System and method for generating and attributing sustainability attributes for two or more co-products

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to generating and attributing sustainability attributes for two or more co-products to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating sustainability attributes for two or more co-products produced in a chemical production process.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AND ATTRIBUTING SUSTAINABILITY ATTRIBUTES FOR TWO OR

[0002] MORE CO-PRODUCTS

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to generating and attributing sustainability attributes for two or more co-products to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating sustainability attributes for two or more coproducts produced in a chemical production process.

[0005] TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0006] In the chemical manufacturing value chain, the calculation, monitoring, and allocation of sustainability attributes (of both energy inputs and input materials) is of great interest. Transparency between the participants can aid the collective improvement in showing compliance with applicable standards (which, in the case of sustainability-related standards can improve environmental impacts). The calculation, monitoring and allocating of sustainability attributes is hindered, however, by the lack of common data standards. The value chain is long, globalized, and includes many different types of stakeholders. There is a need to simplify data standards relating to the calculation, monitoring and allocating of sustainability attributes in the chemical manufacturing value chain.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In an aspect disclosed is a method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material and / or an energy input to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the method comprising: providing input material data and / or utility data associated with the energy input associated with the input material to an operating system of the chemical production network; providing process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products; identifying, based at least in part on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product; determining a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material and / or energy input; allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the first balancing account; and allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the second virtual balancing account.

[0009] In another aspect disclosed is an apparatus or a system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material and / or an energy input to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the system or apparatus comprising: an input interface configured to receive (I) input material data associated with one or more input materials and / or utility data associated with the energy input to a chemical production process (ii) process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more coproducts, wherein the two or more chemical products includes a first chemical product and a second chemical product, at least one processor configured to (I) identify, based on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials the first chemical product and the second chemical product (ii) determine a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material and / or an energy input, (ill) allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the first virtual balancing account, and (iv) allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the second virtual balancing account.

[0010] In another aspect disclosed is a system for producing at least one chemical product or two or more chemical coproducts and attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material and / or an energy input to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the system comprising: an operating system comprising an input interface configured to receive (i) input material data associated with one or more input materials and / or utility data associated with the energy input to a chemical production process (ii) process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more coproducts, wherein the two or more chemical products includes a first chemical product and a second chemical product, at least one processor configured to (i) identify, based on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials the first chemical product and the second chemical product (ii) determine a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material and / or an energy input, (iii) allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the first virtual balancing account, and (iv) allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the second virtual balancing account;

[0011] - - at least one chemical production network configured to produce at least one chemical product or two or more chemical co-products using the input material(s).

[0012] In an aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to two or more chemical products, wherein the two or more chemical products are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the method comprising: providing input material data associated with the input material to an operating system of the chemical production network; providing process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products; Identifying, based at least in part on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product; determining a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material; allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the first balancing account; and allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the second virtual balancing account product.

[0013] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an energy input for a chemical production process, wherein the chemical production process chemically converts one or more input material(s) to two or more chemical products in a chemical production network, the method comprising: providing utility data associated with the energy input for the chemical production process; providing process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products;

[0014] Identifying, based at least in part on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product; determining a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the energy input; allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the first virtual balancing account; and allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the second virtual balancing account.

[0015] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to two or more chemical products, wherein the two or more chemical products are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the method comprising: providing input material data associated with the input material to an operating system of the chemical production network; providing process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products;

[0016] Identifying, based at least in part on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product; determining a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material; allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the first virtual balancing account; allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the second virtual balancing account; producing the first chemical product; providing an identifier associated with the first chemical product; and assigning the first digital sustainability credit from the first balancing account to the to the chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the first chemical product, wherein the identifier associated with the first chemical product includes a first chemical product identifier relating to a first chemical product specification wherein the first chemical product identifier is associated with the physical entity of the first chemical product, wherein the first chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the chemical product.

[0017] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for automatically determining an input material demand for two or more chemical products produced in a chemical production process of a chemical production plant, the method comprising: receiving input material data associated with one or more input materials to the chemical production process; receiving process data for one or more process steps in the chemical production process; receiving an instruction to automatically calculate the input material demand for at least one chemical product; identifying based on the process data at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical output products, wherein the two or more chemical products includes a first chemical product and a second chemical product; receiving chemical composition data associated with the first chemical product and the second chemical product; determining the chemical composition of the first chemical product based, at least in part, on the chemical composition data; calculating an elemental mass fraction of the first chemical product based, at least in part, on the chemical composition of the first chemical product; determining an input material demand for the first chemical product based, at least in part, on the elemental mass fraction of the first chemical product; and outputting the input material demand for the first chemical product.

[0018] In another aspect the disclosure relates to a system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the system comprising: an input configured to receive (I) input material data associated with one or more input materials to a chemical production process (ii) process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products, wherein the two or more chemical products includes a first chemical product and a second chemical product, and (ill), receive utility data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to the first chemical product and the second chemical product; a processor configured to (I) identify, based on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials the first chemical product and the second chemical product (ii) determine a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material, (ill) allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the first virtual balancing account, and (iv) allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the first virtual balancing account; and an output configured to assign the first digital sustainability credit from the first balancing account to the to the chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the first chemical product.

[0019] In another aspect the disclosure relates to a system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an energy input for a chemical production process, wherein the chemical production process chemically converts one or more input material(s) to two or more chemical products in a chemical production network, the system comprising: an input configured to receive (i) utility data associated with the energy input for the chemical production process and (ii) process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products; a processor configured to (I) identify, based on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product (ii) determine a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the energy input, (ill) allocate the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the first virtual balancing account, (iv) allocate the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the second virtual balancing account, and (v) provide an identifier associated with the first chemical product; and an output configured to assign the first digital sustainability credit from the first balancing account to the to the chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the first chemical product.

[0020] In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) are configured to carry out the steps of any of the methods disclosed herein. In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed by a processor cause any of the apparatuses disclosed herein to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0021] Disclosed is in yet another aspect the use of one or more chemical products(s) associated with allocating sustainability attributes to two or more chemical products produced in a chemical production process of a chemical production plant as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein and / or produced by a chemical production network as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein to produce at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with the one or more sustainability attribute(s). The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be an intermediate or end product of a product supply chain. The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be based on one or more chemical products(s). The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be produced by discrete manufacturing. Disclosed is in yet another aspect a method for producing at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with allocating sustainability attributes to two or more chemical products produced in a chemical production process of a chemical production plant as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein and / or produced by a chemical production network as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein is provided and / or used to produce the at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with the one or more sustainability attribute(s).

[0022] In yet another aspect the present disclosure relates to a computer element with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) is configured to carry out the steps of the method(s) of the present disclosure or configured to be carried out by the apparatus(es) of the present disclosure.

[0023] Any disclosure, embodiments and examples described herein relate to the methods, the systems, apparatuses, chemical products and computer elements lined out above and below. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples.

[0024] EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The public, regulators, and financial investors are increasingly concerned with the environmental impacts of chemical production processes. Major companies, in turn, have announced ambitious plans to track and manage the environmental impacts associated with the production of their products. Transparency between the participants can aid the collective improvement in showing compliance with applicable standards (which, in the case of sustainability- related standards can improve environmental impacts). Mass balance methods are typically directed to methods for tracking the quantity of certified material through a system, allowing for mixing of certified and non-certified material while maintaining the mass balance. These schemes can be used to track and monitor the equivalence of certified and non-certified materials and resources (e.g., energy input(s)) throughout a supply chain, maintaining a balance between the input and output quantities. Traditionally, these schemes are developed and applied where process outputs can be interconverted. Thus, traditional allocation schemes can result in the need for separate storage facilities if a process produces co-products that cannot be interconverted.

[0026] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure may enable the allocation of sustainability attributes to co-products, including co-products that cannot be interconverted, by generating separate digital balancing accounts for each of the co-products. When an input (e.g., utility input or input material) with a sustainability attribute is provided to a process, the digital system may create separate digital balancing accounts for each co-product. The input sustainability attributes may be allocated to the co-products by a predefined attribution scheme (e.g., by mass, by oxidation number, by economic value, or other predefined rules) using the separate digital balancing accounts. The use of separate digital balancing accounts for each of the co-products enables a digital system to generate, track, and allocate the sustainability attribute(s) in line with the manufacturing of the co-products in an interconnected chemical production network.

[0027] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure may enable a high level of automation in the generation, monitoring, and allocation of digital sustainability credits for co-products. For example, a digital system may be able to access data stores that include input material data, process data, and utility data (e.g., energy input data). The digital system may retrieve the applicable data to generate separate digital sustainability credits for coproducts created by a production step (e.g., in cases where the co-products cannot be interconverted). The digital system may then automatically allocate the digital sustainability credits to the co-products to increase the transparency of the environmental impacts of the co-products (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] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be outlined by way of examples. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to said embodiments and / or examples. According to the disclosure, a digital system may use sustainability data, process data, and / or utility data to generate, monitor, and allocate digital sustainability credits for co-products (that are produced when a chemical manufacturing process produces two or more co-products). The digital sustainability credits may be associated with a sustainability attribute of an energy input and / or an input material. For example, the digital sustainability credits may be associated with a renewable energy attribute of the input energy for a chemical process. Similarly, the digital sustainability credits may be associated with the sustainability attributes of an input material such as bio-naphtha.

[0029] Input material data refers to digital information related to the composition, quality, and source of the input materials (e.g., raw materials or feedstocks) used in a chemical production process. This data may include information on the quantity, physical properties, and origin of the input materials. It may also include information on any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes. The input material data may be provided via one or more digital documents including, for example, a purchase order, a sales order, an invoice, a material safety data sheet, and the like. The vendor may provide some or all of the input material data via an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and / or other digital systems.

[0030] One category of input material data is sustainability data. Sustainability data may be digital information associated with the input material(s) or chemical product(s). The sustainability data may digitally specify the environmental impact of the input material or the chemical product and / or may indicate one or more sustainability attributes of the input material. The sustainability data may relate to fossil footprint or carbon footprint. The sustainability data may relate to a renewable, a bio-based and / or a recycled content, e.g., of the input material and / or chemical product. The sustainability data may include a qualitative data point relating to the type of impact e.g., in view of the input material or the chemical product. The sustainability data may specify a type such as recycled, renewable and / or bio-based. The qualitative data point may be converted to a quantitative measure such as environmental units or balancing units (or digital sustainability credits). The sustainability data may include a quantitate data point relating to the type of impact e.g., in view of the input material or the chemical product, recycled content, renewable content or bio-based content. The sustainability data may specify recycled, renewable and / or bio-based content. The sustainability data may include further environmental characteristics of the input or chemical product. The sustainability data may be sourced from the input material vendor, a chemical product manufacturer, a sustainability data and consulting provider, and the like. A sustainability data and consulting provider refers to a company that may offer a range of services related to sustainability. These companies help businesses and organizations manage their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and improve their sustainability performance.

[0031] Process data (or recipe or bill of material) refers to a digital record that describes the process by which one or more input materials are converted into one or more chemical products. The process data typically includes detailed information on 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. The process data can comprise information about which by-products are obtained in which amount for one or more process step(s). Process data may be stored and managed in digital systems, such as process control systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. They may 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 the required specifications and quality standards.

[0032] Utility data refers to digital information related to the composition, quality, and source of the utilities (e.g., energy input or water input) used in a chemical production process. This data may include details about the quantity and type of energy inputs, such as electricity, natural gas, steam, or fuel oil, as well as water usage, including volume consumed, recycled, or discharged. The utility data may be provided via one or more digital documents including, for example, a purchase order, a sales order, an invoice, a material safety data sheet, and the like. The vendor (and / or a third party) may provide some or all of the input material data via an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and / or other digital systems. It may also include information on any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes.

[0033] One category of utility data is sustainability data. Sustainability data may be digital information associated with the utility that is provided. The sustainability data may digitally specify the environmental impact of the utility or the chemical product and / or may indicate one or more sustainability attributes of the provided utility. The sustainability data may relate to fossil footprint or carbon footprint. The sustainability data may relate to a renewable, a bio-based and / or a recycled content, e.g., of the utility. The sustainability data may include a qualitative data point relating to the type of impact e.g., in view of the utility. The sustainability data may specify a type such as recycled, renewable and / or bio-based. The qualitative data point may be converted to a quantitative measure such as environmental units or balancing units (or credits). The sustainability data may specify recycled, renewable and / or bio-based attributes of the utility. The sustainability data may include further environmental characteristics of the utility. The sustainability data may be sourced from the utility vendor, a chemical product manufacturer, a sustainability data and consulting provider, and the like.

[0034] A utility may refer to a resource or service that is necessary for the operation of a plant and the execution of its processes. Utilities may include essential inputs such as energy, water, steam, compressed air, cooling water, nitrogen, electricity, chemicals, solvents, and other resources that are required to facilitate various stages of chemical production, such as reaction, separation, purification, and transportation.

[0035] When a digital system manages the monitoring and attribution of sustainability attributes (from inputs to outputs) for a chain-of-custody method such as mass balancing there are situations where the sustainability attributes of a chemical production process input(s) (e.g., input material(s) and / or input utilities) must be allocated to more than one co-product of the process at substantially the same time and where no redistribution of the digital sustainability credits between the co-products is desired. This is challenging because many schemes allocating sustainable attributes from inputs to products presuppose that the co-products are interconvertible. For example, digital systems managing the monitoring and attribution of sustainability attributes for mass-balance accounting may require the application of proportional allocation (of sustainability attributes among co-products). This means if a process step necessarily produces multiple output fractions, the digital sustainability credits (associated with the input sustainability attributes) must be allocated to each output proportionally. In such cases, a chemical manufacturer might invest in separate storage capacities to store co-products to which sustainability attributes are allocated under a mass balance scheme. The need for additional (and potentially costly) storage is amplified by the likelihood that the co-products (to which sustainability attributes are allocated) may be consumed at different speeds based on market demands.

[0036] According to the disclosure, the above limitation may be addressed with a digital system that is configured to create separate (i.e., more than one) output sustainability attributes for co-products that are produced by a chemical manufacturing process with input(s) that have sustainability attributes (e.g., utility inputs and / or input material®). For example, when an input with a sustainability attribute is provided to a process, the digital system may create separate digital balancing accounts for each co-product. The input sustainability attributes may be allocated to the co-products by a predefined attribution scheme (e.g., by mass, by oxidation number, by economic value, or other predefined rules) using the separate digital balancing accounts.

[0037] The digital system may allocate a share of the input sustainability attributes to the co-products (via the separate digital balancing accounts) according to the predefined attribution scheme. Consider, for example, a case in which a process produces three co-products: A, B, and C. The digital system may parse the input data (e.g., input material data, process data, and utility data) to determine an amount of an input sustainability attribute and then allocate that input sustainability attribute to (the digital balancing accounts of the) co-products A, B, and C according to the predefined attribution scheme as shown below.

[0038] A+x%(attribute),

[0039] B+y%(attribute), and C+z%(attribute),

[0040] Where:

[0041] • A, B, and C are the co-products,

[0042] • "attribute” is the input sustainability attribute,

[0043] • x,y, and z are the shares of the sustainability attribute that are allocated to each co-product, and

[0044] • x+y+z = 100%. The co-products (and the digital sustainability credits associated with the co-products) may be consumed at different rates in time without the need for separate storage. Thus, in the current example, instead of six storage tanks (three for the conventional co-products and three for their more sustainable "twins”) only three storage tanks are needed because a proportional share of the input sustainability attribute is allocated separately to the virtual balancing accounts the digital system created for each co-product.

[0045] The present disclosure describes a computer implemented method and system for generating and allocating separate output sustainability attributes for co-products that are produced by a chemical manufacturing process with input(s) that have sustainability attributes (e.g., utility inputs and / or input material(s)). The digital system may use input material data, process data, and utility data to manage, monitor, and allocate the balancing of sustainability attributes for multioutput processes.

[0046] Sustainability attribute(s) may refer to any property or characteristic related to the environmental impact. Such property may be a property or characteristic of an input material(s) and / or a chemical product(s). The sustainability attribute may indicate an environmental performance of an input material(s), input utility (or utilities), the chemical production network and / or chemical product(s). The sustainability attribute may be derived from properties of the input material(s), the input utility (or utilities, such as energy input or water input), the chemical production network and / or the chemical product(s). The sustainability attribute may be associated with the environmental impact of one or more material(s) and / or input utilities at any stage during their lifecycle. The stages of the material or product lifecycle may include the stages of providing raw material, producing products, such as intermediate products or end products, using products, treating end-of-life products, recycling end-of-life products, disposing end-of-life products, reusing components from end-of-life products or any subset of stages. The sustainability attribute may be tracked through any activity of one or more entities participating at any stage of the lifecycle of one or more material(s) or product(s). Sustainability attributes associated with any activity of one or more entities participating at any stage of the lifecycle of one or more material(s) or product(s) may be accumulated or aggregated.

[0047] The sustainability attribute may include one or more characteristic(s) that are attributable to environmental or sustainability impact of the input material(s), chemical product(s), intermediate product(s) and / or end product(s). The sustainability attribute may include environmental, technical, recyclability or circularity characteristics(s) associated with the environmental impact of the input material(s), chemical product(s), intermediate product(s) and / or end product(s).

[0048] The sustainability attribute may be a digital asset associated with the input material, input utility (e.g., energy input), or chemical product. The sustainability attribute may digitally specify the environmental impact of the input material, input utility, or the chemical product. The sustainability attribute may relate to a carbon footprint. The sustainability attribute may relate to a renewable, a bio-based and / or a recycled content, e.g., of the input material and / or chemical product. The sustainability attribute may include a qualitative data point relating to the type of impact e.g., in view of the input material or the chemical product. The sustainability attribute may specify a type such as recycled, renewable and / or bio-based. The qualitative data point may be converted to a quantitative measure such as digital sustainability credits (e.g., balancing units). The sustainability attribute may include a quantitate data point relating to the type of impact e.g., in view of the input material or the chemical product recycled content, renewable content or bio-based content. The sustainability attribute may specify recycled, renewable and / or bio-based content. The term sustainable may refer to material that has renewable, bio-based and / or recycled content. For example, a sustainable input material may include recycled, renewable and / or bio-based content. Similarly, a sustainable chemical product may include recycled, renewable and / or bio-based content. The sustainability attribute may include further environmental characteristics of the input(s) or the chemical product(s).

[0049] The virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) may refer to a digital storage structure that stores data related to sustainability attributes. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the account for balancing sustainability attributes. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the sustainability attributes and the environmental or digital sustainability credits (e.g., balancing units) allocated to the account. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the production chain the account is associated with. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the input (material and or utility) or chemical product the account is associated with. The account may be part of a balancing system including multiple accounts. The account may hold digital sustainability credits for transaction. Sustainability attributes (or the digital sustainability credits representing the sustainability attributes) may be allocated, added, deleted, withdrawn, or deducted from the account. The virtual balancing account may be associated with sustainability attribute types such as recycled or renewable. The virtual balancing account may by associated with input material types such as pyrolysis oil, bio-naphtha, bio-methane, biogas or combinations thereof. The virtual balancing account associated with the sustainability attribute type recycled may be further associated with waste-stream type such as mixed plastics waste, specific end product waste, e.g., tiers waste or foam waste, post-consumer waste, pre-consumer waste or combinations thereof. The virtual balancing account may be associated with an allocation scheme such as segregated allocation, non-segregated allocation like book and claim, mass balance with free attribution, mass balance without free attribution or combinations thereof.

[0050] The at least one attribution rule may specify the attribution scheme associated with the account for balancing sustainability attributes. The at least one attribution rule may specify the attribution of sustainability attributes associated with input materials (and / or utilities) and the chemical production network to sustainability attributes associated with chemical products. The at least one attribution rule may depend on a chemical product identifier and a sustainability attribute. The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing sustainability attributes from input materials to at least one account for balancing sustainability attributes. The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for deducting sustainability attributes from at least one account for balancing sustainability attributes. The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing sustainability attributes from the account to chemical products or chemical product identifiers. The operating system may be configured to access data related the inputs material(s), the input utilities (e.g., energy input and / or water input), the process(es) and / or the chemical product(s) produced by the chemical production network. The operating system may be configured to convert a recycled, renewable, or bio-based content of the one or more input material(s) and or input utility used in the chemical production network to digital sustainability credits. The operating system may be configured to allocate the digital sustainability credits to at least one virtual balancing account associated with the recycled or bio-based content of the input materials and / or an input utility. The operating system may be configured to allocate at least a part of the digital sustainability credits from the at least one balancing account to the at least one chemical product.

[0051] The operating system may be configured to manage digital sustainability credits related to the input (utilities and / or materials) and chemical products produced by the chemical production network. In particular, the operating system may be configured to determine digital sustainability credits associated with the use of input materials and / or input utilities impacting the environmental property / attribute of the chemical products produced by the chemical production network. The operating system may be configured to determine digital sustainability credits associated with the chemical product(s) and the environmental property of the chemical product(s). This way the operating system may be configured to allocate digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts or to deallocate digital sustainability credits from the balancing accounts. The digital sustainability credits may be viewed as a credit that may be deposited in an account (e.g., a digital inventory) or deducted from an account related to the input and chemical products of the chemical production network.

[0052] The operating system may be configured to register inbound sustainability attributes, to convert the inbound sustainability attributes to digital sustainability credits (and back as needed), and / or to assign outbound sustainability attributes and to manage inbound allocation as well as outbound assignment.

[0053] For allocation the one or more sustainability attribute(s) may be converted to digital sustainability credits and the digital sustainability credits may be allocated to the virtual balancing account. The one or more digital sustainability credits may be allocated to the at least one virtual balancing account associated with the respective sustainability attribute. The conversion may be based on a conversion factor such as mass, weight, carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, methane equivalents or any other suitable measure for quantifying the environmental impact of the sustainability attribute. By using digital sustainability credits and conversion it can be ensured that sustainability attributes of input materials are only used once for assignment to chemical products. This way double counting on input or output is avoided and the positive environmental impact can be reliable assigned to chemical products.

[0054] Fossil footprint or Product Fossil Footprint (PFF) may refer to the amount of petrochemical feedstocks (e.g., naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas, or intermediates from feedstocks that, in turn, require a certain amount of naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas) consumed in a production process at a manufacturing facility. PFF may be expressed as kilogram methane per kilogram (or methane equivalent). The term carbon emission value refers to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, typically expressed in units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), that are associated with a specific product. Examples of a carbon emission value include carbon footprint or Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) which refer to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted or removed in a production process at a manufacturing facility, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. The PCF can be assessed from cradle-to-gate (partial PCF) or from cradle-to-grave (total PCF). The PCF can include emissions from all stages of the product's life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. It may be used to assess and reduce the environmental impact of a company's products and to communicate this information to consumers. The term greenhouse gases (GHG) refers to a gas that is capable of absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding 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.

[0055] Carbon emission values such as PCF values may be represented in a structured data format, such as XML or JSON, which allows for easy exchange of PCF information between different digital systems. The digital representation of a PCF may also include metadata, such as the date of the PCF calculation, the standards or protocols used in the calculation, and any assumptions or uncertainties associated with the PCF calculation. This metadata may help to ensure transparency and accuracy in the PCF calculation and reporting process. These values can be stored as a numeric data type and can be associated with other relevant data points, such as the name of the product, the date of manufacture, and the supplier information. They can also be displayed in a user interface or dashboard as a graph, chart, or other visual representation to help users understand and compare the environmental impact of different products or processes. Additionally, the values can be integrated into digital tools and platforms to help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions around sustainability.

[0056] Mass fraction refers to the fraction of the total mass of a substance that is made up of a specific component, such as an element or a compound. More specifically, the mass fraction is defined as the ratio of the mass of the component to the total mass of the substance. It is expressed as a decimal or percentage. The mass fraction of a co-product may be the fraction of the total mass of the co-products that is made up of a specific co-product. Similarly, the mass fraction of an input material may the fraction of the total mass of the input materials that is made up of a specific input material.

[0057] Mass balance refers to a chain-of-custody approach to account for materials entering and leaving a system. In the chemical industry, renewable or recycled (collectively, "sustainable”) input material is mixed in a continuously operating production process and allocated to the end products after chemical transformations have taken place. The mass balance approach is designed to track the amount and the sustainable characteristics of sustainable input material and attribute it based on verifiable bookkeeping. A mass balance product refers to a product that has been manufactured using a mass balance approach, which involves tracking the flow of sustainable materials entering and leaving a system and allocating them to the production of specific products. A conventional product refers to a product to which sustainable characteristics have not been allocated under a mass balance scheme (e.g., under a mass balance certification system). A given product may have a mass balance version (with sustainable characteristics allocated to under a mass balance scheme) and a conventional version (without sustainable characteristics allocated to under a mass balance scheme).

[0058] Sustainability data refers to data about the sustainability characteristics of a material (e.g., an input material). The sustainability data may include data such as: material numbers, PCF values, and the like. The sustainability data may be located in a data store. That data store may be a system, or database that provides the data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, a database, a web service, an application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. The data source may be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. The data source can be internal or external to the system, and it can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, network access, and APIs.

[0059] Mass balance certification data refers to data associated with the certifications under one or more mass balance certification schemes. The mass balance certification data may include certification product data and sustainable feedstock demand data. The certification product data may include: production site certification data, conventional product identifiers for conventional products that are enriched by sustainable material substitution, mass balance product identifiers, certification scheme data (e.g., ISCC Plus, REDcert, etc.), and the like. The sustainable feedstock demand data may include: the type of sustainable input material(s) that are used, amount(s) of sustainable input material(s) to be acquired (e.g., under a certification scheme), percentage of fossil input material that is being substituted, and the like. The mass balance certification data may be located in a data store. That data store may be a system, or database that provides the data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, a database, a web service, an application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. The data source may be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. The data source can be internal or external to the system, and it can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, network access, and APIs.

[0060] More generally, mass balance certification data may include input material data (data on the origin, 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 byproducts, including purchases, sales, transfers, and waste disposal), certification data (data on the certification status of input materials, products, and byproducts, including information on the certification body, certification type, and certification number), and / or traceability data (data on the traceability of input materials, products, and byproducts throughout the production process, including information on the batch number, lot number, and date of production). The term "biogenic carbon” refers to carbon of renewable origin like agricultural, plant, animal, fungi, microorganisms, marine, or forestry materials living in a natural environment in equilibrium with the atmosphere. The term "fossil carbon” refers to carbon that is derived from non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.

[0061] A standard may refer to a set of guidelines, rules, or requirements that establish a common framework or a consistent way of doing things. It may be a formal document that provides specifications, procedures, or criteria for products, services, processes, or systems, with the aim of ensuring quality, safety, reliability, interoperability, or other desirable characteristics. Standards may be developed and maintained by standards setting organizations (SSOs), which can be national, regional, international bodies or industry consortia. 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 a 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 can be general in nature, applicable to a wide range of applications.

[0062] A sustainability standard may refer to a set of requirements, guidelines, and criteria that define sustainable practices for a specific industry or product. Sustainability standards may be developed by organizations such as REDcert, ISCC, and RSPO, which are responsible for setting the criteria and may also oversee the certification process. These organizations may work 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 management, mass balance, recycling, and circularity. They may document specific requirements and indicators for sustainable practices, and establish a certification process to verify compliance with these practices.

[0063] A certification system refers to the set of standards and guidelines for verifying the use of a standard (e.g., mass allocation to allocate sustainable feedstocks to sustainable products). Examples of certification systems may include REDcert2 and ISCC+. A certification body refers to the organization that conducts the actual certification process (e.g., applies the certification system to the candidate site, process and / or product). The certification body may be an independent third party who is accredited by a certification system (accreditation body) to perform audits, inspections and issue certificates according to the standards set in the scheme. A Certification Body refers to the organization that conducts the actual certification process (e.g., applies the Certification System to the candidate product

[0064] A certification body may be an independent organization that is responsible for verifying compliance with sustainability standards. Certification bodies may be authorized by an SSO to conduct audits and inspections of companies that seek certification under a standard. They may be accredited by third-party accreditation bodies to ensure that they meet certain criteria for impartiality, competence, and reliability. Certification bodies work with companies to assess their compliance with standards (e.g., sustainability standards) which can include requirements related to environmental performance. Certification bodies may evaluate companies' management systems, processes, and performance indicators to determine whether they meet the requirements of a standard. If a company meets the requirements of a standard, the certification body may issue a certificate that indicates the company (or a site(s), process(es), product(s) of the company) comply with the requirements of a standard (or standards). Partial compliance may refer to meeting at least some of the requirements of a standard. The certification body may also be responsible for ensuring the ongoing compliance of the certified company through regular audits and inspections.

[0065] Digital systems may use authentication and / or authorization technologies to control access to resources and to verify the identity of users. Authentication may refer to the process of verifying the identity of a user or a system. It may involve presenting credentials, such as a username and password, a digital certificate, or a biometric sample, and comparing them with records or standards to determine whether the user or system is authorized to access a particular resource or perform a specific action. Authorization may refer to the process of granting or denying access to a resource or a system based on the authenticated identity and the level of permission assigned to that identity. It may involve defining roles, rules, or policies that specify what actions or resources a user or system is allowed to access, and what actions or resources are restricted or prohibited.

[0066] Public and private keys may be used in digital systems to provide secure access to resources and to verify the identity of users. Public and private keys are part of a cryptographic 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 one another. The public key may be used to encrypt data and may be available to others who may want to send encrypted data to the user. The private key may be kept secret and may be used to decrypt data that has been encrypted with the public key.

[0067] There may 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 customer) comes to the manufacturing site to perform an audit. A remote audit may be conducted remotely by the third party (or customer) using digital platforms for meetings and to gather data and other information. A paper audit may involve (1) an auditor providing a questionnaire to the manufacturer and (2) the manufacturing completing and returning the questionnaire to the auditor. A virtual audit may refer to the use of digital platforms to enable an auditor to conduct the audit remotely. A virtual audit may use virtual reality and remotely accessible data stores to significantly reduce (or even eliminate) the need for interaction between the auditor and the plant personnel.

[0068] A certificate may refer to a credential issued by the certification body to indicate that the company (or a site, location, plant, product, legal entity, etc. of the company) or product has met the requirements of the certification system. The certificate serves as evidence that the company or product has been audited by an independent third-party certification body and has been found to comply with the relevant standards and requirements. The certificate typically includes information such as the name and address of the certified company, the scope of the certification (e.g., which products or processes are covered), the name of the certification body, the date of issue, and the date of expiration. The certificate is usually valid for a specific period of time and may require ongoing audits or surveillance to maintain certification. The certificate can be an important marketing tool for the certified company, as it demonstrates a commitment to quality and compliance with industry standards.

[0069] A digital identifier is a unique code or set of characters that is assigned to a specific entity, such as a person, organization, or resource, to distinguish it from others. Digital identifiers may serve as labels or handles that enable digital systems to recognize and track entities across different contexts and applications. They can be used to retrieve or link to digital resources, such as data, documents, images, videos, or web pages, and to manage access or permissions to these resources. Digital identifiers can take various forms, such as email addresses, usernames, domain names, IP addresses, or digital certificates. They can be assigned by different organizations or authorities, such as domain registrars, social media platforms, or government agencies, and can be used for different purposes, such as authentication, authorization, or identification. The use of digital identifiers may enable efficient and secure communication and data exchange among different entities.

[0070] Digital proof may refer to a cryptographic mechanism that provides verifiable evidence of the authenticity of a digital credential without revealing the underlying data. Digital proofs may be generated by combining the digital credential with a cryptographic proof, such as a digital signature or a zero-knowledge proof, to create a tamper-evident, cryptographically secure record that can be shared with others. The digital proof may include metadata about the credential, such as the issuer, the credential holder, the date of issuance, and other relevant information, as well as a cryptographic signature that verifies the integrity of the data.

[0071] A network node may refer to a device or computer that is connected to a network and is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding data. The network node be any type of device that is connected to the network, such as a server, a router, a switch, a mobile device, an loT device, or a personal computer. In the context of the digital credential scheme, each entity (e.g., Issuer, Holder, and Verifier) may have its own network node that may allow it to interact with a distributed ledger that stores the digital credentials. The network nodes may communicate with each other to ensure the integrity and security of the system, and to facilitate the exchange of digital credentials between the different entities.

[0072] Environmental characteristic(s) may specify or quantify ecological criteria associated with the products environmental impact. Environmental characteristic(s) may be or may be produced or derived from measurements taken during the lifecycle of one or more product(s). Environmental characteristics may be determined at any stage of the product lifecycle and may characterize the environmental impact of the product for such stage or up to such stage. Environmental characteristic(s) may for example include impact categories such as fossil footprint, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions or global warming potential, primary energy demand, cumulative energy demand, biotic and abiotic resource consumption, air emissions, stratospheric ozone depletion potential, ozone formation, terrestrial and / or marine acidification, water consumption, water depletion, water availability, water pollution, noise pollution, freshwater and / or marine 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, deforestation, biodiversity, mineral resource consumption, fossil resource consumption, and / or feedstock demand (e.g., sustainable feedstock demand and / or fossil feedstock demand).

[0073] Environmental ch aracteristic(s) may be calculated from combinations of one of more environmental characteristics. Environmental characteristic(s) may for example include product or material characteristics related to the production of the material or product like renewable, bio based, vegan, halal, kosher, palm oil-free, natural or the like.

[0074] In an embodiment, determining the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product comprises: determining the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is valid for a balancing period.

[0075] In an embodiment, producing the first chemical product comprises: producing the first chemical product within the balancing period.

[0076] In an embodiment, the first chemical product and the second chemical product cannot be interconverted.

[0077] In an embodiment, the first digital sustainability credit cannot be allocated to the second chemical product.

