Systems and methods for monitoring and attributing sustainability attributes in a material accounting system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to monitoring and attributing sustainability attributes in a material accounting system to improve the environmental impact of biological production networks by increasing transparency between value chain participants. The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or distributing associated sustainability attributes in a material accounting system for producing a chemical product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of sustainability, and more specifically to monitoring and attributing sustainability attributes in a materials accounting system to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. This disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or assigning associated sustainability attributes in a materials accounting system used for the production of chemical products. Background Technology

[0002] In the chemical manufacturing value chain, the calculation, monitoring, and allocation of sustainability attributes (input materials and energy) are of paramount importance. Transparency among participants can facilitate collective improvement of environmental attributes. However, the calculation, monitoring, and allocation of sustainability attributes are hampered by a lack of common data standards. The value chain is long, global, and involves many different types of stakeholders. There is a need to streamline data standards related to the calculation, monitoring, and allocation of sustainability attributes in the chemical manufacturing value chain. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a method for monitoring at least one sustainability attribute associated with input materials used in the production or generation of one or more chemical products, such as a computer-implemented method, for example, where one or more chemical products are used by or produced based on input materials by a chemical production or chemical production network, for example, where the chemical production network or chemical production chemically transforms the input materials via chemical intermediates into chemical products leaving the chemical production or chemical production network, the method being performed, for example, by an operating system of the chemical production or chemical production network, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Assign digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to virtual balancing accounts; - Provide an identifier associated with, for example, a chemical product produced using input materials used in production; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product. - Provide at least one digital sustainability attribute associated with the input materials used to produce one or more chemical products.

[0004] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to an apparatus for monitoring at least one sustainability property associated with input materials used in the production of one or more chemical products, such as a computer-implemented method, for example, where one or more chemical products are used by or produced based on input materials by a chemical production or chemical production network, for example, where the chemical production network or chemical production chemically transforms the input materials via chemical intermediates into chemical products leaving the chemical production or chemical production network, the apparatus comprising: - An input interface configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; and - At least one processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials; (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify the digital sustainability credits on the material ledger; (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits; (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts; (v) provide identifiers associated with chemical products produced based on the input materials; and (vi) assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing accounts to the chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with the chemical products, wherein the identifiers associated with the chemical products include chemical product identifiers related to chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifiers are associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifiers are uniquely linked to the virtual identifiers of the chemical products. - Output interface, which is configured to provide at least one digital sustainability attribute associated with the input materials used to produce one or more chemical products.

[0005] On the other hand, this disclosure relates to a system for monitoring at least one sustainability property associated with input materials used in the production of one or more chemical products, such as a computer-implemented method, for example, where one or more chemical products are used by or produced based on input materials by a chemical production or chemical production network, for example, where the chemical production or chemical production network chemically transforms the input materials via chemical intermediates into chemical products leaving the chemical production or chemical production network, the system comprising: Operating system, the operating system includes - An input interface configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; and - At least one processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials; (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify the digital sustainability credits on the material ledger; (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits; (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts; (v) provide identifiers associated with chemical products produced based on the input materials; and (vi) assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing accounts to the chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with the chemical products, wherein the identifiers associated with the chemical products include chemical product identifiers related to chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifiers are associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifiers are uniquely linked to the virtual identifiers of the chemical products. - An output interface configured to provide at least one digital sustainability attribute associated with the input materials used to produce one or more chemical products. as well as A chemical production or chemical production network configured to produce one or more chemical products based on or using input materials.

[0006] On the other hand, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, for example, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, for example, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Assign digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to virtual balancing accounts; - Provide an identifier associated with, for example, a chemical product produced using input materials used in production; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product.

[0007] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to an apparatus for attributing at least one sustainability property associated with an input material to a chemical product, for example, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, for example, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material via chemical intermediates into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network, the apparatus comprising: - An input interface configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; and - At least one processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials, (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify digital sustainability credits on a material ledger, (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits, (iv) allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts, (v) provide identifiers associated with, for example, chemical products produced using input materials for production, and (vi) assign digital sustainability credits from balancing accounts to chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, wherein the identifiers associated with chemical products include chemical product identifiers related to chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifiers are associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifiers are uniquely linked to the virtual identifiers of the chemical product.

[0008] In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for monitoring at least one sustainability attribute of a chemical product is disclosed, wherein the sustainability attribute is associated with an input material, for example, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, for example, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Assign digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to virtual balancing accounts; - Provide an identifier associated with, for example, a chemical product produced using input materials used in production; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product. - Provide digital sustainability credits for use in monitoring at least one sustainability attribute of chemical products.

[0009] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to an apparatus for monitoring at least one sustainability attribute of a chemical product, wherein the sustainability attribute is associated with an input material, for example, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, for example, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the apparatus comprising: - An input interface configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; and - At least one processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials; (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify the digital sustainability credits in the material ledger; (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits; (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account; (v) provide identifiers associated with, for example, chemical products produced using input materials used in production; and (vi) assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to the chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with the chemical products, wherein the identifiers associated with the chemical products include chemical product identifiers related to chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifiers are associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifiers are uniquely linked to the virtual identifiers of the chemical products. - Output interface, which is configured to provide digital sustainability credits for monitoring at least one sustainability attribute of chemical products.

[0010] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts; - Use input materials to produce chemical products; - Provide identifiers associated with chemical products; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product.

[0011] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts; - Use input materials to produce chemical products; - Generate a material master record for a combination of chemical products and digital sustainability credits, wherein the material master record includes a product identifier associated with the material master record; - Provide identifiers associated with chemical products; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product.

[0012] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to a system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into the chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the system comprising: - An input terminal configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - A processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials, (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify the digital sustainability credits on the material ledger, (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits, (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts, (v) provide identifiers associated with chemical products, and (vi) assign digital sustainability credits from balancing accounts to chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, wherein the identifiers associated with chemical products include chemical product identifiers related to chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifiers are associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifiers are uniquely linked to the virtual identifiers of the chemical product.

[0013] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to a system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into the chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the system comprising: - An input terminal configured to receive input material data associated with input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - A processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials; (ii) assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify digital sustainability credits on the material ledger; (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits; (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts; (v) generate a material master record for a combination of chemical products and digital sustainability credits, wherein the material master record includes a product identifier associated with the material master record; (vi) provide an identifier associated with the chemical products; and (vii) assign digital sustainability credits from balancing accounts to chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to the identifier associated with the chemical products, wherein the identifier associated with the chemical products includes a chemical product identifier related to the chemical product specifications, wherein the chemical product identifier is associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product.

[0014] On the other hand, this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with input materials to a product, wherein the product is produced by a production network using the input materials, and wherein the production network transforms the input materials into a product leaving the production network, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Assign digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to virtual balancing accounts; - Use input materials to produce products; - Provide an identifier associated with the product; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to an identifier associated with the product, where the product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the product.

[0015] On another aspect, this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using the input material, wherein the chemical production network chemically transforms the input material into a chemical product leaving the chemical production network via chemical intermediates, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input materials; - Assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits, where the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit; - Assign digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to virtual balancing accounts; - Use input materials to produce chemical products; - Provide identifiers associated with chemical products; and - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, where the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product.

[0016] In another aspect, a computer element having instructions, particularly a computer program product or computer-readable medium, is disclosed, which, when executed on one or more computing nodes, are configured to perform the steps of any of the methods disclosed herein. In yet another aspect, a computer element having instructions, particularly a computer program product or computer-readable medium, is disclosed, which, when executed by a processor, cause any of the apparatuses disclosed herein to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0017] In another aspect, the use of one or more chemical products provided by any of the methods disclosed herein, associated with assigning sustainability attributes to two or more chemical products produced in a chemical production process at a chemical production plant, and / or one or more chemical products produced by a chemical production network provided by any of the methods disclosed herein, for the production of at least one discrete product or at least one final product associated with one or more sustainability attributes. The at least one discrete product or at least one final product can be an intermediate or final product in a product supply chain. The at least one discrete product or at least one final product can be based on one or more chemical products. The at least one discrete product or at least one final product can be produced through discrete manufacturing. In yet another aspect, a method is disclosed for producing at least one discrete product or at least one final product associated with attributing at least one sustainability attribute related to input materials to a chemical product, wherein the chemical product is produced by a chemical production network using input materials provided by any of the methods disclosed herein, and / or produced by a chemical production network provided by any of the methods disclosed herein, providing and / or using the chemical product to produce at least one discrete product or at least one final product associated with one or more sustainability attributes.

[0018] In another aspect, this disclosure relates to a computer element having instructions that, when executed on one or more computing nodes, are configured to perform the steps of the methods of this disclosure or are configured to be executed by means of this disclosure.

[0019] Any disclosures, embodiments, and examples described herein relate to the methods, systems, apparatuses, chemical products, and computer components listed above and below. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any embodiment and example also apply to all other embodiments and examples. Implementation Plan

[0020] The public, regulators, and financial investors are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of chemical production processes. Major companies have subsequently announced ambitious plans to track and manage the environmental impact associated with the production of their products. Transparency among stakeholders can help improve collective progress in demonstrating compliance with applicable standards (which, in the case of sustainability-related standards, improves environmental impact). The chemical industry is in a transitional phase. Conventional (i.e., fossil-based) product portfolios are gradually expanding to sustainable chemical products by replacing conventional input materials with sustainable ones. Sustainable input materials are chemically identical to their conventional counterparts and differ only in their sustainability properties and their higher price. Adding dedicated production infrastructure is not feasible due to inherent duplication and therefore overcapacity (and the need for substantial upfront investment). Completely replacing conventional input materials with sustainable ones immediately is also not feasible because (i) there are not enough sustainable input materials on the market to meet total demand, (ii) demand for sustainable chemical products is insufficient and volatile, and (iii) many customers are unwilling to pay higher prices for sustainable products.

[0021] Therefore, existing chemical production infrastructure must be used to produce both conventional and sustainable chemical products. For example, conventional input materials can be partially replaced by sustainable output materials, depending on the demand for sustainable chemical products. This enables the provision and commercialization of sustainable product portfolios, where sustainable products are produced in a manner consistent with conventional products. During the production process, conventional and sustainable input materials are chemically indistinguishable and inseparable.

[0022] The quality balance approach can be used to assign sustainability attributes from sustainable input materials to conventional (i.e., fossil) chemical products to produce more sustainable (or, for ease of reference, simply, sustainable) chemical products. In the certified quality balance approach, sustainability attributes are separated from sustainable input materials and constructed into a virtualized carrier called a “digital sustainability credit.” Digital sustainability credits can be used to transfer sustainability attributes concurrently with (or in parallel with) the chemical production process, but outside of it. Near the end of the chemical production process (or at the point of sale), digital sustainability credits can be allocated (or assigned) to conventional chemical products to produce sustainable chemical products.

[0023] However, achieving transparent and efficient production guidance within a quality balance approach can be challenging because materials accounting functions are typically designed to track tangible materials rather than digital sustainability credits. Transparency can refer to the identification, tracking, and attribution of value information (or data) regarding the sustainability attributes of sustainable input materials (e.g., fair profit, marginal price, cost, etc.). For example, efficiently guiding the use of sustainable input materials within a chemical production network can be challenging unless materials accounting functions provide transparency for the tracking and allocation of value information (for applicable sustainability attributes). Monitoring, tracking, and allocating sustainability attributes from sustainable input materials to sustainable products (e.g., consistency with using conventional input materials to produce conventional products) can also be challenging. Only by overcoming these challenges can companies determine, for example, whether the selling price of a sustainable product generates sufficient profit or whether the sourcing price of sustainable input materials is profitable.

