摘要
Large volumes of organic surplus materials generated by the agrifood sector are still commonly treated via incineration or landfill, leading to avoidable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and loss of recoverable resources. This study presents an integrated, closed-loop insect biorefinery designed to simultaneously advance waste resourcization, food security, and net-zero transition by converting heterogeneous agrifood processing by-products into a diversified portfolio of low-carbon products. The platform couples pretreatment, insect cultivation, downstream extraction, and multiple product-application pathways, using high-efficiency biological conversion by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) for robust operation across variable feedstock characteristics. The biorefinery is structured around four tightly linked technology modules: (1) scale-up and automation-ready biorefinery operations to produce insect-derived biomass and low-carbon animal feed; (2) materials and carbon-reduction products including biochar-based functional construction materials and advanced components supporting carbon conversion applications; (3) fuel pathways that upgrade insect oils into biodiesel and nanoemulsion fuels with improved combustion-emissions performance; and (4) an integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) framework to quantify environmental impacts, resource consumption, economic returns, and decision rules for pathway selection and scale-up prioritization. Process targets and performance indicators are defined to support viability assessment and eventual demonstration-scale translation. Key examples include a target insect-oil extraction efficiency of ~90% and biochar quality specifications such as ≥50% carbon content; system-level carbon accounting is designed to quantify both process emissions and durable carbon storage. The LCA adopts a multi-level system boundary spanning feedstock acquisition, cultivation, downstream processing, and end-use application of derived products, enabling consistent comparison among alternative product portfolios and allocation strategies within a circular bioeconomy context. The framework also incorporates pathway-specific benchmarks, for example requiring insect-oil-based fuel production to exhibit carbon emissions <15% of conventional biodiesel (as a project benchmark) and quantifying biochar carbon sequestration with a target of >1.8 t CO₂-equivalent stored (benchmark), supporting carbon-benefit claims beyond process efficiency alone. Preliminary life-cycle results indicate a reduction of ~2.5 t CO₂-eq per ton of waste treated and an overall carbon fixation efficiency of ~70%, highlighting the potential of an insect-centered, multi-product strategy to deliver measurable climate benefits while producing market-relevant outputs (feed, fuels, biochar/materials, and microbial plastics). TEA is integrated with LCA to evaluate market impacts and economic feasibility, supported by d ata sharing across modules (e.g., fuel preparation/testing linked with LCA–TEA), and is intended