[0078] In an embodiment, the second digital sustainability credit cannot be allocated to the first chemical product.

[0079] In an embodiment, further comprising: producing the second chemical product; providing an identifier associated with the second chemical product; and assigning the second digital sustainability credit from the second balancing account to the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the first chemical product, wherein the identifier associated with the second chemical product includes a second chemical product identifier relating to a second chemical product specification wherein the second chemical product identifier is associated with the physical entity of the second chemical product, wherein the second chemical product identifier is a virtual identifier uniquely linked to the second chemical product.

[0080] In an embodiment, determining the digital sustainability credit associated with the input material further comprises determining the amount of the input material via a virtual production process. In an embodiment, determining the digital sustainability credit associated with the input material via the virtual production process further comprises determining a value associated with the input material.

[0081] In an embodiment, the value associated with the input material is related to a difference in cost between the input material and a corresponding amount of fossil input material.

[0082] In an embodiment, assigning or attributing the first digital sustainability credit from the first balancing account to the to the first chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is assigned to the identifier associated with the first chemical product comprises producing a digital asset that specifies a chemical product with the combination of the chemical product identifier and the one or more sustainability attributes.

[0083] In an embodiment, the digital asset uniquely specifies a chemical product with the combination of the chemical product identifier and the one or more sustainability attributes.

[0084] In an embodiment, the chemical product identifier is associated with a product specification for the chemical product.

[0085] In an embodiment, the digital asset includes a value associated with the input material, wherein the value associated with the input material is related to a difference in cost between the input material and a corresponding amount of fossil input material.

[0086] In an embodiment, assigning or attributing the digital sustainability credit to the chemical product identifier comprises: generating a digital asset that includes the chemical product identifier and the digital sustainability credit associated with the energy input to the chemical production process of the chemical product; and linking the digital asset to the chemical product.

[0087] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] In the following, the present disclosure is further described with reference to the enclosed figures. The same reference numbers in the drawings and this disclosure are intended to refer to the same or like elements, components, and / or parts.

[0089] FIG. 1 a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

[0090] FIG. 2 illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0091] FIG. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0092] FIG. 4. illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a chemical production network producing two or more chemical product(s) from one or more input material(s) in connection with an operating system including an attribute management system for two or more sustainability attributes.

[0093] FIG. 6A is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of monitoring, attributing, and managing sustainability attributes, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0094] FIG. 6B is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of another example of monitoring, attributing, and managing sustainability attributes, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0095] FIG. 7A illustrates selected aspects of a data model for input material data according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0096] FIG. 7B illustrates selected aspects of a data model for process data according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0097] FIG. 7C illustrates selected aspects of a data model for utility (energy) data according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0098] FIG. 7D illustrates selected aspects of a data model for utility (water) data according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0099] FIG. 8A is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for monitoring, managing, and attributing sustainability attributes for co-products, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0100] FIG. 8B is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another system for monitoring, managing, and attributing sustainability attributes for co-products, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0101] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another system for monitoring, managing, and attributing sustainability attributes for co-products, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0102] Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate process examples.

[0103] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0104] The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to generating and attributing sustainability attributes to two or more co-products to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating sustainability attributes to two or more coproducts produced in a chemical production process.

[0105] The disclosed system and process can be applied to a wide variety of products that are made from input materials, such as chemical products or precursor products. The term "product" may refer to any commodity that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This may include end products for end users (e.g., cars, paints, toys, or medicines). This may also include goods that are 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 to make superabsorbents for diapers). This may also include goods that are very early in the value chain such as crude oil fractions (e.g., naphtha), agricultural products (e.g., soybeans), or purified sand for glass production.

[0106] FIGs. 1a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

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

[0108] FIG. 1 A illustrates input materials 102 and 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102 and 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106 and 108. The output materials 106 and 108 may include one main product and at least one by-product. In chemical reactions, the yield of one output material is typically below 100 %, because of side reactions and losses upon purifications. Hence chemical processes may produce multiple output materials. The main product may signify the product of interest and the by-product may signify the further output product that is unavoidably obtained by the chemical process. The by-product may be an intermediate which can be used as reagent in another chemical process. The chemical process including the feed of input materials and the produced quantity of output materials may be monitored by sensors 110 providing production monitoring data.

[0109] FIG. 1B illustrates input materials 102, 103, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 103, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Fig. 1a. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a waste stream 112 may be produced by the chemical process. The waste stream may include any output material that cannot be used as reagent in another chemical process.

[0110] FIG. 1C illustrates input materials 102, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Figs. 1a and 1b. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a refeed stream of input material 114 may be produced and reused by the chemical process.

[0111] FIG. 2 illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes. FIG. 2 illustrates the networked nature of the chemical production network. Multiple chemical processes are interlinked via their input-output material relation. For example, the output materials 206, 208 of chemical process 204 may be the input material of chemical processes 214, 216. Chemical process 214 may produce from the input materials 210 and 206 the output materials 218, 222 and waste stream 220. Output material 218 may exit the chemical production network as end products. The input material 210 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the outside of the chemical production network. The input material 206 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the chemical process 204 of the chemical production network. Similarly chemical process 216 may produce from the input materials 208 and 212 the output materials 224-230. Output materials 228 and 230 may exit the chemical production network as end products. Chemical process 232 may produce from the input materials 222, 224, 226 the output materials 234, 236. Output materials 234, 236 may exit the chemical production network as end products. This way the chemical production network may use interlinked or interrelated chemical processes to produce output products leaving the chemical production network. The interlinking or interrelation may include at least one intermediate of one chemical process being used as input material to one or more chemical process(es) downstream the one chemical process.

[0112] FIG. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0113] A chemical production network may include multiple plants performing chemical processes 312, 310, 318 and forming sub-clusters 300 of the chemical production network. The input material 302, 304 may be fed into chemical process 310. The input materials 306, 308 may be fed into chemical process 312. The output materials 320, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300. The output materials 314 and 316 of chemical processes 310, 312 may be provided as input materials to chemical process 318. The output materials 322, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300.

[0114] FIG. 4 illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network.

[0115] The chemical production network 400 may include multiple subclusters 410, 412, 422. The input materials 402, 404, 406, 408 may be fed to subclusters 410, 412. The output material 416 from subcluster 416 and the output material 418 from subcluster 412 may be fed as input material to subcluster 422. In addition, input material 414 may enter the chemical production network 400 and be fed to subcluster 422. Also, input material 432 may be fed to non-connected subcluster 430 which produces output material 434. The output materials 424, 426, 428 may exit the chemical production network as end products.

[0116] As illustrated in FIGs. 1 to 4 the chemical production network 400 may include multiple chemical processes 100, which may be arranged in subclusters 410, 412, 422. The chemical processes 100 or subclusters 410, 412, 422 may be connected to form a network with multiple production chains interrelated via their material flow. The chemical production network may form part of a discrete product supply chain, wherein the discrete product is produced from one or more chemical outputs or output materials proved by the chemical production network.

[0117] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a chemical production network 500 producing two or more chemical product(s) from one or more input material(s) (and / or one or more input utilities) in connection with an operating system 501 including an attribute management system 540 to manage two or more sustainability attributes. Chemical production network 500 is described above with reference to FIGs. 1-4.

[0118] 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 chemical production network 500. Operating system 501 may be part of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Alternatively, operating system 501 may be partly implemented in an ERP system and partly implemented in one or more additional systems coupled with an ERP system. Operating system 501 may also be implemented in one or more systems outside of an ERP system.

[0119] In the illustrated embodiment, Input materials 502-504 and utility input 506 are provided to chemical production network 500 at the feed-in point 512. In alternative embodiments, input materials 502-504 and utility input 506 may be provided to a process at a location other than feed in point 512. The input materials may include conventional fossil feedstock 502 (e.g., naphtha) as well as sustainable input material 504. The utility input 506 may include an energy input, a water input, a coolant input, and / or other utilities. In an embodiment, utility input 506 is an energy input with sustainability attributes (or, simply, sustainable energy input). For example, sustainable energy input 506 may include energy sourced from solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, and the like. The sustainable input material 504 may include renewable input materials (such as biogas and / or bio-naphtha) and / or recycled input materials (e.g., pyrolysis oil). After they are delivered to chemical production network 500, the conventional input materials 502, the sustainable input material(s) 504, energy input 506 may be used in one or more chemical production processes of chemical production network 500.