[0024] The systems, methods, and apparatus of this disclosure enable transparent and efficient production guidance when producing sustainable products from sustainable input materials. According to this disclosure, a materials accounting mechanism (e.g., a materials ledger) is configured to perform materials accounting functions for intangible assets, such as digital sustainability credits. For example, an operating system can be configured to assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits. The operating system can also be configured to monitor, track, value, and assign digital sustainability credits on the materials ledger via material numbers. An operating system configured to assign materials to digital sustainability credits and / or track them on the materials ledger provides several technical benefits, including enhanced traceability, effective record keeping, simplified auditing and reporting, and integration with existing systems. By assigning material numbers to digital sustainability credits, digital sustainability credits can be uniquely identified and tracked throughout their entire lifecycle. This allows for enhanced traceability, ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of sustainability attributes. Monitoring the movement and use of credits becomes easier, facilitating auditing processes and compliance verification. Tracking digital sustainability credits on the materials ledger provides a centralized and structured system for recording and storing credit-related information. This helps maintain an organized and comprehensive record of credits, including details such as their creation, allocation, valuation, and utilization. It simplifies data management and retrieval, reducing the chance of errors or discrepancies. The materials ledger serves as a reliable source of information for auditing and reporting purposes. It allows for the generation of accurate and detailed reports on the utilization of digital sustainability credits, their value, and their impact on the creation of sustainable products. Auditors can easily verify materials accounting practices, ensuring compliance with regulations and industry standards. Assigning material numbers and utilizing the materials ledger can be aligned with existing infrastructure and systems commonly used in the chemical industry. This integration facilitates seamless compatibility with other enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, supply chain management, and financial software. It enables smooth data exchange and interoperability, minimizing the need for extensive system modifications or customizations. In summary, assigning material numbers to digital sustainability credits and tracking them on the materials ledger offers technological advantages such as enhanced traceability, efficient record keeping, simplified auditing and reporting, and seamless integration with existing systems. These benefits contribute to the effective implementation and management of materials accounting functions within digital solutions.

[0025] The systems, methods, and apparatus of this disclosure enable the assignment of sustainability attributes of sustainable input materials to sustainable chemical products. When sustainable input materials are provided to a chemical production network, the operating system of the network can generate digital sustainability credits corresponding to the sustainability attributes of the input materials. The operating system can allocate these digital sustainability credits from the sustainable input materials (digital data representing the sustainable input materials) to a virtual balance account. The operating system can assign material numbers to the digital sustainability credits allocated to the virtual balance account. When producing chemical products, the operating system can allocate these digital sustainability credits from the virtual balance account to the chemical products (to produce sustainable products). Using virtual balance accounts for digital sustainability credits associated with sustainable input materials enables digital systems to generate, track, and allocate renewable energy sustainability attributes based on the manufacturing of products within an interconnected chemical production network.

[0026] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein enable accurate tracking and accounting of the costs of sustainability certificates that have been converted into digital sustainability credits and stored in a virtual balancing account. This may be necessary because digital sustainability credits can be assigned to chemical products to indicate that the chemical products are material components produced using sustainable input materials. The challenge lies in the fact that these digital sustainability credits need to be stored for a certain period of time, and during that time, they may need to be accounted for as (quasi)materials. This requires a robust tracking and accounting system that can accurately record the costs of sustainability certificates and digital sustainability credits and assign them to appropriate chemical products. Furthermore, a reliable and secure system for tracking and accounting for digital sustainability credits can help encourage the use of sustainable input materials by providing a transparent and credible way to demonstrate that chemical products are produced using sustainable input materials.

[0027] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein can achieve a high level of automation in the generation, monitoring, and allocation of digital sustainability credits for products. For example, the digital system can be able to access data storage that includes input material data, process data, and utility data (e.g., energy input data). The digital system can retrieve applicable data to generate digital sustainability credits from sustainable input materials consistent with the chemical production process. The digital system can then automatically allocate digital sustainability credits to chemical products produced by the production process to increase transparency regarding the environmental impact of energy inputs (and / or the production process). This can help stakeholders make more informed decisions about the allocation of resources, including process inputs, which can lead to more sustainable and efficient production processes.

[0028] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein provide an efficient way to track sustainability attributes in chemical processing and deliver a positive environmental impact for chemical products across the value chain. Such attributes can be efficiently assigned to chemical products produced in a chemical production network by using a virtual balancing account with attribution rules for balancing sustainability attributes (and / or digital sustainability credits) associated with sustainable input materials. Particularly for chemical networks that produce one or more chemical products from one or more sustainable input materials via interconnected, connected, and disconnected production chains, the use of a virtual balancing account with attribution rules allows for the reliable assignment of sustainability attributes based on the physical setup of the chemical production network and the customization of digital assets associated with chemical products according to customer needs. The virtual balancing account and associated metadata structure also allow for the elimination of the complexity of material flows within the chemical production network while still allowing for adjustments to the environmental impact for each chemical product. Thus, the environmental impact of the produced chemical products can be determined based on the physical setup of the chemical production network and customized according to customer needs. Furthermore, the sustainability attributes of chemical products produced by the chemical production network can be made transparent to customers who further process the chemical products. By providing a chemical product identifier associated with at least one sustainability attribute, the sustainability attribute and the digital assets attached to the chemical product can be tailored to customer needs.

[0029] In the following sections, embodiments of this disclosure will be outlined by way of examples. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and / or examples described.

[0030] When digital systems manage the monitoring and attribution of sustainability attributes (from input to output) for chain-of-custody approaches such as quality balance, it is necessary to track and assign sustainability attributes of input materials across the production chain (e.g., in large chemical production networks). This is challenging because sustainable input materials and fossil-based (or conventional) input materials may be mixed; it may be necessary to process and track certificates associated with renewable input materials (i.e., sustainability certificates); it may be necessary to track and accurately account for the values ​​of sustainability characteristics associated with certificates and / or sustainable input materials; and it may be necessary to assign sustainability characteristics to specific chemical products to produce sustainable products.

[0031] According to this disclosure, the aforementioned limitations can be overcome using a digital system (e.g., an operating system) configured to receive input material data associated with input materials. In some cases, input material data may include a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material. Input material data refers to digital information relating to the composition, quality, origin, process, and source of input materials (e.g., raw materials or feedstocks) used in a chemical production process. This data may include information about the quantity, physical properties, origin, process, and source of the input material. The data may also include information about any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes. Input material data may be provided via one or more digital documents, including, for example, purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, material safety data sheets, etc. Suppliers may provide some (or all) of the input material data via enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and / or other digital systems.

[0032] Input material data can be received from the supplier providing the corresponding input materials. For example, input material data can be digital data (e.g., electronic files or data structures) such as purchase orders, material data security sheets, analysis certificates, regulatory compliance documents, and invoices. Input material data can also be received from third parties (e.g., consultants, industry associations, certification bodies, regulatory agencies, etc.).

[0033] According to this disclosure, input material data can also be received via sustainability certificates (e.g., from a sustainability certificate registry). A sustainability certificate can be a tradable and verifiable instrument representing environmental attributes associated with sustainable input materials. It can also be a tradable and verifiable instrument representing characteristics associated with corporate responsibility, such as fair trading practices, fair compensation, safe working conditions, and guarantees against child labor, which can be associated with input materials. It can be used to support claims for the use of sustainable input materials in the production of sustainable chemical products. Sustainability certificates can be issued and tracked by regulatory bodies, independent organizations, etc., to promote transparent accounting and trading of sustainable input material attributes, thereby allowing consumers and businesses to support and verify their use of sustainable input materials. Examples of sustainability certificates can include those from biogas registries, the Austrian Biomethane Registry (AGCS), Denmark's ENERGINITE, the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS), etc. Sustainability certificates can be digital representations of data structures that can be stored and transmitted as digital files. Sustainability certificates can be represented as digital files in a specific format, such as XML or JSON, which encapsulate the necessary information about sustainability attributes. This digital file can be created, read, and processed by software applications designed to handle sustainability certificate data.

[0034] One category of input material data is sustainability data. Sustainability data can be digital information associated with input materials or chemical products. Sustainability data can digitally specify the environmental impact of input materials or chemical products and / or indicate one or more sustainability attributes of the input materials. Sustainability data may involve fossil footprints or carbon footprints. Sustainability data may involve, for example, the renewable content, bio-based content, and / or recycled content of input materials and / or chemical products. For example, considering input materials or chemical products, sustainability data may include qualitative data points related to the type of impact. Sustainability data may specify a type, such as a specific carbon footprint, recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based. Qualitative data points can be translated into quantitative measures, such as environmental units or balance units (or digital sustainability credits). For example, considering input materials or chemical products, a specific carbon footprint, recycled content, renewable content, or bio-based content, sustainability data may include quantitative data points related to the type of impact. Sustainability data may specify carbon footprint, recycled content, renewable content, and / or bio-based content. Sustainability data may include further environmental characteristics of the input product or chemical product. Sustainability data can originate from input material suppliers, chemical product manufacturers, sustainability data and consulting providers, etc. Sustainability data and consulting providers are companies that offer a range of sustainability-related services. These companies help businesses and organizations manage their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and improve their sustainability performance.

[0035] Sustainability attributes can refer to any property or characteristic related to environmental impact. This property can be the nature and / or characteristics of energy inputs, input materials, and / or chemical products. Sustainability attributes can indicate the environmental performance of energy inputs, input materials, input utilities (or utility systems), chemical production networks, and / or chemical products. Sustainability attributes can be derived from the nature of energy inputs, input materials, chemical production networks, and / or chemical products. Sustainability attributes can be associated with the environmental impact of one or more materials and / or input utilities at any stage of their life cycle. The stages of a material or product life cycle can include the stages of providing raw materials, producing products (such as intermediate or final products), using the product, disposing of end-of-life products, recycling end-of-life products, disposing of end-of-life products, and reusing components from end-of-life products, or any subset of stages. Sustainability attributes can be tracked through any activities of one or more entities involved at any stage of the life cycle of one or more materials or products. Sustainability attributes can also refer to properties or characteristics associated with corporate responsibility, such as fair trade practices, fair compensation, safe working conditions, and guarantees against child labor. Sustainability attributes associated with any activities of one or more entities involved at any stage of the life cycle of one or more materials or products can be accumulated or aggregated.

[0036] Sustainability attributes may include one or more characteristics attributable to the environmental or sustainability impacts of energy inputs, input materials, chemical products, intermediate products, and / or final products. Sustainability attributes may include environmental, technological, recyclable, or circular characteristics associated with the environmental impact of input materials, chemical products, intermediate products, and / or final products. Sustainability attributes may be digital assets associated with input materials, input utilities (e.g., energy inputs), or chemical products. Sustainability attributes may digitally specify the environmental impact of input materials, input utilities, or chemical products. Sustainability attributes may relate to carbon footprint. Sustainability attributes may relate to, for example, the renewable, bio-based, and / or recycled content of input materials and / or chemical products. For example, considering input materials or chemical products, sustainability attributes may include qualitative data points related to the type of impact. Sustainability attributes may specify a type, such as recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based. Qualitative data points may be translated into quantitative measures, such as digital sustainability credits (e.g., balance units). For example, considering input materials or chemical products, recycled content, renewable content, or bio-based content, sustainability attributes may include quantitative data points related to the type of impact. Sustainability attributes can specify recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based content. The term sustainable can refer to materials containing renewable, bio-based, and / or recycled components. For example, sustainable input materials may include recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based components. It should be understood that sustainable input materials may not necessarily be 100% based on sustainable (e.g., recycled, renewable, bio-based, etc.) components, but may be a mixture of materials, and at least some of those materials may contain sustainable components. Similarly, sustainable chemical products may include recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based components. Sustainability attributes may include further environmental characteristics of the input or chemical product.

[0037] A digital representation of a sustainability attribute refers to, for example, a digital file, data structure, or object within a digital system that encapsulates information related to a specific sustainability attribute. The digital representation may include metadata describing the attribute, such as its name, unit of measurement, and other relevant information. The representation may also include algorithms or formulas for calculating attribute values ​​based on relevant inputs or factors. The digital representation of a sustainability attribute can be designed for use within a digital system, as input to other functions or as output from other functions. The representation may be stored in a database or other data storage system and accessed via an application programming interface (API) or other software interface. A digital system may include software functions or modules that manipulate the digital representation of sustainability attributes, such as aggregating data across multiple attributes or generating visualizations of attribute values ​​over time.

[0038] According to this disclosure, an operating system can generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials. The term "digital sustainability credit" refers to a digital representation (or virtual asset) of the sustainability attributes of a material or energy input. The operating system can use various data structures to represent digital sustainability credits, including key-value pairs or structured objects such as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) objects. Digital sustainability credits can be generated in a variety of ways, depending on, for example, whether the input material data is obtained using sustainable input materials from a dealer (or other third party) or directly from a registry (e.g., a sustainability certificate).

[0039] If the input material data is obtained when receiving sustainable input materials, the operating system can apply a virtual production process. A virtual production process refers to receiving input material data for sustainable input materials and producing digital sustainability attributes (based on sustainable input materials) and "producing" conventional input materials (e.g., data describing the corresponding quantity and / or value of conventional input materials). The virtual production process can apply a formulation that consumes sustainable input materials (as input) and generates digital sustainability credits (e.g., as a master product) and conventional input materials (e.g., as a byproduct). The operating system can define digital sustainability credits as master products to more easily plan credit requirements in production planning. If the input material data is obtained from a sustainability certificate, the operating system can receive the sustainability certificate (a digital representation), verify the certificate's authenticity, parse the certificate to extract relevant information, transform units as needed, and generate a data structure representing the credits.

[0040] According to this disclosure, the operating system assigns material numbers to digital sustainability credits. A material number uniquely identifies a digital sustainability credit on a materials ledger. A “material number” can refer to a unique identifier that can be assigned to each different material or product within the materials ledger. It can serve as a key reference for all processes and transactions related to that specific material. Material numbers can play a central role in inventory management, procurement, production planning, and supply chain operations. They can help track the movement of materials throughout the manufacturing network, enabling accurate inventory control, traceability, and efficient handling of materials. Material numbers can serve as a central reference point for all relevant information associated with a material, including specifications, characteristics, units of measurement, pricing, and other relevant data. This information can be used to maintain accurate inventory levels, determine reorder points, calculate costs, and facilitate effective decision-making within systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). By using a standardized material numbering system, the system can establish consistency and achieve seamless integration across various modules and functions, thereby allowing for efficient management of material resources. By assigning material numbers to digital sustainability credits, the operating system enables sustainability credits to be treated like physical materials, for example, for inventory valuation in actual cost calculations.

[0041] Assigning material numbers to sustainability credits offers several technical benefits. First, it allows for easier tracking and management of credits across the entire production network. By treating credits as physical materials, the operating system can more easily integrate them into inventory management systems and track their movement through the network. Second, assigning material numbers to credits enables the operating system to calculate credit values ​​more accurately. This is important because credit value can represent a significant cost associated with the network. By treating credits as physical materials, the operating system can more easily integrate them into financial systems and ensure their value is accurately reflected in financial reports. Furthermore, assigning material numbers to credits can help increase transparency and recordability within the production network. Third, assigning material numbers to credits ensures that credits are not used twice or exceed their inventory levels. By tracking the movement of credits through the network, stakeholders can more easily verify that credits are accurately calculated and recorded. This can help build trust among stakeholders and demonstrate the network's commitment to sustainability.

[0042] A "materials ledger" can refer to a module or component that tracks and manages the financial aspects of material movement within a large chemical manufacturing network. It serves as a central repository for material-related financial data, providing real-time visibility into inventory valuations, cost of goods sold (COGS), and other financial metrics. The materials ledger captures information such as purchase costs, production costs, overhead costs, and any additional costs associated with material movement. It can be designed to integrate with other modules in an ERP system, such as purchasing, inventory management, and production planning. It enables accurate and timely recording of material transactions, helping to ensure that financial data is up-to-date and reflects the true value of inventory. By capturing all cost elements related to material movement and consumption in individual production steps, the materials ledger allows for precise cost allocation and determination of product costs.

[0043] According to this disclosure, the operating system can calculate the value of a digital sustainability credit. The value can be calculated in various ways. For example, a sustainable input material may have a higher value (e.g., higher acquisition cost) than its corresponding conventional (i.e., fossil) input material (e.g., bio-naphtha vs. naphtha), and the operating system can calculate the credit value based on the difference in acquisition costs between the sustainable input material and its corresponding conventional input material (e.g., assigning the difference as a credit value or converting the difference, e.g., to reflect currency conversion, currency value fluctuations, etc.). The calculation can be based on the standard price (or average price or moving average price) of the conventional input material and / or the sustainable input material over the relevant period. The total actual price of the conventional input material during that period (e.g., where value = price × volume) can be a weighted average of the received price and the additional purchase quantity of the conventional input material for which the cost estimate was obtained.

[0044] According to this disclosure, an operating system can allocate digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account. Allocating digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account involves several steps to ensure proper management and tracking of the credits. For example, the operating system may first calculate the digital sustainability credits. Sustainability credits may include information such as the amount of credit, associated sustainability attributes, and metadata. The operating system can then allocate the credits to the virtual balancing account based on predefined rules or criteria. The operating system can update the virtual balancing account to reflect the new credit allocation, adjust the credit balance, and maintain a record of the allocation details. Later, when a chemical product is being produced, the operating system can retrieve an appropriate amount of digital sustainability credits from the virtual balancing account and assign them to the corresponding product. This assignment may be based on factors such as the sustainability attributes of the input materials used and / or the sustainability attributes associated with the product. The operating system can track the assigned credits to ensure they are correctly used and accounted for in reporting. This may involve deducting the assigned credits from the virtual balancing account and updating the credit balance accordingly. The operating system may also generate reports or provide access to the allocated credits for transparency and auditing purposes. Overall, allocating digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts can involve receiving, updating, and tracking credits to ensure efficient management and utilization within chemical production networks.

[0045] A virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) can refer to a digital storage structure that stores data related to sustainability attributes. This account may be associated with metadata identifying the account used to balance sustainability attributes. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the sustainability attributes and environmental or digital sustainability credits (e.g., balancing units) assigned to the account. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the production chain associated with the account. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the inputs (materials and / or utilities) or chemical products associated with the account. The account may be part of a balancing system comprising multiple accounts. The account may hold digital sustainability credits for trading. Sustainability attributes (or digital sustainability credits representing sustainability attributes) can be assigned, added, deleted, withdrawn, or deducted from the account. A virtual balancing account may be associated with a type of sustainability attribute (such as recycled or renewable). A virtual balancing account may be associated with an input energy type, such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, or combinations thereof. Virtual balancing accounts can be associated with allocation schemes such as segregated allocations, non-segregated allocations (such as certificate trading), quality balances with free attribution, quality balances without free attribution, or combinations thereof.

[0046] At least one attribution rule may specify an attribution scheme associated with an account used to balance sustainability attributes. At least one attribution rule may specify that sustainability attributes associated with energy inputs (and / or input materials or other utilities) and chemical production networks are attributable to sustainability attributes associated with chemical products. At least one attribution rule may depend on a chemical product identifier and sustainability attributes. At least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing sustainability attributes from input materials to at least one account used to balance sustainability attributes. At least one attribution rule may include instructions for deducting sustainability attributes from at least one account used to balance sustainability attributes. At least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing sustainability attributes from an account to a chemical product or a chemical product identifier.

[0047] The operating system can be configured to access data related to input materials, input utilities (e.g., energy inputs and / or water inputs), processes, and / or chemical products produced by a chemical production network. The operating system can be configured to convert input material data used in the chemical production network into digital sustainability credits. The operating system can be configured to allocate digital sustainability credits to at least one virtual balancing account associated with energy inputs. The operating system can be configured to allocate at least a portion of the digital sustainability credits from at least one balancing account to at least one chemical product.

[0048] The operating system can be configured to manage digital sustainability credits associated with inputs (utilities and / or materials) and chemical products produced by a chemical production network. Specifically, the operating system can be configured to determine digital sustainability credits associated with the use of input materials that affect the environmental properties / attributes of chemical products produced by the chemical production network. The operating system can also be configured to determine digital sustainability credits associated with chemical products and their environmental properties. Thus, the operating system can be configured to allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts or deallocate digital sustainability credits from balancing accounts. Therefore, digital sustainability credits can be viewed as credits that can be deposited into accounts (e.g., digital inventory) or deducted from accounts associated with inputs and chemical products from the chemical production network.

[0049] The operating system can be configured to register inbound sustainability attributes, convert inbound sustainability attributes into digital sustainability credits (and convert them back as needed), and / or assign outbound sustainability attributes and manage inbound and outbound assignments.

[0050] For allocation, one or more sustainability attributes can be converted into digital sustainability credits, and these credits can be allocated to virtual balancing accounts. One or more digital sustainability credits can be allocated to at least one virtual balancing account associated with a corresponding sustainability attribute. The conversion can be based on conversion factors such as the energy content of the input material, the amount of energy produced (e.g., measured in kilowatt-hours), carbon intensity (i.e., the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with the generation or production of renewable energy units), or any other suitable measure used to quantify the environmental impact of the sustainability attribute. By using digital sustainability credits and conversion, it is ensured that the sustainability attribute of the input material is used only once for allocation to the chemical product. This avoids double counting of inputs or outputs and allows for the reliable allocation of positive environmental impacts to the chemical product.

[0051] According to this disclosure, digital sustainability credits can have the same identifying properties as other materials (e.g., material numbers), and therefore can be consumed in production or sold to customers. Digital sustainability credits can be allocated to conventional products to generate sustainable products in various ways. For example, credits can be bundled with conventional products in a virtual production step to generate sustainable products. Alternatively, credits can be allocated to conventional products at the sales order level to generate sustainable products. If credits are allocated to conventional products in a virtual production step, the credits can be included in the bill of materials for that production step. If the operating system allocates credits to conventional products during the processing of a sales order, the credits (e.g., sub-items) are “consumed” when the associated physical product (master item) is delivered.

[0052] Input materials can refer to any substance or component used as a raw material, feedstock, intermediate, or similar element in a chemical production process. It can encompass a broad range of materials used as inputs to generate or produce the desired chemicals or products. These input materials can include natural resources, chemicals, compounds, or any other materials that require chemical reactions, processing, or transformation to produce the desired output.

[0053] A "production site" can refer to the physical location where chemical products are manufactured and produced. A production site can include various facilities and equipment, such as reactors, distillation columns, storage tanks, and utilities like electricity, water, and steam. A production site can be designed to ensure the efficient and safe manufacture of chemical products and can include various processes such as raw material handling, chemical synthesis, purification, and refining.

[0054] The fossil footprint or product fossil footprint (PFF) can refer to the amount of petrochemical feedstock (e.g., naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas, or intermediates from feedstocks that subsequently require a certain amount of naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas) consumed in the production process at a manufacturing facility. PFF can be expressed as kilograms of methane per kilogram (or methane equivalent).

[0055] The term carbon emission value refers to a quantitative measure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a specific product, typically expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). Examples of carbon emission values ​​include carbon footprint, or product carbon footprint (PCF), which is a quantitative measure, expressed in CO2 equivalents, of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted or removed during the production process at a manufacturing facility. PCF can be estimated from cradle-to-gate (partial PCF) or cradle-to-grave (total PCF). PCF can include emissions from all stages of a product's lifecycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal. It can be used to estimate and reduce a company's environmental impact and to communicate that information to consumers. The term greenhouse gas (GHG) refers to gases that can absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, thereby trapping and retaining heat in the atmosphere and contributing to the greenhouse effect. The most common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases.

[0056] Carbon emission values, such as PCF values, can be represented in structured data formats such as XML or JSON, which allows for easy exchange of PCF information between different digital systems. The digital representation of PCF can also include metadata, such as the date the PCF was calculated, the standards or protocols used in the calculation, and any assumptions or uncertainties associated with the PCF calculation. This metadata helps ensure transparency and accuracy in the PCF calculation and reporting process. These values ​​can be stored as digital data types and can be correlated with other relevant data points, such as product name, manufacturing date, and supplier information. They can also be displayed as graphs, charts, or other visual representations in user interfaces or dashboards to help users understand and compare the environmental impact of different products or processes. Additionally, values ​​can be integrated into digital tools and platforms to help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions about sustainability.

[0057] Quality balancing is a chain-of-custody approach that considers materials entering and leaving a system. In the chemical industry, renewable or recycled (collectively referred to as “sustainable”) input materials are mixed in a continuous production process and allocated to the final product after undergoing chemical transformation. The quality balancing approach is designed to track the quantity and sustainability characteristics of sustainable input materials and to attribute sustainable input materials based on verifiable bookkeeping. A quality-balanced product is a product manufactured using a quality balancing approach that involves tracking the flow of sustainable materials into and out of the system and allocating sustainable materials to the production of a specific product. A conventional product is a product for which sustainable characteristics have not yet been assigned under a quality balancing scheme (e.g., under a quality balancing certification system). A given product may have a quality-balanced version (with sustainable characteristics assigned under a quality balancing scheme) and a conventional version (without sustainable characteristics assigned under a quality balancing scheme).

[0058] Sustainability data refers to data about the sustainability characteristics of materials (e.g., input materials). Sustainability data may include information such as material number, PCF value, etc. Sustainability data may reside in a data repository. This data repository can be a system or database that provides data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, database, web service, application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. Data sources can be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. Data sources can be internal or external to a system, and they can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, web access, and APIs.

[0059] Quality balance certification data refers to data associated with certification under one or more quality balance certification schemes. Quality balance certification data may include certified product data and sustainable feedstock demand data. Certified product data may include: production site certification data, conventional product identifiers for conventional products enriched through sustainable material substitution, quality balance product identifiers, certification scheme data (e.g., ISCC Plus, REDcert, etc.), etc. Sustainable feedstock demand data may include: the types of sustainable input materials used, the amount of sustainable input materials to be acquired (e.g., under the certification scheme), the percentage of fossil input materials replaced, etc. Quality balance certification data may reside in a data repository. This data repository may be a system or database that provides data or information to digital systems or applications. It may be a file, database, web service, application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to digital applications. Data sources can be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. Data sources may be internal or external to a system, and they can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, web access, and APIs.

[0060] More generally, quality balance certification data may include input material data (data on the source, quantity, quality, and characteristics of all input materials used in the production process), production data (data on the quantity, quality, and characteristics of products produced in the production process), transaction data (data on transactions involving input materials, products, and by-products, including purchases, sales, transfers, and waste disposal), certification data (data on the certification status of input materials, products, and by-products, including information on certification bodies, certification types, and certification numbers), and / or traceability data (data on the traceability of input materials, products, and by-products throughout the production process, including information on batch numbers, lot numbers, and production dates).

[0061] The term "biocarbon" refers to carbon from renewable sources, such as agricultural, plant, animal, fungal, microbial, marine, or forestry materials living in a natural environment in balance with the atmosphere. The term "fossil carbon" refers to carbon derived from non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.

[0062] A standard can refer to a set of guidelines, rules, or requirements that establish a common architecture or consistent way of doing things. It can be a formal document that provides specifications, procedures, or standards for products, services, processes, or systems, with the aim of ensuring quality, safety, reliability, interoperability, or other desired characteristics. Standards can be developed and maintained by standards-setting organizations (SSOs), which can be national, regional, international bodies, or industry alliances. Standards are typically based on consensus among stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and other sectors. Standards can be voluntary or mandatory and can be adopted by governments, businesses, or other organizations as the basis for regulation, procurement, or quality management. Standards can cover a wide range of topics, such as information technology, manufacturing, environmental management, and sustainability. They can be developed for specific industries, products, or processes, or they can be general and applicable to a broad range of applications.

[0063] Sustainability standards can refer to a set of requirements, guidelines, and standards that define sustainable practices for a specific industry or product. Sustainability standards can be developed by organizations such as REDcert, ISCC, and RSPO, which are responsible for setting the standards and overseeing the certification process. These organizations can collaborate with stakeholders from industry, civil society, and other sectors to develop standards that promote sustainable practices. Sustainability standards typically cover a wide range of topics, such as land use, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management, quality balance, recycling, and circularity. They can document specific requirements and indicators for sustainable practices and establish certification processes to verify compliance with these practices.

[0064] A certification system is a set of standards and guidelines used to verify the use of criteria (e.g., the allocation of sustainable raw materials to the quality distribution of sustainable products). Examples of certification systems may include REDcert2 and ISCC+. A certification body is an organization that conducts the actual certification process (e.g., applying the certification system to candidate sites, processes, and / or products). A certification body can be an independent third party accredited by the certification system (an accreditation body) to perform audits, inspections, and issue certificates according to the standards set forth in the scheme.

[0065] Certification bodies can be independent organizations responsible for verifying compliance with sustainability standards. Certification bodies may be authorized by the SSO to conduct audits and inspections of companies seeking certification under a particular standard. These certification bodies may be accredited by third-party accreditation bodies to ensure they meet certain standards of impartiality, competence, and reliability. Certification bodies work with companies to estimate their compliance with standards (e.g., sustainability standards), which may include requirements related to environmental performance. Certification bodies may assess a company's management systems, processes, and performance metrics to determine if they meet the requirements of a standard. If a company meets the requirements of a standard, the certification body may issue a certificate indicating that the company (or its premises, processes, or products) conforms to the requirements of that standard (or multiple standards). Partial compliance may refer to meeting at least some of the requirements of a standard. Certification bodies may also be responsible for ensuring the continued compliance of certified companies through periodic audits and inspections.

[0066] Digital systems can use authentication and / or authorization technologies to control access to resources and verify user identities. Authentication refers to the process of verifying the identity of a user or system. It may involve presenting credentials, such as usernames and passwords, digital certificates, or biometric samples, and comparing them to records or standards to determine whether the user or system is authorized to access specific resources or perform specific actions. Authorization refers to the process of granting or denying access to resources or systems based on the verified identity and the level of permissions assigned to that identity. It may involve defining roles, rules, or policies that specify which actions or resources a user or system is allowed to access and which actions or resources are restricted or prohibited.

[0067] Public and private keys are used in digital systems to provide secure access to resources and authenticate users. They are part of an encryption system known as public-key cryptography. In this system, each user has a pair of keys—a public key and a private key—that are mathematically related but cannot be derived from each other. The public key can be used to encrypt data and is available to others who might want to send encrypted data to the user. The private key is kept secret and can be used to decrypt data that has already been encrypted with the public key.

[0068] There can be various types of audits, including: on-site audits, remote audits, paper audits, and / or virtual audits. An on-site audit may refer to a third party (or client) coming to the manufacturing site to perform an audit. A remote audit may be conducted remotely by a third party (or client) using a digital platform for meetings and to collect data and other information. A paper audit may involve (1) the auditor providing a questionnaire to the manufacturer, and (2) the manufacturer completing the questionnaire and returning it to the auditor. A virtual audit may refer to the use of a digital platform to enable auditors to conduct audits remotely. Virtual audits can significantly reduce (or even eliminate) the need for interaction between auditors and plant personnel by using virtual reality and remotely accessible data repositories.

[0069] A certificate is a document issued by a certification body to indicate that a company (or its premises, location, factory, products, legal entity, etc.) or its products have met the requirements of a certification system. Certificates serve as evidence that a company or product has been audited by an independent third-party certification body and has been found to comply with relevant standards and requirements. Certificates typically include information such as the name and address of the certified company, the scope of certification (e.g., which products or processes are covered), the name of the certification body, the date of issuance, and the expiry date. Certificates are usually valid for a specific period and may require ongoing audits or surveillance to maintain. Certificates can be an important marketing tool for certified companies as they demonstrate a commitment to quality and compliance with industry standards.

[0070] A digital identifier is a unique code or set of characters assigned to a specific entity (such as a person, organization, or resource) to distinguish it from other entities. Digital identifiers serve as tags or identifiers, enabling digital systems to identify and track entities across different contexts and applications. These digital identifiers can be used to retrieve or link to digital resources such as data, documents, images, videos, or web pages, and can be used to manage access to or permissions for these resources. Digital identifiers can take various forms, such as email addresses, usernames, domain names, IP addresses, or digital certificates. These digital identifiers can be assigned by different organizations or governing bodies (such as domain registrars, social media platforms, or government agencies) and can be used for various purposes, such as authentication, authorization, or identification. The use of digital identifiers enables efficient and secure communication and data exchange between different entities.

[0071] A digital proof can refer to an encryption mechanism that provides verifiable evidence of the authenticity of a digital credential without revealing the underlying data. Digital proofs are generated by combining digital credentials with cryptographic proofs such as digital signatures or zero-knowledge proofs to create a tamper-proof, cryptographically secure record that can be shared with others. A digital proof may include metadata about the credential, such as the issuer, credential holder, issuance date, and other relevant information, as well as a cryptographic signature verifying data integrity.

[0072] A network node can refer to a device or computer connected to a network and capable of transmitting, receiving, or forwarding data. A network node can be any type of device connected to a network, such as a server, router, switch, mobile device, IoT device, or personal computer. In the context of a digital credential scheme, each entity (e.g., issuer, holder, and verifier) ​​can have its own network node, which allows the entity to interact with a distributed ledger storing digital credentials. Network nodes can communicate with each other to ensure the integrity and security of the system and facilitate the exchange of digital credentials between different entities.

[0073] According to this disclosure, digital systems can use sustainability data, process data, and / or utility data to generate, monitor, and allocate digital sustainability credits for products. Digital sustainability credits can be associated with the sustainability attributes of energy inputs and / or input materials. For example, digital sustainability credits can be associated with the renewable energy attributes of input energy used in chemical processes. Similarly, digital sustainability credits can be associated with the sustainability attributes of input materials such as bio-naphtha.

[0074] Process data (or formulations or bills of materials) can refer to a digital record describing a process through which one or more input materials are transformed into one or more chemical products. Process data typically includes detailed information about the steps and conditions of the chemical reaction, such as the temperature, pressure, and duration of each step, as well as any catalysts, reagents, or other materials used in the process. Process data may include information about the quantities of which byproducts are obtained for one or more process steps. Process data can be stored and managed in digital systems, such as process control systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. It can be used by operators, engineers, and other personnel involved in the production process to ensure that the process is carried out consistently and efficiently, and that the resulting products meet required specifications and quality standards.

[0075] Energy input data refers to digital information relating to the quantity, cost, composition, quality, and / or source of energy (e.g., electricity) used in a chemical production process. This data may include details about the quantity and type of energy inputs (such as electricity). Energy input data may be provided via one or more digital documents, including, for example, EACs, purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, material safety data sheets, etc. Some or all of the input material data may be provided by registries or suppliers (and / or third parties) via Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and / or other digital systems. This data may also include information about any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes.

[0076] One category of energy input data is sustainability data. Sustainability data can be digital information associated with the energy provided. Sustainability data can digitally specify the environmental impact of a utility or chemical product and / or indicate one or more sustainability attributes of the energy provided. Sustainability data can involve the amount of renewable energy, fossil footprint, and / or carbon footprint. Sustainability data can involve, for example, the renewable content of the energy. For example, considering energy, sustainability data can include qualitative data points related to the type of impact. Sustainability data can specify types such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, marine, biofuels, etc. Qualitative data points can be translated into quantitative measures such as digital sustainability credits, environmental units, or balance units (or credits). Sustainability data can specify the renewable attributes of the energy. Sustainability data can include further environmental characteristics of the energy. Sustainability data can be sourced from energy suppliers, EAC Registries, consulting providers, etc.

[0077] Utilities can refer to the resources or services necessary for the operation of a plant and the execution of its processes. Utilities may include necessary inputs such as energy, water, steam, compressed air, cooling water, nitrogen, electricity, chemicals, solvents, and other resources required to facilitate the various stages of chemical production, such as reaction, separation, purification, and transportation.

[0078] Environmental characteristics can specify or quantify ecological standards associated with a product's environmental impact. Environmental characteristics can be measurements taken or derived from such measurements during the life cycle of one or more products. Environmental characteristics can be determined at any stage of a product's life cycle and can characterize the environmental impact of the product at or up to such stages. Environmental characteristics can include, for example, impact categories such as fossil footprint, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions or global warming potential, primary energy demand, cumulative energy demand, consumption of biological and non-biological resources, air emissions, stratospheric ozone depletion potential, ozone formation, land and / or ocean acidification, water consumption, water depletion, water availability, water pollution, noise pollution, freshwater and / or ocean eutrophication potential, human carcinogenic and / or non-carcinogenic toxicity, photochemical oxidant formation, particulate matter formation, terrestrial, freshwater and / or marine ecotoxicity, ionizing radiation, agricultural and / or urban land occupation, land transformation, land use, indirect land use, logging, biodiversity, mineral resource consumption, fossil resource consumption and / or raw material demand (e.g., sustainable raw material demand and / or fossil raw material demand).

[0079] Environmental characteristics can be calculated from a combination of one or more environmental characteristics. Environmental characteristics may include, for example, product or material characteristics related to the production of materials or products, such as renewable, bio-based, vegetarian, hamukan-safe meat, kosher, palm oil-free, natural, etc.

[0080] In the implementation scheme, receiving input material data associated with the input material (wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material) further includes: - A digital representation of a sustainability certificate, which includes sustainability data.

[0081] The implementation plan also includes calculating the value of digital sustainability credit: - Extracting certificate acquisition cost data from the digital representation of sustainability certificates; and - Calculate the value of digital sustainability credit based on certificate acquisition cost data.

[0082] In the implementation scheme, receiving input material data associated with the input material (wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material) further includes: - Receive a digital representation of the input material, wherein the digital representation of the input material includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material.

[0083] In the implementation plan, generating digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with input materials also includes: - Applying virtual production processes to the digital representation of input materials to generate digital sustainability credits as the primary product, and generating digital representations of regular input materials as a byproduct.

[0084] In the implementation scheme, the computer-implemented method also includes generating a material master record for a combination of chemical products and digital sustainability credits, wherein the material master record includes a product identifier associated with the material master record.

[0085] In the implementation plan, assigning digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products (where digital sustainability credits are assigned to identifiers associated with chemical products, and the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product) also includes: - Assign digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to chemical products, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to an identifier associated with the chemical product, wherein the chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to the chemical product during the processing of a sales order.

[0086] In the implementation plan, digital sustainability credit also includes the number of energy generation attributes, where the value of the number of energy generation attributes corresponds to the amount of renewable energy generated to produce an energy attribute certificate.

[0087] In the implementation plan, digital sustainability credits also include an expiration attribute that indicates when the digital sustainability credits expire.

[0088] In the implementation plan, the material number is specific to the production site.

[0089] The implementation plan includes obtaining energy inputs and digital sustainability credits for production sites. Attached Figure Description

[0090] The present disclosure is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings and the present disclosure are intended to refer to the same or similar elements, components, and / or parts.

[0091] Figures 1a to 1c Examples of chemical processes with multiple inputs and multiple outputs are illustrated.

[0092] Figure 2 An example of a chemical production network that includes multiple chemical processes is shown.

[0093] Figure 3 A sub-cluster of a chemical production network, comprising multiple chemical processes, is illustrated.

[0094] Figure 4 This illustrates multiple sub-clusters that form a chemical production network.

[0095] Figures 5A to 5C An example is given of a chemical production network that produces chemical products from input materials and energy, incorporating an operating system that includes a property management system for sustainability attributes.

[0096] Figure 6A This is a block diagram illustrating the selection of aspects of monitoring, attribution, and management of sustainability attributes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram of a selected portion of an illustrative material ledger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the monitoring, attribution, and management of selected aspects of sustainability attributes associated with energy input according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Figure 8A An example of the selection of a data model for Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC) according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0100] Figure 8B Selected aspects of a data model for digital sustainability credit according to an embodiment of the present invention are illustrated.

[0101] Figure 9This is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for monitoring, managing, and attributing sustainability attributes associated with energy input, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another system for monitoring, managing, and attributing sustainability attributes associated with energy inputs, as exemplified by an embodiment of the invention.

[0103] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another system for monitoring, managing, and attributing the sustainability attributes of products, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0104] This disclosure relates to the field of sustainability, and more specifically to monitoring and attributing sustainability attributes in a materials accounting system to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. This disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or assigning associated sustainability attributes in a materials accounting system used for the production of chemical products.

[0105] The disclosed systems and processes can be applied to a wide variety of products made from input materials and energy inputs, such as chemical products or precursor products. The term "product" can refer to any good that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This can include final products for end users (e.g., automobiles, paint, toys, or pharmaceuticals). It can also include items typically sold to other companies for further processing (e.g., steel parts for machinery, plastic pellets for extrusion, or chemical compounds such as acrylic acid used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers for diapers). It can also include items very early in the value chain, such as crude oil fractions (e.g., naphtha), agricultural products (e.g., soybeans), or purified sand used in glass production.

[0106] Figures 1a to 1c Examples of chemical processes with multiple inputs and multiple outputs are illustrated.

[0107] A chemical process may include different process steps for producing one or more output materials from one or more input materials. A chemical process may include at least one process step involving at least one chemical reaction. A chemical process may produce multiple output materials from multiple input materials. Chemical process steps include, for example, oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrolysis, hydration, dehydration, halogenation, nitration, sulfonation, amination, alkylation, dealkylation, esterification, polymerization, polycondensation, catalysis, fermentation, mixing, separation, purification, etc. Process steps may be performed sequentially in time and / or space to chemically transform input materials into output materials.

[0108] Figure 1A illustrates input materials 102 and 104 fed into chemical process 100, and energy input 105. Energy input 105 can be renewable energy, fossil fuels, or a combination thereof. Input materials 102 and 104 are chemically processed into output materials 106 and 108. Output materials 106 and 108 may include a main product and at least one byproduct. In chemical reactions, the yield of an output material is typically less than 100% due to side reactions and purification losses. Therefore, chemical processes can produce multiple output materials. A main product may represent the product of interest, and a byproduct may represent an additional output product that is unavoidably obtained through the chemical process. Byproducts may be intermediates that can be used as reagents in another chemical process. The chemical process, including the input materials and the production quantities of output materials, can be monitored by a sensor 110 that provides production monitoring data.

[0109] Figure 1B illustrates the input materials 102, 103, and 104 fed into chemical process 100. (As in...) Figure 1a As described in the context, input materials 102, 103, and 104 are chemically processed into output materials 106 and 108. In addition to output materials 106 and 108, waste stream 112 may also be produced through the chemical process. Waste stream may include any output materials that cannot be used as reagents in another chemical process.

[0110] Figure 1C illustrates the input materials 102 and 104 fed into chemical process 100. (As in...) Figure 1a and Figure 1b As described in the context, input materials 102 and 104 are chemically processed into output materials 106 and 108. In addition to output materials 106 and 108, the refeed stream of input material 114 can be produced and reused through chemical processes.

[0111] Figure 2 An example of a chemical production network that includes multiple chemical processes is shown.

[0112] Figure 2The interconnected nature of a chemical production network is illustrated. Multiple chemical processes are linked together through their input-output material relationships. For example, output materials 206 and 208 of chemical process 204 can be input materials of chemical processes 214 and 216. Chemical process 214 can produce output materials 218 and 222 and waste stream 220 from input materials 210 and 206. Output material 218 can leave the chemical production network as a final product. Input material 210 can be fed into chemical process 214 from outside the chemical production network. Input material 206 can be fed into chemical process 214 from chemical process 204 within the chemical production network. Similarly, chemical process 216 can produce output material 224 to output material 230 from input materials 208 and 212. Output materials 228 and 230 can leave the chemical production network as final products. Chemical process 232 can produce output materials 234 and 236 from input materials 222, 224, and 226. Output materials 234 and 236 can leave the chemical production network as final products. Thus, the chemical production network can use interconnected or related chemical processes to produce output products leaving the network. Interconnection or related processes may include at least one intermediate of one chemical process being used as input material for one or more downstream chemical processes.

[0113] Figure 3 A sub-cluster of a chemical production network, comprising multiple chemical processes, is illustrated.

[0114] The chemical production network may include multiple plants that perform chemical processes 312, 310, and 318 and form a sub-cluster 300 of the chemical production network. Input materials 302 and 304 may be fed into chemical process 310. Input materials 306 and 308 may be fed into chemical process 312. Output materials 320 and 324 may be provided as the final products of sub-cluster 300 and leave sub-cluster 300. Output materials 314 and 316 of chemical processes 318 and 312 may be provided as input materials to chemical process 310. Output materials 322 and 324 may be provided as the final products of sub-cluster 300 and leave sub-cluster 300.

[0115] Figure 4 This illustrates multiple sub-clusters that form a chemical production network.

[0116] The chemical production network 400 may include multiple sub-clusters 410, 412, and 422. Input materials 402, 404, 406, and 408 can be fed into sub-clusters 410 and 412. Output material 416 from sub-cluster 416 and output material 418 from sub-cluster 412 can be fed into sub-cluster 422 as input materials. Furthermore, input material 414 can enter the chemical production network 400 and be fed into sub-cluster 422. Output materials 424, 426, and 428 can leave the chemical production network as final products.

[0117] As shown in Figure 1 to Figure 4 As illustrated, a chemical production network 400 may include multiple chemical processes 100, which may be arranged in sub-clusters 410, 412, 422. The chemical processes 100 or sub-clusters 410, 412, 422 may be connected to form a network having multiple production chains interconnected via their material flows. The chemical production network may form part of a discrete product supply chain, wherein discrete products are produced from one or more chemical outputs or output materials provided by the chemical production network.

[0118] Figure 5A An example of a chemical production network 500 that produces two or more chemical products from one or more input materials and one or more energy inputs is illustrated, incorporating an operating system 501. This operating system includes a property management system 540 to manage the sustainability properties (and associated digital credits) of the input materials, energy inputs, and / or chemical products. (Refer to Figures 1 through 1 above.) Figure 4 A chemical production network of 500 is described.

[0119] Operating system 501 is a digital operating system configured to collect, store, manage, and interpret a wide range of production and / or business data for the chemical production network 500. Operating system 501 may be part of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Alternatively, operating system 501 may be implemented partly in the ERP system and partly in one or more additional systems communicatively coupled to the ERP system. Operating system 501 may also be implemented in one or more systems outside the ERP system.

[0120] In the illustrated embodiment, input materials 502-506 and energy input 508 are provided to the chemical production network 500 at feed point 512. In an alternative embodiment, input materials 502-506 and / or energy input 508 may be provided to the process at a location other than feed point 512. Input materials may include conventional fossil feedstock 502 (e.g., naphtha) and sustainable input materials 504-506. Energy input 508 may include conventional fossil energy input and / or renewable energy input. In an embodiment, energy input 506 is an energy input with one or more sustainability attributes (or simply, sustainable energy input). Sustainable input materials may include renewable input materials (such as biogas and / or bio-naphtha, e.g., 504) and / or recycled input materials (e.g., pyrolysis oil, 506). After the conventional input materials 502, sustainable input materials 504-506, and / or energy input 508 are delivered to the chemical production network 500, they can be used in one or more chemical production processes of the chemical production network 500.

[0121] At point 522, the input material data for sustainable input material 504 is provided to the operating system 501. Similarly, at point 524, the input material data for sustainable input material 506 is provided to the operating system 501. For example, when sustainable material 504 and / or sustainable material 506 are delivered to the chemical production network 500, a product receipt (and / or BOM and / or chemical production formula) including the input material data for the sustainable input material can be provided electronically to the operating system 501.

[0122] Operating system 501 can receive input material data 522-524 via an interface to a local or remote database or ERP system (particularly its supply chain module) or any computing system or device (such as a centralized or distributed computing system or device that includes processing and storage). Alternatively, the input material data may be a digital representation of a sustainability certificate 503 (in whole or in part) from, for example, a sustainability certificate registry. Therefore, input material data for each type of input material can be collected from an ERP system or any computing system or device (such as a centralized or distributed computing system or device that includes processing and storage). In some cases, input material data for each type of input material is collected via an interface to more than one database. Therefore, it may be necessary to convert information retrieved from different databases into a single format to allow for further processing. Specifically, input material data obtained from a database can be attributed to an input material via an identifier in the database, which must be converted into an identifier of the input material used in the process according to this disclosure. Similarly, input material data obtained from a database can be attributed to an input material input via an identifier in the database, which must be converted into an identifier of the input material used in the process data according to this disclosure.

[0123] Operating system 501 can calculate digital sustainability credits associated with sustainable input materials 504-506. Digital sustainability credits can be a digital representation of the sustainability attributes of sustainable input materials 504-506 (or a portion thereof). The digital representation can encapsulate various factors, such as the amount of renewable energy and / or the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It can include specific details about the source of the sustainable input materials, such as biogas or pyrolysis, and the corresponding quantity, value, and / or other metadata. Additionally, the digital representation can encompass information related to energy efficiency measurements achieved during the production process, such as the use of energy-saving equipment or technologies. The calculation of digital sustainability credits can involve multiple steps, including, for example: (1) extracting applicable data from the input material data, (2) validating the extracted data, (3) converting the data into a structured format (e.g., JSON or XML) for easier manipulation, and (4) credit calculation (e.g., determined by the amount of sustainable input materials).

[0124] According to this disclosure, operating system 501 can apply virtual production steps to calculate digital sustainability credits. Virtual production refers to receiving input material data for sustainable input materials and applying a production formula to the input material data to generate digital sustainability credits (and corresponding amounts of conventional input materials). For example, operating system 501 may initiate a virtual production process when it receives energy input material data for sustainable input material 506. The virtual production process can parse the input material data and apply the corresponding formula. For example, the virtual production process can determine the amount of credit (e.g., associated with the input material data), the cost associated with the sustainable input material, the quantity of the sustainable input material, etc.

[0125] Figure 5B Two examples of calculating digital sustainability credits according to this disclosure are illustrated. In virtual production example 580, input material data is obtained upon receiving sustainable input materials. Operating system 501 can apply a virtual production process to generate digital sustainability credits 586 (e.g., as a master product) and regular input materials 588 (e.g., as a by-product). The virtual production process can apply a formulation that consumes sustainable input materials (as input) and generates digital sustainability credits (e.g., as a master product) and regular input materials (e.g., as a by-product). The operating system can define digital sustainability credits as master products to more easily plan credit requirements in production planning. Alternatively, input material data can be received (or obtained from or derived from) a sustainability certificate as shown in 582. Operating system 501 can receive a sustainability certificate 590 (a digital representation), verify the authenticity of the certificate, parse the certificate to extract relevant information, convert units as needed, and generate a data structure representing credit 592.

[0126] In the implementation scheme, sustainable input materials 504-506 can be used in a chemical production process to produce one or more chemical products. For example, operating system 501 can parse process data of the chemical production process and determine that it will create a chemical product. Operating system 501 can then create virtual balance accounts associated with the chemical product and / or sustainable input materials. For example, if input material 506 is an input to the process, operating system 501 can create virtual balance account 536. Operating system 501 can convert the input sustainability attributes of sustainable input material 506 into digital sustainability credits (e.g., corresponding to the energy content of input material 506) and apply allocation rules (e.g., by the amount of energy, energy source, type of sustainability attribute, expiry date, and / or other predefined allocation rules) to allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balance account 536.

[0127] Similarly, if sustainable input material 504 is an input to the process, operating system 501 can convert the input sustainability attributes of sustainable input material 504 into digital sustainability credits (e.g., a quantity corresponding to the mass in the sustainable input material) and apply proportionality rules (e.g., by mass, oxidation number, economic value, and / or other predefined proportionality rules) to allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing account 534. This conversion may include a conversion factor that takes into account the chemical differences between fossil-based input materials (such as naphtha and methane) and non-fossil input materials (such as biogas or pyrolysis oil). The conversion factor may relate to the lower calorific value of pyrolysis oil relative to the lower calorific value of naphtha or methane. The conversion factor may include the ratio of the lower calorific value of pyrolysis oil to that of naphtha or methane. In this way, the chemical differences between fossil and renewable input materials can be taken into account.

[0128] The virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 534 can determine and track both the quantity (e.g., volume and / or mass) and value of sustainable input materials 504. For example, the operating system 501 can parse the input material data 522 to determine the quantity of sustainable input materials 504 received. The operating system 501 can then credit the virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 534 with digital sustainability credits calculated from the quantity of sustainable input materials received.

[0129] Similarly, a virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 536 can determine and track both the quantity (e.g., volume and / or mass) and value of input material 506. For example, operating system 501 can parse input material data 524 to determine the quantity of sustainable input material 506 received. Operating system 501 can then credit the virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 536 with digital sustainability credits calculated from the quantity of sustainable input energy received.

[0130] Operating system 501 can also determine the value associated with digital sustainability credits added (or stored, credited, allocated, or attributed) to virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-536. For example, operating system 501 can determine the cost associated with sustainable input material 506. Similarly, operating system 501 can parse input material data to determine the cost of obtaining sustainability certificate 503. Operating system 501 can calculate the cost difference between sustainable input material 506 and the corresponding equivalent conventional input material to determine the value of digital sustainability credits (or balancing units). Operating system 501 can use average price, actual price, market price, or other suitable values ​​to determine the cost of an equivalent quantity of fossil or conventional input material. Operating system 501 stores and tracks the quantity and value corresponding to sustainable input materials in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-536. For example, digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) stored in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 536 may include quantity and / or value information corresponding to conventional input material 506.

[0131] Operating system 501 includes merging system 546 to generate sustainable chemical products by combining digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) with conventional products. For example, operating system 501 processes orders for products 552-564. If a customer purchases conventional chemical products 552-558, operating system 501 can process the purchase using the digital inventory of conventional products 542-544.

[0132] However, if a customer purchases a sustainable chemical product, the operating system 501 can instruct the merging system 546 to combine digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) from one or both of the digital inventories (or virtual balancing accounts) 534-536 with corresponding conventional products from one or both of the digital inventories 542-544. The merging system 546 can generate digital assets 572-574 (which may or may not be combined with another record such as a BOM and / or sales record) that define (or specify) the sustainable product based on the combination of the digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) and the conventional product. For example, the merging system 546 can generate a sustainable product by combining a conventional product 544 with sustainability attributes from the digital inventory 536, as shown in 574. Similarly, the merging system 546 can generate a sustainable product by combining a conventional product 542 with sustainability attributes from the digital inventory 534, as shown in 572. Therefore, the operating system 501 enables the chemical production network 500 to efficiently produce a variety of sustainable products from a variety of input materials and energy inputs (including renewable energy inputs), which are combined with fossil input materials and / or fossil energy in a large interconnected chemical production network.

[0133] Figure 5C Two examples of combining digital credits with conventional chemical products to produce sustainable chemical products are illustrated according to this disclosure. In the "Made-to-Inventory" example shown at 581, operating system 501 bundles conventional chemical products with one or more types of digital sustainability credits (at 585) to produce sustainable chemical product 587. Operating system 501 can generate a material master record for the combination of conventional chemical products with one or more types of digital sustainability credits. A material master record is a central data repository containing detailed information about a specific material or product within, for example, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. It can serve as a comprehensive and authoritative source of information for managing and tracking materials throughout their lifecycle within an organization. A material master record can include various attributes and data points (which can be broadly referred to as material master data). For example, material master data may include: basic information (such as unique material identifiers / numbers, descriptions, groups, categories, etc.), classification data (e.g., industry-specific attributes, product hierarchies, or industry standards), purchasing and supply chain data (supplier information, units of measurement, pricing, lead times, and reorder points), inventory and warehouse management data (such as inventory levels, storage locations, batch management, and other inventory-related parameters), production planning and manufacturing data (e.g., bill of materials or BOM), quality management data (such as inspection characteristics, sampling procedures, quality control results, and quality certificates), sales and distribution data (e.g., sales and distribution processes, such as pricing terms, customer-specific data, and sales order requirements), and / or financial and accounting data (e.g., data related to the cost accounting, valuation, and financial aspects of materials, such as standard costs).

[0134] In the “Configured for Order” example shown at 583, digital sustainability credits are bundled with regular products to create a sustainable product close to the point where the physical product is delivered to the customer. When regular products are combined with digital sustainability credits directly on the sales order to create a sustainable product, the regular products may have (or may be assigned) a dedicated material number. The sustainable product may not yet include the cost of the digital sustainability credits. The price of the sustainable product and the digital sustainability credits can be combined as part of a calculation for the sales price. For internal reporting purposes and to facilitate business guidance, operating system 501 can access applicable price and cost information (e.g., from the materials ledger). This enables the tracking and monitoring of data related to the profitability, additional costs, and marginal price (among other things) of the sustainable product. According to this disclosure, operating system 501 can store (monitor, calculate, and / or track) detailed information, such as individual sales prices, excess manufacturing costs, and inventory values, at a granular level in established applications via specially enabled processes and adapted transactions. In the illustrated example, operating system 501 bundles conventional chemical products with one or more types of digital sustainability credits (at 589) at the sales order level to produce sustainable chemical products 591.

[0135] Operating system 501 can be configured to provide identifiers (e.g., decentralized identifiers) associated with the physical entity of the produced chemical product (or other chemical product). For example, operating system 501 can be configured to link decentralized identifiers to physical identifiers of the chemical product. Operating system 501 can be configured to assign decentralized identifiers to physical identifiers connected to the chemical product. Production operating equipment can be configured to assign decentralized identifiers to physical identifiers physically connected to the chemical product.

[0136] A decentralized identifier can relate to data associated with at least one chemical product produced by a chemical production network, wherein one or more sustainability attributes associated with the at least one chemical product are derived from one or more sustainability attributes associated with input materials and / or energy inputs. One or more sustainability attributes associated with a chemical product can be associated with one or more input materials, one or more energy inputs, and / or chemical processes used to produce the chemical product. A decentralized identifier can relate to any identifier uniquely associated with a chemical product. A decentralized identifier can be associated with a physical entity of a chemical product. A decentralized identifier can refer to a single batch of chemical products. A decentralized identifier can be associated with a group of chemical products. An identifier can refer to multiple physical entities of a chemical product. A decentralized identifier can be associated with a continuous or semi-continuous flow of chemical products. An identifier can refer to, for example, a flow of chemical products within a specific time period.

