Development and validation of a decision-support tool for setting up optimal organic waste valorization chains in Québec

本研究的总体目标是开发一个用户友好的决策支持软件工具，允许为曲海省建立最佳有机废物（污水处理厂污泥和城市固体废物的来源分类有机部分，特别是）定价链。将采用整体和时空建模方法，重点关注整个价值链的成本和温室气体排放最小化，包括有机废物产生/收集，废物处理和最终产品分配，从而考虑到立法和社会制约因素。该软件工具将集成三个关键组件：1)一个多维时空数据库系统（包括地理参考和非地理参考数据），2)一个基于模型的决策模块（用于模拟和优化），以及3)一个用户友好的界面（促进知识转移和解释）。开发的工具将在一个针对曲海贝城市群及其周边农村环境的案例研究中得到验证。有了这种工具，将使曲海的市政当局和工业能够以最佳方式规划其废物流动的地点、能力和处理方案，以及以最低成本和环境足迹分配所产生的最终产品，同时考虑到潜在的公共滋事和现行的环境条例。因此，该项目明确解决了可持续发展的三大支柱：环境、社会和经济。此外，该项目将有助于实现“曲海残余材料管理政策”的目标（即从2022年起禁止有机废物焚烧/处置），这是曲海应对气候变化行动计划的重要组成部分。工业合作伙伴将直接受益于在其与工业和市政当局签订的合同中使用开发的工具，由于有效的废物法规，这些工业和市政当局对生物质增值决策支持框架的需求很高。最后，这项工作所产生的工具、知识和出版物，以及高素质的人员，将与quamezbec和加拿大循环经济高度相关。************************

The general objective of this research is to develop a user-friendly decision-support software tool that allows setting up optimal organic waste (wastewater treatment plant sludge and the source-sorted organic fraction of municipal solid waste, notably) valorization chains for the Québec province. A holistic and spatiotemporal modelling approach will be applied, focusing on cost and greenhouse gas emission minimization throughout the whole value chain, including organic waste generation/collection, waste treatment and end-product distribution, thereby taking into account legislative and social constraints. The software tool will integrate three key components: 1) a multidimensional spatiotemporal database system (including georeferenced and non-georeferenced data), 2) a model-based decision module (for simulation and optimization), and 3) a user-friendly interface (to facilitate knowledge transfer and interpretation). The developed tool will be validated in a case study for the Québec City Agglomeration and its surrounding rural environment. The availability of such tool will allow Québec municipalities and industry to optimally plan the location, capacity and treatment scenario of their waste flows, as well as the distribution of the resulting end-products at minimum cost and environmental footprint, taking into account potential public nuisance and environmental regulations in force. As such, this project clearly addresses the three pillars of sustainable development: environment, society and economy. Moreover, the project will facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the Québec Residual Materials Management Policy (i.e. the banning of organic waste incineration/disposal from 2022 onwards), which is a crucial part of the Québec action plan on climate change. The industrial partners will directly benefit from using the developed tool in their contracts with industry and municipalities, where the demand for a decision-support framework for biomass valorization is high due to the waste regulation in force. In conclusion, the tool, knowledge and publications, as well as the highly qualified personnel resulting from this work will be of high relevance to the Québec and Canadian circular economy. ************************