[0120] Input material data for sustainable input material 504 is provided to operating system 501 at 522. Similarly, utility data for sustainable energy input 506 is provided to operating system 501 at 524. For example, the goods receipt (and / or a BOM and / or a chemical production recipe) including the input material data and / or utility data for the sustainable input material(s) and / or the sustainable utility input may be electronically provided to operating system 501 when, for example, sustainable material 504 and / or sustainable energy input 506 is delivered to chemical production network 500. Operating system 501 may receive input material data 522 and utility data 524 through an interface to a local or a remote database or an ERP system, in particular its supply chain module, or any computing system or apparatus, such as a centralized or decentralized computing system or apparatus including processing and storage. The input material data for each input material may hence be gathered from an ERP system or any computing system or apparatus, such as a centralized or decentralized computing system or apparatus including processing and storage. In some cases, the input material data of each input material is gathered through an interface to more than one database. It therefore may be necessary to convert the information retrieved from different databases into a single format to allow further processing. In particular, the input material data obtained from databases may be attributed to the input material via the identification of an input material in the database that has to be translated to the identification of the input material of the process data used in the process according to the present disclosure. Similarly, the utility data obtained from databases may be attributed to the utility input via the identification of a utility input in the database that has to be translated to the identification of the utility input of the process data used in the process according to the present disclosure.

[0121] Operating system 501 may initiate a virtual production step after it receives the input material data for sustainable material(s) 504 and / or the utility data for sustainable energy input 506. Virtual production refers to receiving input material data for a sustainable input material (and / or utility data for a sustainable utility input) and producing sustainability attributes (based on the sustainable input material and / or sustainable utility input) and also "producing” conventional input material data (e.g., data describing the corresponding amount and / or value of the conventional input material).

[0122] For example, operating system 501 may initiate a virtual production process when it receives input material data for sustainable input material(s) 522 and / or when it receives utility data for sustainable energy input 506. Using input material data 522 and / or utility data 524, the virtual production process may parse the input material data and / or utility data and apply a corresponding recipe. For example, the virtual production process may determine the volume (or mass) and type of sustainable input material and / or the energy quantity and type of the sustainable energy input that was received from the input material data and / or the utility data. It may then apply a virtual production step(s) to the sustainable input material and / or sustainable energy input. The virtual production step may "produce” both sustainability attributes and conventional input material and / or conventional energy input. The amount of conventional input material and / or conventional energy input (virtually) produced may be equal to the amount of sustainable input material and sustainable energy input.

[0123] In an embodiment, sustainable utility 506 and / or sustainable input material 504 may be used in a chemical production process that produces two or more co-products (e.g., a first chemical product and a second chemical product). For example, operating system 501 may parse process data for the chemical production process and determine that it will create two or more co-products where no redistribution of the digital sustainability credits between the co-products is desired. Operating system 501 may then create separate virtual balancing accounts for each of the co-products. For example, if sustainable energy input 506 is an input to the process, then operating system 501 may create virtual balancing account 536 for the first chemical product and virtual balancing account 537 for the second chemical product. Operating system 501 may convert the input sustain ability attribute of sustainable energy input 506 to digital sustainability credits (e.g., corresponding to the amount of energy in the energy input) and apply a proportionality rule (e.g., by mass, oxidation number, economic value, and / or other predefined proportionality rule) to allocate the digital sustainability credits between virtual balancing accounts 536 and 537. Similarly, if sustainable input material 504 is an input to the process, operating system 501 may convert the input sustainability attribute of sustainable input material 504 to digital sustainability credits (e.g., corresponding to the amount of mass in the sustainable input material) and apply a proportionality rule (e.g., by mass, oxidation number, economic value, and / or other predefined proportionality rule) to allocate the digital sustainability credits between virtual balancing accounts 534 and 535. The conversion may include a conversion factor that takes account of the chemical difference between fossil-based input materials, such as naphtha and methane, and non-fossil input materials, such as pyrolysis oil. The conversion factor may relate to the lower heating value of the pyrolysis oil in relation to the lower heating value of naphtha or methane. The conversion factor may include the ratio of the lower heating value of pyrolysis oil to naphtha or methane. This way the chemical difference between the fossil and the renewable input material can be taken into account.

[0124] Virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-535 may determine and track both the amount (e.g., volume and / or mass) and the value of sustainable input material 504, respectively. For example, operating system 501 may parse input material data 522 to determine the amount of sustainable input material(s) 504 that was received. Operating system 501 may then credit virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534 and 535, respectively, with a proportional share (based on a proportionality rule) of the amount of sustainable input materials that were received.

[0125] Similarly, virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 536-537 may determine and track both the amount (e.g., amount of energy) and the value of sustainable energy input 506. For example, operating system 501 may parse input utility data 524 to determine the amount of sustainable energy input 506 that was received. Operating system 501 may then credit virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 536 and 537, respectively, with a proportional share (based on a proportionality rule) of the amount of sustainable input energy that was received.

[0126] Operating system 501 may also determine a value associated with the digital sustainability credits it adds (or deposits, credits, allocates, attributes) to virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-537. For example, operating system 501 may compute the difference in cost between sustainable input material(s) 504 and corresponding equivalent fossil input materials to determine the value of the digital sustainable credits (or balancing units). Similarly, operating system 501 may compute the difference in cost between sustainable energy input 506 and corresponding equivalent conventional energy inputs to determine the value of the digital sustainable credits (or balancing units). Operating system 501 may use average price, actual price, market price or other suitable values to determine the cost of the equivalent amount of fossil input materials or conventional energy inputs. Operating system 501 stores and tracks the amounts and values corresponding to sustainable input materials in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-537. For example, the digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) stored in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 534-537 may include the amount and / or value information corresponding to sustainable inputs 504-506. Similarly, operating system 501 stores and tracks the amounts and values corresponding to sustainable energy inputs in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 536-537. For example, the digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) stored in virtual balancing accounts (or digital inventories) 536-537 may include the amount and / or value information corresponding to sustainable energy input 506.

[0127] Operating system 501 includes amalgamating system 546 to create sustainable chemical products by combining digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) with conventional products. For example, operating system 501 processes an order for a product 552-564. If the customer purchased a conventional chemical product 552-558, operating system 501 may process the purchase using conventional product digital inventories 542-544. In an embodiment, conventional product digital inventories 542-544 each represent a co-product of a process (e.g., coproducts that cannot be interconverted).

[0128] If, however, the customer purchased a sustainable chemical product, operating system 501 may direct amalgamating system 546 to combine digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) from digital inventories (or virtual balancing accounts) 534-537 with corresponding conventional products from digital inventories 542-544. Amalgamating system 546 may generate a digital asset (which may or may not be incorporated into another record such as a BOM and / or sales record) 572-574 that defines (or specifies) a sustainable product from the combination of digital sustainability credits (or balancing units) and conventional products. For example, amalgamating system 546 may create a sustainable product by combining conventional products (from 542-544) with sustainability attributes from digital inventory 534 as shown by 572. Similarly, amalgamating system 546 may create a sustainable product by combining conventional products (from 542-544) with sustainability attributes from digital inventory 536 as shown by 574. Thus, operating system 501 enables chemical production network 503 to efficiently create multiple sustainable products from multiple input materials including sustainable input materials that are combined with fossil input materials in a large interconnected chemical production network.

[0129] FIG. 6A is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of monitoring, attributing, and managing sustainability attributes, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0130] Method 600 includes (I) input material data, (II) process data, and utility data provided, respectively, at 602, 604, and 606. Input material data 602 may include data associated with the environmental impact of an input material (i.e., sustainability data). The sustainability data may relate to fossil footprint, carbon footprint, and the like. The sustainability data may relate to recycled content, renewable content, bio-based content, and the like. The sustainability data may include certification product data and sustainable feedstock demand data. Input material data 602 may include multiple fields for data shown by FIG. 7A. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in input material (sustainability) data 602 include (I) material name (702), (II) material identifier (704), (iii) sustainability data (706), (iv) source (710), (v) date (712), (vi) amount (714), (vii) value (716), (viii) certification of standards (718), (ix) units (720), (x) additional information (722), and the like. Data elements 702-722 may be structured 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 could have a key of "material name" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 702-722 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 702-722 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder.

[0131] Process data 604 may include multiple fields for data shown by FIG. 7B. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in process data include: (I) recipe name (724), (II) process steps (726), (ill) co-products (728), (iv) time (730), (v) temperature (732), (vi) pressure (734), (vii) flow rate (736), (viii) equipment (738), (ix) date (740), (x) units (742), and the like. Data elements 724-742 may be structured 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 could have a key of "material name" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 724-742 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 724-742 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder.