[0137] Figure 6AThis is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of monitoring, attribution, and management of sustainability attributes according to an embodiment of the present invention. Operating system (e.g., Figure 5A The operating system 501 shown acquires regular input materials 602 and stores them in a regular input inventory 624. According to this disclosure, the operating system can generate digital sustainability credits in two or more ways. For example, it can acquire sustainable input materials 604 and apply a virtual production step 610 to generate digital sustainability credits 618 (as a primary product) and regular input materials 612 (as a byproduct). Alternatively, the operating system can acquire a sustainability certificate 606 and generate digital sustainability credits 608 from the certificate 606 (e.g., by extracting data from the digital representation of the certificate to create a data structure for the credits). A valuation module 620 can be configured to generate value data for digital sustainability credits 608 and 618. The operating system can assign material numbers to digital sustainability credits 608 and 618 and allocate the credits to a virtual balancing account 626.

[0138] Digital sustainability credit 608 and 618 may include metadata, fields, or attributes that provide descriptive information about the credit (see, for example) Figure 8B The digital sustainability credit shown is 840. For example, credit 612 can include cost attributes (or values ​​or fields, such as...). Figure 8B (As shown in cost attribute 856). The cost attribute can represent the financial value associated with the credit value 622 (e.g., associated with the cost of obtaining a sustainability certificate and / or the cost of obtaining sustainable input materials). This attribute can provide information about the costs incurred in producing sustainable input materials, including the costs of infrastructure, equipment, maintenance, and any other relevant factors.

[0139] The operating system can assign (or attribute) digital sustainability credits 608 and 618 to chemical products to create sustainable chemical products in two or more ways. For example, the operating system can bundle conventional chemical products with one or more types of digital sustainability credits (at 628) to produce sustainable chemical products in a process called “consumption during production.” During “consumption during production,” the operating system can generate a material master record for the combination of conventional chemical products with one or more types of digital sustainability credits. A material master record is a central data repository containing detailed information about a specific material or product within, for example, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. It can act as a comprehensive and authoritative source of information for managing and tracking materials throughout their lifecycle within an organization. Alternatively, the operating system can bundle (combine, assign, allocate, etc.) digital sustainability credits to conventional products during the sales order process (as shown in 632). This allows for the dynamic and granular allocation of credits to conventional products (to produce sustainable products) because the operating system does not create a master record for the resulting sustainable product materials (since the bundling occurs during the sales order process).

[0140] Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram illustrating a selected portion of a material ledger according to an embodiment of the present invention. The material ledger 640 is a record-keeping system that tracks material usage during the production process (e.g., Figure 6A The production process is shown. Materials ledger 640 can provide records for digital sustainability credits 608 and / or 618 (in...). Figure 6A (As shown in the diagram). The materials ledger 640 includes material number (or material identifier) ​​642, production site identifier 644, and cost component breakdown 646. Material identifier 642 refers to a unique identifier assigned to credits 608 and / or 618 to identify them as materials used in the production process (e.g., ...). Figure 6A (The production process is shown at point 616 in the diagram). Material identifiers, such as material identifier 642, help track and manage inventory and production data for the chemical production network 500. A production site identifier can be a specific code or label assigned to a manufacturing facility or site where a material-related production process takes place. It serves as a unique identifier for the location where the material is handled, enabling efficient tracking and management of production activities, inventory, and logistics associated with that specific site. Production site identifiers help differentiate and manage materials across multiple production sites within an organization. For example, production site identifier 644 indicates a production site that uses material 123456789 (e.g., to produce sustainable chemical products).

[0141] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating selected aspects of monitoring, attribution, and management of sustainability attributes (and / or digital sustainability credits) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0142] Operating system 501 may receive input material data at 702. Input material data may include a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material. Input material data refers to digital information relating to the composition, quality, and source of input materials (e.g., raw materials or feedstocks) used in a chemical production process. This data may include information about the quantity, physical properties, and source of the input material. It may also include information about any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes. Input material data may be provided via one or more digital documents, including, for example, purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, material safety data sheets, etc. Suppliers may provide some (or all) of the input material data via enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and / or other digital systems. Input material data may be received from the supplier providing the corresponding input material. For example, input material data may be digital data (e.g., electronic files or data structures) of purchase orders, material safety data sheets, analytical certificates, regulatory compliance documents, invoices, etc. Input material data may be received from third parties (e.g., consultants, industry associations, certification bodies, regulatory bodies, etc.). Alternatively, input material data may also be received via sustainability certificates (e.g., from a sustainability certificate registry).

[0143] Figure 8A An example of the data structure for input material data according to this disclosure is provided. Input material data 802 may include multiple fields of data. Examples of types of data fields that may be included in the input material data include (i) material name (804), (ii) material identifier (806), (iii) sustainability data (810), (iv) source (812), (v) date (814), (vi) quantity (816), (vii) value (818), (viii) certification or standard (820), (ix) unit (822), (x) additional information (824), etc. Data elements 804-824 may be constructed as key-value pairs, where the key represents the name of the attribute and the value represents the actual information. For example, a field for the material name may have the key “material name” and the value “123456789”. Data elements 804-824 may be digitally signed using an encryption key to ensure the integrity and authenticity of these data elements. In embodiments, data elements 804-824 may be selectively disclosed to different parties as needed and required by stakeholders.

[0144] Figure 8BA data structure for sustainability certificates according to this disclosure is shown. The certificate may include multiple fields of data. Examples of types of data fields that may be included in the certificate include (i) sustainability attributes (832), (ii) quantity produced (834), (iii) certificate identifier (836), (iv) publication date (838), (v) expiry date (840), (vi) sustainability data (842), (vii) cost attributes (844), (viii) verification and confirmation information (846), (ix) geographic information (848), (x) publisher information (850), etc. Data elements 832-850 may be constructed as key-value pairs, where the key represents the name of the attribute and the value represents the actual information. For example, a field for a material name may have the key “Material Name” and the value “123456789”. Data elements 804-824 may be digitally signed using an encryption key to ensure the integrity and authenticity of these data elements. In embodiments, data elements 804-824 may be selectively disclosed to different parties as needed and required by stakeholders.

[0145] Operating system 501 can generate a digital sustainability credit associated with the input material at 704. The digital sustainability credit can be a digital representation of the sustainability attributes of the input material (or a portion thereof). This digital representation can encapsulate various factors, such as the quantity of the material and / or the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It can include specific details about the source of the sustainable material, as well as the corresponding quantity and / or value / cost of the sustainable material. Additionally, the digital representation can encompass information related to energy efficiency measurements achieved during the production process, such as the use of energy-saving equipment or technologies.

[0146] Digital sustainability credits may include those from Figure 8C The data shown contains multiple fields. Examples of data fields that may be included in the digital sustainability credit 860 include (i) material number (862), (ii) sustainability attribute type (864), (iii) quantity (866), (iv) certificate identifier (868), (v) publication date (870), (vi) expiry date (872), (vii) sustainability data (874), (viii) cost attribute (876), (ix) verification and confirmation information (878), (x) geographic information (880), (xi) publisher information (882), etc. Data elements 862-882 may be constructed as key-value pairs, where the key represents the name of the attribute and the value represents the actual information. For example, a field for the material name may have the key "material name" and the value "123456789". Data elements 842-864 may be digitally signed using an encryption key to ensure the integrity and authenticity of these data elements. In one implementation, data elements 842-864 may be selectively disclosed to different parties as needed and required by stakeholders.

[0147] The calculation of digital sustainability credits can involve multiple steps, including, for example: (1) extracting applicable data from input material data, (2) validating the extracted data, (3) converting the data into a structured format (e.g., JSON or XML) for easier manipulation, and (4) credit calculation (e.g., determined by the amount of sustainable input materials associated with the input material data). At 706, the operating system 501 can assign a material number to a digital sustainability credit. The material number can uniquely identify a digital sustainability credit on the material ledger. For example, the operating system can generate a unique material number based on predefined rules and formats. The operating system can then associate the material number with a data structure representing the digital sustainability credit (e.g., such as...). Figure 8B (As shown in 842). The material number can serve as an identifier for easy reference and retrieval.

[0148] At point 708, the operating system can calculate the value of a digital sustainability credit. The value can be calculated in various ways. For example, a sustainable input material may have a higher value (e.g., higher acquisition cost) than its corresponding conventional (i.e., fossil) input material (e.g., bio-naphtha vs. naphtha), and the operating system can calculate the credit value based on the difference in acquisition costs between the sustainable input material and its corresponding conventional input material (e.g., assigning that difference as a credit value or converting that difference, e.g., to reflect currency conversion, currency value fluctuations, etc.). The calculation is based on the standard price (or average price or moving average price) of the conventional input material and / or the sustainable input material over the relevant period. The total actual value of the conventional input material during that period can be a weighted average of the received value and the additional purchases of the conventional input material to obtain a cost estimate.

[0149] Referring to 710, the operating system can be configured to allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts associated with energy inputs. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the allocation of digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account according to an embodiment of the present invention. At least one sustainable input material 840 is provided as input to a chemical production unit 804A. Consistent with the provision of input material 840, input material data and process data may also be provided to an operating system (e.g., Figure 5A The operating system 501 is shown. The operating system may include a virtual balance account assignment function 808 configured to generate and manage virtual balance accounts 810B-814B. The operating system parses the input material data and determines that the input material data includes sustainability data (e.g., Figure 8ASustainability data 810 is shown. The operating system can instruct a virtual balancing account allocation function to generate (and / or allocate) one or more virtual balancing accounts (e.g., 810B, 812B, and 814B). The operating system can be configured to convert the sustainability attributes of input material 840 into digital sustainability credits (e.g., using a conversion factor or directly). In an implementation, the operating system allocates digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts according to one or more attribution rules (e.g., material type, sustainability attribute type, etc.). See also... Figure 7 and Figure 9 At point 710, the operating system allocates digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account, wherein the virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing digital sustainability credits associated with input materials to the virtual balancing account. For example, the operating system may use attribution rule 830B to allocate digital sustainability credits 828B to virtual balancing account 810B.

[0150] Referring to 712, according to this disclosure, chemical production networks (e.g., Figure 5A The chemical production network 500 shown produces chemical products. (See also: [link to reference]) Figure 7 and Figure 10 Input material 840 can be provided to chemical production unit 804A, which produces one or more of products 816B, 818B, and 820B. The chemical process and chemical production network are described above with reference to Figures 1 through 5.

[0151] Referring to 714, digital systems (e.g., Figure 5A The operating system 501 shown provides identifiers (or digital assets) associated with chemical products. Identifiers (or digital assets) associated with chemical products may include one or more identifiers related to the chemical product. Identifiers may relate to chemical product categories, specific chemical products, and / or properties of the chemical product (such as environmental properties). Identifiers may include unique numbers uniquely associated with chemical product categories, specific chemical products, and / or properties of the chemical product. Identifiers may include one or more specific identifiers, such as chemical product category identifiers, specific chemical product identifiers, and / or properties of chemical product identifiers. Such specific identifiers may be uniquely linked to a first chemical product. For example, one or more property identifiers may be uniquely linked to a chemical product identifier. A chemical product identifier may be uniquely linked to a specific chemical product. In this way, a chemical product can be uniquely linked to a digital twin of the chemical product, thereby specifying a specific property of the chemical product.

[0152] Identifiers associated with chemical products may include one or more identifiers related to one or more sustainability attributes. Identifiers may include sustainability attribute identifiers, such as unique sustainability attribute identifiers, that are associated with sustainability attributes that can be assigned to a chemical product. Sustainability attribute identifiers may relate to a category of chemical product or a specific chemical product. For example, sustainability attribute identifiers may relate to recycled content, bio-based content, and / or renewable content as environmental attributes, each having its own unique material identifier. A specific sustainability attribute or a specific combination of sustainability attributes may be associated with a unique sustainability attribute identifier.

[0153] Identifiers (or digital assets) may include, be linked to, or relate to batch numbers and / or order numbers, such as unique batch numbers and / or order numbers. Batch numbers may be linked to the physical entity of a batch of chemical products produced. Order numbers may be linked to a transaction specifying the shipment of a batch of chemical products from the producer of the chemical products to the user who further processes the chemical products.

[0154] refer to Figure 10 For example, a digital system can generate digital assets (e.g., identifiers 850B and 860B) that designate a chemical product (e.g., via chemical product identifiers such as 852B and 862B) and assign one or more sustainability attributes (and / or digital sustainability credits such as 854B and 864B) to the chemical product. The chemical product identifier can be associated with the physical entity of the chemical product. The digital assets (e.g., identifiers 850B and 860B) can be uniquely linked to the physical product. Such links can include physical or virtual links to identifiers uniquely associated with the product. For physical links, labels or codes can be physically attached to the product, for example, by printing a QR code on packaging. For virtual links, different identifiers associated with physical materials can be linked. For example, order numbers, batch numbers, lot numbers, or combinations thereof can be linked.

[0155] Let's refer to it again. Figure 7 and Figure 10 Digital systems (e.g.) Figure 5A The operating system 501 shown can assign digital sustainability credits (e.g., 854B) from a first balancing account (e.g., 810B) to a chemical product (e.g., 816B), wherein at 716, the digital sustainability credits can be assigned to an identifier associated with the chemical product (e.g., identifier 850B). The identifier associated with the chemical product may include a chemical product identifier (852B) related to the chemical product specifications. The chemical product identifier is associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, wherein the chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product.

[0156] Assigning or attributing at least one sustainability attribute (e.g., digital sustainability credits 854B and 864B) associated with sustainable input materials to or attributing them to chemical products may include linking an input material identifier or chemical product identifier to the sustainability attribute (or digital sustainability credit). The input material identifier or chemical product identifier may be associated with the physical entity of the input material or chemical product, respectively. In this way, a virtual identifier for the material can be uniquely linked to the physical material. Such a link may include a physical or virtual link to an identifier uniquely associated with the physical material. For a physical link, a label or code may be physically attached to the material, for example, by printing a QR code on packaging. For a virtual link, different identifiers associated with the physical material may be linked. For example, order numbers, batch numbers, lot numbers, or combinations thereof may be linked.

[0157] Therefore, according to this disclosure, the digital system can monitor, manage, and allocate digital sustainability credits from renewable energy inputs allocated to chemical products. (See above for reference.) Figure 7 , Figures 8A to 8B and Figures 9 to 10 As described, when energy inputs with sustainable attributes are provided to a process, a digital system can create a digital balance account associated with the energy input. The input sustainability attributes can be assigned to products through a predefined attribution scheme (e.g., renewable energy type) from the digital balance account.

[0158] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for generating and managing virtual balance accounts in a chemical production network, according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 900 includes a network 910, a production operating system 920, and a data source 930. Network 910 can be any combination of wired and wireless networks capable of interconnecting digital systems. Production operating system 920 can monitor and / or control the production network (e.g., the chemical product network shown in Figures 1 through 5). Data source 930 includes input material data source 932, process data source 934, and energy input data source 936. Data sources can be any type of system or technology that collects, stores, and / or provides access to data, such as databases, file systems, network services, sensor networks, cameras, satellites, IoT devices, production equipment, etc.

[0159] Applications or other systems within the production operating system 920 may access data sources 932-936, for example, through a query interface or through data transfer mechanisms such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP), network API, and / or message queues. Data sources 932-936 may be internal or external to the production operating system 920, depending on the specific context and use case. For example, data sources 932-936 may be an internal database used by applications to store and retrieve data associated with input materials, energy inputs, chemical production processes, and chemical composition data. Alternatively, one or more of 932-936 may be an external database used by applications to store and retrieve data associated with input materials, energy inputs, chemical production processes, and chemical composition data. According to this disclosure, input material data source 932 may be data associated with a sustainability certificate registry operator.

[0160] In the implementation plan, the virtual balancing account logic 924 retrieves data from data sources 932-936 to perform the above-mentioned reference Figure 5. Figure 10 The described method. When process inputs with sustainability attributes (e.g., energy inputs and / or input materials) are provided to a process, virtual balance account logic 924 can create one or more digital balance accounts associated with applicable digital sustainability credits (and / or sustainability attributes). Input sustainability attributes can be allocated to products using digital balance accounts through predefined attribution schemes (e.g., by sustainability attribute, by quality, by oxidation number, by economic value, or other predefined rules). Users 912 and 916 can monitor and / or manage selected aspects of the production operating system 920, including virtual balance account logic 924, via input / output terminals 914.

[0161] This disclosure also relates to a non-transitory computer-readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for performing steps of the method according to the invention. The computer-readable data medium includes a hard disk drive (e.g., on a server), a USB storage device, a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc. The computer program may contain all the functionality and data required to perform the method according to the invention, or it may provide an interface to allow portions of the method to be processed on a remote system (e.g., on a cloud system).

[0162] The present invention also relates to a system or apparatus for determining the sustainability properties of products manufactured during the production process in a production plant. Unless explicitly described differently below, the description relating to the method also applies to the system or apparatus. The system or apparatus may be a computing device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or a distributed computing system or apparatus, or an apparatus such as a cloud system. Typically, the computing device has network connectivity for communicating with other computing devices, such as servers or cloud networks.

[0163] This disclosure is also described in conjunction with preferred embodiments and examples. However, by studying the accompanying drawings, this disclosure, and the claims, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the claimed invention.

[0164] Any step presented in this paper can be performed in any order. The methods disclosed herein are not limited to a specific order of these steps. Nor is it necessary to perform different steps at a specific location in a distributed system or on a specific computing node; that is, each step can be performed at different computing nodes using different equipment / data processing.

[0165] As used herein, "determine" also includes "initiate or cause determination," "generate" also includes "initiate and / or cause generation," and "provide" also includes "initiate or cause determination, generation, selection, transmission, and / or reception." "Initiate or cause execution of an action" includes any processing signal that triggers a computing node or device to perform a corresponding action.

[0166] In the claims and the specification, the words “comprising” or “including” or similar terms do not exclude other elements or steps and should not be construed as limiting oneself to the listed elements or steps. The indefinite articles “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may perform the function of several entities or items recited in the claims. The fact that certain measures are recited only in mutually different dependent claims does not mean that combinations of these measures cannot be used in advantageous embodiments or that additional elements may be included.

[0167] The provision within the scope of this disclosure may include any interface configured to provide data. This may include application programming interfaces, human-machine interfaces (such as displays), and / or software module interfaces. The provision may include communication of data or submission of data to an interface, particularly displaying data to a user or using data by a receiving entity.

[0168] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein relate to the methods, systems, apparatuses, devices, chemicals, materials, computer program elements listed above, and vice versa. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any embodiments and examples also apply to all other embodiments and examples, and vice versa.

[0169] All terms and definitions used in this document should be understood broadly and have their general meaning.

[0170] Any disclosures and implementations described herein are merely examples for implementing the methods, systems, or application devices disclosed herein and should not be considered restrictive.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one sustainability property associated with input materials used in the production of one or more chemical products, the method comprising: - Receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; - Generate digital sustainability credits from the input material data associated with the input material; - Assign a material number to the digital sustainability credit, wherein the material number uniquely identifies the digital sustainability credit in the material ledger; - Calculate the value of the digital sustainability credit; - Allocate the digital sustainability credits associated with the input materials to a virtual balancing account; - Provide an identifier associated with the chemical products produced; as well as - Assigning the digital sustainability credit from the balancing account to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the chemical product, wherein the chemical product identifier is a unique virtual identifier linked to the chemical product. - Provide at least one digital sustainability attribute associated with the input material used to produce one or more chemical products.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material, the receiving further comprising: - A digital representation of a sustainability certificate, wherein the digital representation of the sustainability certificate includes sustainability data.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein calculating the value of the digital sustainability credit further comprises: - Extract certificate cost data from the digital representation of the sustainability certificate; as well as - The value of the digital sustainability credit is calculated based on the certificate acquisition cost data.

4. The method of claims 1 to 3, wherein receiving input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material, the receiving further comprising: - Receive a digital representation of the input material, wherein the digital representation of the input material includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material.

5. The method of claims 1 to 4, wherein generating digital sustainability credit from the input material data associated with the input material further comprises: - Applying a virtual production process to the digital representation of the input materials to generate the digital sustainability credit as the primary product, and generating a digital representation of the regular input materials as a byproduct.

6. The method according to claims 1 to 5, further comprising: - Generate a material master record for the combination of the chemical product and the digital sustainability credit, wherein the material master record includes a product identifier associated with the material master record.

7. The method of claims 1 to 6, wherein providing the identifier associated with the chemical product further comprises: - Provide the product identifier associated with the material master record.

8. The method of claims 1 to 7, wherein the digital sustainability credit is assigned from the balancing account to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the chemical product, wherein the chemical product identifier is a uniquely linked virtual identifier to the chemical product, the assignment further comprising: - The digital sustainability credit is assigned from the balancing account to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the chemical product, wherein the chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credit is assigned to the chemical product during the processing of a sales order.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable data medium storing a computer program, said computer program including instructions for performing steps of the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. An apparatus for monitoring at least one sustainability property associated with input materials used in the production of one or more chemical products, the apparatus comprising: - An input interface configured to receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material; as well as - At least one processor configured to: (i) generate digital sustainability credits from input material data associated with the input material; (ii) assign material numbers to the digital sustainability credits, wherein the material numbers uniquely identify the digital sustainability credits on a materials ledger; (iii) calculate the value of the digital sustainability credits; (iv) allocate the digital sustainability credits to a virtual balancing account; (v) provide an identifier associated with the chemical product produced based on the input material; and (vi) assign the digital sustainability credits from the balancing account to the chemical product, wherein the digital sustainability credits are assigned to the identifier associated with the chemical product, wherein the identifier associated with the chemical product includes a chemical product identifier related to the chemical product specification, wherein the chemical product identifier is associated with the physical entity of the chemical product, and wherein the chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product. - An output interface configured to provide at least one digital sustainability attribute associated with the input material used to produce one or more chemical products.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input terminal is configured to receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material, and the input terminal further includes: - An input configured to receive a digital representation of a sustainability certificate, wherein the digital representation of the sustainability certificate includes sustainability data.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 11, wherein the at least one processor configured to calculate the value of the digital sustainability credit is further configured to: - Extract or retrieve certificate cost data from the digital representation of the sustainability certificate; and - The value of the digital sustainability credit is calculated based on the certificate acquisition cost data.

13. The apparatus of claims 10 to 12, wherein the input interface is configured to receive input material data associated with the input material, wherein the input material data includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material, and the input interface is further configured to: - Receive a digital representation of the input material, wherein the digital representation of the input material includes a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material.

14. The apparatus of claims 10 to 13, wherein the at least one processor configured to generate digital sustainability credit from input material data associated with the input material is further configured to apply a virtual production process to the digital representation of the input material to generate the digital sustainability credit as a primary product, and to generate a digital representation of conventional input material as a secondary product.

15. The apparatus according to claims 10 to 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: - Generate a material master record for the combination of the chemical product and the digital sustainability credit, wherein the material master record includes a product identifier associated with the material master record.

Images