WP6 - Environmental impacts of camelina-derived products

Diversifying the source of nutritive protein-rich fraction with Camelina will induce the development of different process schemes involving different equipment and inputs (water, solvents, salts…). All along the project, it will be necessary to evaluate the impacts of these developed processes and resulting products on different environmental criteria as global warming, marine eutrophication, land use… The standardized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology will be used and will try to examine environmental hotspots and compare camelina protein fractions with current (business as usual) solutions providing the same functional unit. To precise the data needs and the references toward which the life cycle assessment could be compared, a bibliographic study will be made on case studies involving protein-based formulations. This will allow to precise the framework (Goal and Scope) within which the assessment will be carried out. Data concerning the input and output flows from the different processes involved will be both collected from the project partners and from specialized databases as eco-invent. This will allow the completion of an inventory of all the substances whose emission or extraction could have an effect on the environment. With this framework, it will then be possible to assess the environmental impacts of an optimized protein extraction and formulation. This step will be realized partially all along the project to identify hotspots and orient processes toward more environmentally friendly choices and at the near end of the project so that comprehensive inventories have been obtained on the processes placed furthest in the lifecycle. The reliability, precision, pertinence of the assessments will be discussed and put in perspective with the assessments carried out on similar products.