[0132] Utility data 606A may include multiple fields for data (e.g., related to an energy input) shown by FIG. 7C. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in utility data include: (I) utility identifier (744), (II) utility type (746), (ill) energy type (748), (iv) energy source (750), (v), energy supply chain (752), (vi) energy quantity (754), (vii) energy quality (756), (viii) sustainability data (758), (ix) date (762), (x) units (764), and the like. Data elements 744-764 may be structured 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 could have a key of "material name" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 744-764 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 744-764 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder.

[0133] Utility data 606B may include multiple fields for data (e.g., related to a water input) shown by FIG. 7D. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in utility data include: (I) utility identifier (768), (II) utility type (770), (ill) water type (772), (iv) water source (774), (v), water supply chain (776), (vi) water quantity (778), (vii) water quality (780), (viii) sustainability data (782), (ix) date (784), (x) units (786), and the like. Data elements 768-786 may be structured 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 could have a key of "material name" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 768-786 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 768-786 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder. The present disclosure comprises the step 608 providing (or receiving) input data associated with one or more input materials to a chemical production process (as shown in FIG. 6A). In an embodiment, a digital system may receive input material data associated with one or more material(s) that are input(s) to a chemical production process that produces two or more co-product along with any relevant metadata (e.g., automatically during a production process, via text and / or a graphical user interface, etc.). For example, an operation system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may receive an instruction to produce the two or co-products according to a recipe (or other instructions). The digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may access selected aspects of input material data 602, process data 604, and utility data 606 to retrieve the applicable data. Accessing data 602-606 (as well as receiving the instruction) may involve additional steps, such as verifying the identity of the user, checking the validity and status of the instruction, and establishing a secure connection with the data sources for 602-606.

[0134] In an embodiment the digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may query or request data from an appropriate data store (e.g., process data source 934, shown in FIG. 9) to access process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to the two or more co-products. The digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may receive the requested process data at 610. The process data may include information or data that represents the various aspects and characteristics of a specific chemical manufacturing process (i.e., a recipe or a portion thereof). For example, the received process data may include a field or attribute (e.g., co-products field 728, shown in FIG. 7B) that indicates whether the process produces coproducts and, if so, a list or enumeration of those co-products.

[0135] The digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may query or request data from an appropriate data store (e.g., utility data source 936, shown in FIG. 9) to retrieve utility data associated with the two or more coproducts. The digital system may receive the requested utility data at 612. The utility data may include information or data that represents a utility input to the chemical production process (e.g., an energy input and / or a water input, etc.). In an embodiment, the utility data may also include information or data that indicates whether the utility input is associated with one or more sustainability attributes. For example, the utility data may include a field or attribute (e.g., sustainability data fields 758 and / or 782, shown in FIGs. 7C and 7D, respectively) that indicates the utility input is associated with sustainability attributes.

[0136] The present disclosure comprises the step 614, identifying, based at least in part on the process data at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product. The digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may parse the process data to identify a process step that produces two or more co-products. For example, the system may first parse the process data (e.g., recipe) to identify the various process steps involved in the applicable production process. The system may then identify at least one process step that produces two or more co-products (e.g., the first chemical product and the second chemical product). The system may identify the co-products and quantify the amount of each co-product being produced in the identified process steps (based on the process data, e.g., in co- product field(s) 728). In addition, the system may determine whether there are input sustainability attributes (e.g., from input material data 602 and / or utility data 606) to be attributed to separate virtual balancing accounts for each co-product.

[0137] In an embodiment, the digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) determines a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material as shown by 616A. In an embodiment, the system may use the sustainability data provided, for example, by field 706 of input material data 602 (as shown in FIG. 7A) to determine an amount and type of sustainability attributes associated with a sustainable input material to the chemical production process. For example, the operating system may be configured to convert sustainable attributes related to recycled, renewable, or biobased content of the one or more input material(s) used in the chemical production network to digital sustainability credits. The operating system may be configured to allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts associated with each co-product according to proportionality rule as shown by FIG 8A.

[0138] In FIG. 8A, at least one sustainable input material 802 is provided as an input to chemical production unit 804A. Input material data 602, process data 604, and / or utility data 606 is provided to the operating system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) in line with providing input material 802 to chemical production unit 804A (as shown by 806). The operating system may include a virtual balancing account assignment function 808 configured to generate and manage virtual balancing accounts 810A-814A, according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed above, the operating system parses the process data and determines the process produces three co-products 816A- 820A. The operating system may instruct the virtual balancing account assignment function to generate (and / or assign) virtual balancing accounts 810A, 812A, and 814A to co-products 816A, 818A, and 820A respectively. As discussed above, the operating system may be configured to convert the sustainability attributes of input material 802 to digital sustainability credits using a conversion factor. In an embodiment, the operating system attributes a share of the digital sustainability credits to each of virtual balancing accounts 810A-814A, according a proportionality rule (e.g., by mass, oxidation number, economic value, and / or other predefined proportionality rule).

[0139] In an embodiment, each virtual balancing account (or a subset thereof) may have associated metadata. For example, metadata 822A illustrates an example of the metadata for virtual balancing accounts 810A-814A. In an embodiment, each virtual balancing account includes metadata indicating the co-product and the input material associated with the virtual balancing account as shown by 824A and 826A respectively. In an embodiment, co-products 816A-820A are not interconvertible. In yet other embodiments, there may be other reasons that no redistribution of digital sustainability credits among co-products is desirable. The creation and management of separate virtual balancing accounts for the co-products allows the digital sustainability credits allocated to the separate virtual balancing accounts to be consumed at different rates in time. Referring to FIGs. 6A and 8A together, the operating system allocates the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the first virtual balancing account at 618A. For example, the operating system may allocate digital sustainable credit 828A to virtual balancing account 81 OA using attribution rule 830A. Similarly, at 620A, the operating system may allocate the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the second virtual balancing account. For example, the operating system may allocate digital sustainable credit 834A to virtual balancing account 812A using attribution rule 832A.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 6B, in an embodiment, the digital system determines a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the energy input as shown by 616B. In an embodiment, the system may use the sustainability data provided, for example, by field 758 of utility data 606A (as shown in FIG. 7C) to determine an amount and type of sustainability attributes associated with a sustainable input material to the chemical production process. For example, the operating system may be configured to convert sustainable attributes related to renewable or bio-based energy sources of the energy input used in the chemical production process to generate digital sustainability credits. The operating system may be configured to allocate the digital sustainability credits to virtual balancing accounts associated with each co-product according to a proportionality rule as shown by FIG 8B.

[0141] In FIG. 8B, at least one sustainable energy input 840 is provided as an input to chemical production unit 804A. Input material data 602, process data 604, and / or utility data 606 is provided to the operating system (e.g., operating system 501 , shown in FIG. 5) in line with providing energy input 840 to chemical production unit 804A (as shown by 806). The operating system may include a virtual balancing account assignment function 808 configured to generate and manage virtual balancing accounts 81 OB-814B, according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed above, the operating system parses the process data and determines that the process produces three co-products 816B-820B. The operating system may instruct the virtual balancing account assignment function to generate (and / or assign) virtual balancing accounts 810B, 812B, and 814B to co-products 816B, 818B, and 820B respectively. As discussed above, the operating system may be configured to convert the sustainability attributes of energy input 840 to digital sustainability credits using a conversion factor. In an embodiment, the operating system attributes a share of the digital sustainability credits to each of virtual balancing accounts 81 OB-814B, according to a proportionality rule (e.g., by mass, oxidation number, economic value, and / or other predefined proportionality rule).

[0142] Referring to FIGs. 6B and 8B together, the operating system allocates the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the energy input to the first virtual balancing account at 618B. For example, the operating system may allocate digital sustainable credit 828B to virtual balancing account 81 OB using attribution rule 830B. Similarly, at 620B, the operating system may allocate the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material to the second virtual balancing account. For example, the operating system may allocate digital sustainable credit 834B to virtual balancing account 812B using attribution rule 832B.

[0143] Thus, according to the disclosure, a digital system may monitor, manage, and allocate digital sustainability credits that are allocated to more than one co-product of the process at substantially the same time and where no redistribution of the digital sustainability credits between the co-products is desired. As described above with reference to FIGs. 6A-6B, 7A-C, and 8A-8B, when an input with a sustainability attribute is provided to a process, the digital system may create separate digital balancing accounts for each co-product. The input sustainability attributes may be allocated to the co-products by a predefined attribution scheme (e.g., by mass, by oxidation number, by economic value, or other predefined rules) using the separate digital balancing accounts.

