Comparative life cycle assessment for the sustainable production of fermentation-based L-methionine
Hyunwoo Kim, B. Saremi, Sangmin Park, Mooyoung Jung, Yeohong Yun, Ju-Yeon Son, Jina Lee, Jun‐Woo Kim, Wangyun Won
Abstract
Methionine, essential for human and animal growth, faces increasing demand, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions through animal digestion and nitrogen excretion. This study introduces L-methionine (L-Met) produced biologically from CJ CheilJedang Corp., offering a sustainable alternative to the conventional petroleum-based DL-methionine (DL-Met) due to its higher bioavailability and reduced environmental impact. One of the most important aspects for the sustainable lifecycle of L-Met is to reduce environmental impact during the production stage. Consequently, the aim of this study is to evaluates the environmental impact of L-Met and its environmentally improved product, L-Met Eco, through a life cycle assessment compared to DL-Met. We employed scenario analysis to consider uptake CO2 by bio-based feedstock, bioavailability of methionine, and system expansion of co-products. Our findings indicate that L-Met and L-Met Eco have lower global warming potentials of 0.92 and 0.79 kg CO2/kg Met, respectively, than DL-Met (2.60−3.32 kg CO2/kg Met). Sensitivity analysis further suggests that optimizing renewable energy use and production location can significantly enhance the sustainability of L-Met production. This comprehensive study offers valuable insights for stakeholders in the bio-based material sector, promoting environmentally sustainable practices.