Decarbonizing Industrial Banana Drying: A Verifiable Framework for Sustainable Resource Management
Abstract
Convective fruit drying is energy-intensive and a major greenhouse gas (GHG) source in the agri-food sector. Existing carbon footprint (CF) studies are fragmented, separating emissions accounting from economic performance and quality verification, limiting their usefulness for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking practical decarbonization actions. This study proposes an integrated, verification-oriented framework linking organizational carbon accounting, process engineering, and product quality within a unified decision platform. The framework combines (i) GHG quantification (ISO 14064-1:2018 and ISO 14067:2018); (ii) techno-economic modeling via process simulation; (iii) experimental validation of quality attributes (moisture, water activity, color, texture); and (iv) sensitivity analysis. The framework was applied to four energy configurations: baseline and three decarbonization scenarios (solar thermal, photovoltaic (PV), and combined). The baseline footprint was 139,090 kg CO2e (±11.43%). Emission reductions ranged from 15.05% to 34.73%, with the combined solar-PV configuration achieving the highest mitigation while maintaining commercial quality. Emission intensity dropped from 1.19 to 0.78 kg CO2e per functional unit. Economic performance showed payback periods of 5.78–10.54 years and IRRs of 15.8–24.2%. This framework provides a transferable tool for SMEs to prioritize decarbonization strategies based on integrated environmental, economic, and quality criteria.