[0144] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for generating and managing virtual balancing accounts in a multioutput process, according to an embodiment of the invention. System 900 includes network 910, production operating system 920, and data sources 930. Network 910 may be any combination of wired and wireless networks capable of interconnecting digital systems. Production operating system 920 may monitor and / or control a production network (e.g., the chemical product networks shown in FIGs. 2-4). Data sources 930 include input material data source 932, process data source 934, and utility data source 936. A data source can be any type of system or technology that collects, stores, and / or provides access to data, such as a database, a file system, a web service, a sensor network, a camera, a satellite, an loT device, production equipment, and the like.

[0145] Applications or other systems within production operating system 920 may access data sources 932-936, for example, through a query interface or through a data transfer mechanism such as a file transfer protocol (FTP), a web API, and / or a message queue. Data sources 932-936 can be either internal or external to a production operating system 920, depending on the specific context and use case. For example, data sources 932-936 could be internal databases that are used by an application(s) to store and retrieve data associated with input materials, chemical production processes, and chemical composition data.

[0146] In an embodiment, virtual balancing account (for multioutput processes) logic 924 retrieves data from data sources 932-936 to perform the methods described above with reference to FIGs. 5-8B. When a process input (e.g., energy input and / or input material) with a sustainability attribute is provided to a process, the virtual balancing account logic 924 may create separate digital balancing accounts for each co-product. The input sustainability attributes may be allocated to the co-products by a predefined attribution scheme (e.g., by mass, by oxidation number, by economic value, or other predefined rules) using the separate digital balancing accounts. Users 912 and 916 may monitor and / or manage selected aspects of production operating system 920, including virtual balancing account logic 924 via input / output 914.

[0147] Fig. 10 illustrates an ECU process. In the Chlor-Alkali (ECU) Process among other salt and water are electrochemically decomposed among other into chlorine, hydrogen, and sodium hydroxide using non-renewable energy resources, e. g. electrical energy. By using renewable energy as input to that process a rule-based allocation to all outputs is required. One might call the output "renewable energy derived...” ...hydrogen, ...chlorine, and ...sodium hydroxide. The renewable energy must remain coupled to the products formed within a given balancing period (e. g. 3 months or 1 year).

[0148] The input environmental attribute "renewable energy” can easily be converted into three kinds of environmental attributes associated with each of the three co-products.

[0149] Consumption of the 3 environmental output attributes may occur at independent times, and no separate storage is needed for the output materials.

[0150] Consumption of the 3 environmental output attributes may occur further downstream in other locations of the production network. Each downstream product that requires hydrogen or chlorine or sodium hydroxide is enhanced by the environmental output attributes coming from the ECU process.

[0151] Fig. 11 illustrates a steam cracking process that may fulfil the requirement of certain mass balance standards.

[0152] In the steam cracker among other ethylene, propylene and other olefines, methane and hydrogen gas as well as higher boiling cracker products are produced simultaneously from input butane, LPG, naphtha and utilities such as methane, electricity, steam etc.

[0153] By using renewable energy as input to that cracker process a rule-based allocation to all outputs is required. One might call the output "renewable energy derived...” ... ethylene, ...propylene, ... olefines, and ...higher boiling outputs. The renewable energy must remain coupled to the products formed within a given balancing period (e. g. 3 months or 1 year).

[0154] The input environmental attribute "renewable energy” can easily be converted into multiple kinds of environmental attributes associated to each of the cracker co-products.

[0155] Consumption of the multiple environmental output attributes may occur at independent times, and no separate storage is needed for the output materials. For instance, environmental attribute "renewable energy” linked to propylene can be consumed for downstream propylene-derived sales products, requiring the "proportional allocation mode”.

[0156] Consumption of the multiple environmental output attributes stemming from a single process (I. e. the cracker) may occur further downstream in other locations of the production network. Each downstream product that requires ethylene or propylene or higher boiling outputs is enhanced by the environmental output attributes coming from the cracker process.

[0157] The present disclosure further relates to a non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the method according to the present invention. Computer readable data medium include hard drives, for example on a serv-er, USB storage device, CD, DVD or Blue-ray discs. The computer program may contain all functionalities and data required for execution of the method according to the present invention or it may provide interfaces to have parts of the method processed on remote systems, for ex-ample on a cloud system.

[0158] The present invention further relates to a system or apparatus for determining the sustainability attribute of a product produced in a production process of a production plant. Unless explicitly described differently hereafter, the description relating to the method also applies to the system or apparatus. The system or apparatus can be a computing device, for example a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or a distributed computing system or apparatus or apparatus such as a cloud system. Often the computing device has a network connection in order to communicate with other computing devices, such as servers or a cloud network.

[0159] The present disclosure has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments and examples as well. However, other variations can be understood and effected by those persons skilled in the art and practicing the claimed invention, from the studies of the drawings, this disclosure and the claims.

[0160] Any steps presented herein can be performed in any order. The methods disclosed herein are not limited to a specific order of these steps. It is also not required that the different steps are performed at a certain place or in a certain computing node of a distributed system, i.e. each of the steps may be performed at different computing nodes using different equipment / data processing.

[0161] As used herein "determining” also includes "initiating or causing to determine”, "generating” also includes "initiating and / or causing to generate” and "providing” also includes "initiating or causing to determine, generate, select, send and / or receive”. "Initiating or causing to perform an action” includes any processing signal that triggers a computing node or device to perform the respective action. In the claims as well as in the description the word "comprising” or "including” or similar wording does not exclude other elements or steps and shall not be construed limiting to the elements or steps lined out. The indefinite article "a” or "an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in the mutual different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous implementation or further elements may be included.

[0162] Providing in the scope of this disclosure may include any interface configured to provide data. This may include an application programming interface, a human-machine interface such as a display and / or a software module interface. Providing may include communication of data or submission of data to the interface, in particular display to a user or use of the data by the receiving entity.

[0163] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein relate to methods, systems, apparatuses, devices, chemicals, materials, computer program elements lined out above and vice versa. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples and vice versa.

[0164] All terms and definitions used herein are understood broadly and have their general meaning.

[0165] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein are mere examples for implementing the method, the system or application device disclosed herein and shall not be considered limiting.

Claims

Claims:1 . A method for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material and / or an energy input to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the method comprising: providing input material data and / or utility data associated with the energy input associated with the input material to an operating system of the chemical production network; providing process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more co-products; identifying, based at least in part on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials two or more chemical products including a first chemical product and a second chemical product; determining a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material and / or energy input; allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the first balancing account; and allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or energy input to the second virtual balancing account product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product comprises: determining the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is valid for a balancing period.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein producing the first chemical product comprises: producing the first chemical product within a balancing period.

4. The method of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the first chemical product and the second chemical product cannot be interconverted.

5. The method of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the first digital sustainability credit cannot be allocated to the second chemical product.

6. The method of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the second digital sustain ability credit cannot be allocated to the first chemical product.

7. The method of claim any of the proceeding claims, wherein determining the digital sustainability credit associated with the input material further comprises determining the amount of the input material via a virtual production process.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the digital sustain ability credit associated with the input material via the virtual production process further comprises determining a value associated with the input material.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the value associated with the input material is related to a difference in cost between the input material and a corresponding amount of fossil input material.

10. A non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the method according to any of the preceding claims.

11. A system for attributing at least one sustainability attribute associated with an input material and / or an energy input to two or more chemical products(s), wherein the two or more chemical products(s) are produced by a chemical production network using the input material(s), wherein the chemical production network chemically converts input materials via chemical intermediates to chemical products that exit the chemical production network, the system comprising: an input interface configured to receive (I) input material data associated with one or more input materials and / or utility data associated with the energy input to a chemical production process (ii) process data associated with chemically converting the one or more input materials to two or more coproducts, wherein the two or more chemical products includes a first chemical product and a second chemical product, at least one processor configured to (I) identify, based on the process data, at least one process step producing from the one or more input materials the first chemical product and the second chemical product (ii) determine a first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product and a second digital sustainability credit for the second chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit and the second digital sustainability credit are associated with the input material and / or an energy input, (ill) allocating the first digital sustainability credit to a first virtual balancing account, wherein the first virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the first digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the first virtualbalancing account, and (iv) allocating the second digital sustainability credit to a second virtual balancing account, wherein the second virtual balancing account includes at least one attribution rule for attributing the second digital sustainability credit associated with the input material and / or an energy input to the second virtual balancing account.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product comprises a processor configured to: determine the first digital sustainability credit for the first chemical product, wherein the first digital sustainability credit is valid for a balancing period.

13. The system of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the first chemical product and the second chemical product cannot be interconverted.

14. The system of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the first digital sustainability credit cannot be allocated to the second chemical product.

15. The system of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the second digital sustain ability credit cannot be allocated to the first chemical product.

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