En 1987, la commission sur l'environnement et le développement des Nations-Unies définissait le développement soutenable/durable par ‘‘un développement qui répond aux besoins actuels sans compromettre les capacités des générations futures à répondre au leur’’. Cette définition vise à améliorer/maintenir la qualité de vie de l'humanité avec le temps en perspective. Le développement durable met en exergue trois actions : la diminution des besoins, l'utilisation d'énergies propres et renouvelables et le recyclage. Cette thèse vise à proposer des éléments de réponses à trois questions scientifiques : RQ1 : Comment évaluer l'impact environnemental résultant de l'exploitation des ressources minérales, en tenant en compte de leur abondance, de leur composition chimique, de leurs propriétés physiques et des effets de leur extraction?RQ2 : Comment évaluer la performance du recyclage, en prenant en compte les différentes pertes (de quantité et de qualité)?RQ3 : Substituer de l'énergie fossile par de la biomasse s'inscrit-il toujours dans le cadre du développement durable?La méthode émergétique est principalement utilisée pour cette recherche. Elle est complétée par l'exergético-écologie, l'empreinte carbone ou l'analyse exergétique du cycle de vie.L'émergie spécifique initiale (avant exploitation) des 42 minéraux les plus utilisés dans l'industrie est proposée, tout en respectant le principe de hiérarchisation des matériaux formulé par Odum. La performance environnementale du recyclage métallurgique a été étudiée tout en tenant compte des pertes de matière et de qualité. Une transformité moyenne et trois ratios sont proposés, permettant de quantifier une solution qualifiable de ‘‘éco-conception’’. Finalement, l'intérêt d'une substitution d'un combustible fossile par de la biomasse a été analysé à l’aide de deux exemples concrets. / In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as ‘‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’’. The aim is to continuously improve the quality of life for both current and future generation without increasing the use of natural resources beyond the Earth's carrying capacity. The entire life-cycle of natural resources, from their extraction to their final disposal as waste, engenders negative environmental impacts. Waste recycling and the substitutionof excessively polluting resources with alternatives are considered as the key components of sustainable resource management. The flow of the thesis is formalized in the following three research questions:RQ1: Is it possible, and if so how, to assess the environmental impacts resulting from the exploitation of mineral resources, taking into account their abundance, their chemical and physical properties and the effects of their extraction?RQ2: Is it possible, and if so how, to evaluate the environmental performance of recycling, taking into account the chemical, physical and thermodynamic limits of the process?RQ3: To which extent a partial or complete substitution of fossil fuels with biomass is an environmentally friendly solution?The work is essentially based on the emergy approach, but also other environmental assessment tools has been used such as the exergoecology approach, the exergetic life cycle assessment and the carbon footprint. The specific emergy of about 42 main commercially used minerals has been calculated, respecting the material hierarchy developed by Odum. The environmental performance of metallurgical recycling has been studied, taking into account for the material and quality losses during the process. The use of an average transformity is proposed and three sustainability ratios have been defined to assess the benefits and limits of recycling processes. Finally, in order to determine the environmental impact of using biomass as substitute for fossil fuels, two concrete examples has been studied.

Orientador: Ivonete Ávila / Resumo: O crescimento populacional e o progresso tecnológico têm levado a crescente demanda por recursos naturais e energia, resultando na intensificação de impactos ambientais. O setor de energia é um dos principais emissores de CO2 antropogênico, principalmente devido a utilização de combustíveis fósseis, o que tem levado à busca por soluções tecnológicas visando a redução dos impactos ambientais associados à sua geração. Nesse contexto, esse trabalho visa realizar uma avaliação de desempenho ambiental da geração de energia elétrica das centrais termelétricas Fernando Gasparian e Piratininga com inserção da técnica de captura de CO2 por oxicombustão. Essa avaliação é realizada por meio de uma proposta conceitual própria que inclui avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) e avaliação termodinâmica com bases exergéticas. A avaliação termodinâmica abrange a operação das termelétricas, por meio de análise energética e exergética utilizando a teoria do custo exergético e o método CExC (cumulative exergy consumption). A ACV abrange desde a extração dos recursos até o fim de vida das instalações, utilizando os métodos de contabilização de recursos CED (cumulative energy demand), CExD (cumulative exergy demand) e CML IA baseline. Os resultados da avaliação termodinâmica permitiram verificar que a câmara de combustão é a principal destruidora de exergia e a inserção da técnica de oxicombustão impõe maior penalidade energética por causa da inserção dos componentes de separação de ar e processamento ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Population growth and technological progress have led to an increasing demand for natural resources and energy, resulting in the intensification of environmental impacts. The energy sector is one of the main emitters of anthropogenic CO2, mainly due to the use of fossil fuels, which has led to the search for technological solutions aimed at reducing the environmental impacts associated with its generation. In this context, this work aims to carry out an environmental performance evaluation of the electric power generation at the Fernando Gasparian and Piratininga thermoelectric plants with the insertion of the CO2 capture technique by oxy-combustion. This assessment is carried out through a conceptual proposal that includes life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermodynamic assessment with exergetic bases. Thermodynamic evaluation covers the operation of thermoelectric plants, through energy and exergetic analysis using the theory of exergetic cost and the CExC method (cumulative exergy consumption). ACV covers everything from resource extraction to the end of the facility's life, using the resource accounting methods CED (cumulative energy demand), CExD (cumulative exergy demand) and CML IA baseline. The results of the thermodynamic evaluation allowed to verify that the combustion chamber is the main destroyer of exergy and the insertion of the oxy-combustion technique imposes a greater energy penalty due to the insertion of the air separation unit and CO2 processing unit for CO2... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor