Steven Van Passel full research professor - vice-rector

Research methods Steven Van Passel

I use (i) environmental valuation methods, (ii) systemic techno-economic assessments; (iii) sustainability assessment methods.

A wide range of environmental valuation methods exists. Hedonic pricing is one of the most common revealed preference methods. The Ricardian method to estimate the economic impact of climate change is also based on the concept of surrogate markets. Discrete choice modelling is commonly used as stated valuation technique including non-use values. Additional, alternative methods are developed, for example to value biodiversity using bio-economic modelling.

Examples of papers using valuation methods:

  • Vanschoenwinkel, J., Lizin, S., Swinnen, G., Azadi, H., Van Passel, S. 2014. Solar cooking in Senegalese Villages: an application of best-worst scaling. Energy Policy 67: 447-458 (IF: 2.58)
  • Lizin, S., Van Passel, S., Vranken, L. 2016 Heterogeneity in the Solar-Powered Consumer Electronics Market: A Discrete Choice Experiments Study. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells. 156:140-146 (IF: 5.34)
  • Peeters, L., Schreurs, E., Van Passel, S. 2017. Heterogeneous impact of soil contamination on farmland prices in the Belgian Campine region: Evidence from unconditional quantile regressions. Environmental and Resource Economics 66: 135-168 (IF: 1.67)
  • Van Oijstaeijnen, W., Van Passel, S., Cools, J., Janssens, J., Hugé, J., Berihun, D., Ejigu, N., Nyssen, J. 2020. Farmers’ preferences towards water hyacinth control in Lake Tana: a contingent valuation study. Journal of Great Lakes Research 46: 1459-1468 (IF: 2.48)
  • Bjornavold, A., Lizin, S., Van Dael, M., Arnold, F., Van Passel, S. 2020. Eliciting policymakers' preferences for technologies to decarbonise transport: a discrete choice experiment. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 35: 21-34 (IF: 9.68)
  • Srivastava, A., Van Passel, S., Kessels, R., Valkering, P., Laes, E. 2020. Reducing Winter Peaks in Electricity Consumption: A Choice Experiment to Structure Demand Response Programs. Energy Policy 137: 111183 (IF: 6.14)
  • Van Oijstaeijen, W., Van Passel, S., Back, P., Cools, J. 2022. The politics of green infrastructure: a discrete choice experiment with Flemish local decision-makers. Ecological Economics 199 107493 (IF: 6.54)

A techno-economic assessment (TEA) is a valid integrated technological and economic assessment method. It is essential to foster the development of clean technologies. TEA provides guidance to technology providers, and policy makers. Uncertainty can be tackled by sensitivity analysis or real option analysis.

Examples of papers using techno-economic assessments:

  • Van Dael, M., Van Passel, S., Pelkmans, L., Guisson, R., Reumermann, P., Marquez Luzardo, N., Witters, N., Broeze, J. 2013. A techno-economic evaluation of a biomass energy conversion park. Applied Energy 104: 611-622 (IF: 5.26)
  • Compernolle. T., Van Passel, S., Huisman, K., Kort, P. 2014. The option to abandon: stimulating innovative groundwater remediation technologies characterized by technological uncertainty. Science of the Total Environment 496: 63-74 (IF: 4.10)
  • Thomassen, G., Egiguren Vila, U., Van Dael, M., Lemmens, B., Van Passel, S. 2016. A techno-economic assessment of an algal-based biorefinery. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 18: 1849-1862 (IF: 1.93)
  • Van Nijen, K., Van Passel, S, Squires, D. 2018. A stochastic techno-economic assessment of seabed mining of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. Marine Policy 95:133-141 (IF: 2.11)
  • Larrain, M., Van Passel, S., Thomassen, G., Van Gorp, B., Nhu Thy, T., Huysveld, S., Van Geem, K., De Meester, S., Billen, P. 2021. Techno-economic assessment of mechanical recycling of challenging post-consumer plastic packaging waste. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 170: 105607 (IF: 10.20)
  • Tschulkow, M., Compernolle, T., Van den Bosch, S., Van Aelst, J., Storms, I., Van Dael, M., Van den Bossche, G., Sels, B. Van Passel, S. 2020. Integrated techno-economic assessment of a biorefinery process: the high-end valorization of the lignocellulosic fraction in wood streams. Journal of Cleaner Production 266, 122022 (IF: 9.30)
  • Brienza, F., Van Aelst, K., Devred, F., Magnin, D., Tschulkow, M., Nimmegeers, P., Van Passel, S., Sels, B.F., Gerin, P., Debecker, D.P., Cybulska, I. 2022. Unleashing lignin potential through the dithionite-assisted organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass. