise lignin from native lignocellulosic biomass while avoiding condensation reactions that lead to more recalcitrant lignin polymers. This active stabilisation can be accomplished by solvolysis and catalytic conversion of reactive intermediates to stable products or by protection-group chemistry of lignin oligomers or reactive monomers. Across the growing body of literature in this field, there are disparate approaches to report and analyse the results from lignin-first approaches, thus making quantitative comparisons between studies challenging. To that end, we present herein a set of guidelines for analysing critical data from lignin-first approaches, including feedstock analysis and process parameters, with the ambition of uniting the lignin-first research community around a common set of reportable metrics. These guidelines comprise standards and best practices or minimum requirements for feedstock analysis, stressing reporting of the fractionation efficiency, product yields, solvent mass balances, catalyst efficiency, and the requirements for additional reagents such as reducing, oxidising, or capping agents. Our goal is to establish best practices for the research community at large primarily to enable direct comparisons between studies from different laboratories. The use of these guidelines will be helpful for the newcomers to this field and pivotal for further progress in this exciting research area.

The Oxford handbook of megaproject management

Abstract: The Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management represents an ambitious attempt to bring together a vast array of scholarship from potentially disparate fields, but also to begin to construct the fou...

Plastic waste and its management strategies for environmental sustainability

Abstract: The massive consumption of a wide range plastic products has generated a huge amount of plastic waste. There is a need to provide awareness of their uses and routine management as a part of our lifestyle. Nowadays, plastics are increasingly being used in our daily life activities, including the packaging in different food and brewing companies, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and other production sectors need to pack their end products for efficient and safer product's delivery to the community. Plastics are produced through the biochemical process of polymerization or polycondensation. The post-use of generated plastic waste has many adverse impacts on the environment if not processed and managed in a proper way. This review aims to discuss the lifecycle of plastic products according to their different categories, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC–U), polystyrene or styrofoam (PS), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), and others. Herein, we have also discussed the problems caused by the inadequate processing of plastic waste and the possible solutions that can be provided to ensure a good atmosphere and to reduce the causes of climate changes, which is challenging to life on this planet.

Development of 'Lignin-First' Approaches for the Valorization of Lignocellulosic Biomass.

Abstract: Currently, valorization of lignocellulosic biomass almost exclusively focuses on the production of pulp, paper, and bioethanol from its holocellulose constituent, while the remaining lignin part that comprises the highest carbon content, is burned and treated as waste Lignin has a complex structure built up from propylphenolic subunits; therefore, its valorization to value-added products (aromatics, phenolics, biogasoline, etc) is highly desirable However, during the pulping processes, the original structure of native lignin changes to technical lignin Due to this extensive structural modification, involving the cleavage of the β-O-4 moieties and the formation of recalcitrant C-C bonds, its catalytic depolymerization requires harsh reaction conditions In order to apply mild conditions and to gain fewer and uniform products, a new strategy has emerged in the past few years, named ‘lignin-first’ or ‘reductive catalytic fractionation’ (RCF) This signifies lignin disassembly prior to carbohydrate valorization The aim of the present work is to follow historically, year-by-year, the development of ‘lignin-first’ approach A compact summary of reached achievements, future perspectives and remaining challenges is also given at the end of the review

Circular economy in biocomposite development: State-of-the-art, challenges and emerging trends

Abstract: Biocomposites being environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic composites are gaining increasing demand for various applications. Hence, biocomposite development should be integrated within a circular economy (CE) model to ensure a sustainable production that is simultaneously innocuous towards the environment. This review presents an overview of the state-of-the-art technologies for the adoption of the CE concept in biocomposite development. The study outlined the properties, environmental and economic impacts of biocomposites. A critical review of the life-cycle assessment of biocomposite for evaluating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints was conducted. In addition, the opportunities and challenges pertaining to the implementation of CE have been discussed in detail. Recycling and utilisation of bio-based constituents were identified as the critical factors in embracing CE. Therefore, the development of innovative recycling technologies and an enhanced use of novel biocomposite constituents could lead to a reduction in material waste and environmental footprints. This article is one of the first studies to review the circularity of biocomposites in detail that will stimulate further research in enhancing the sustainability of these polymeric materials.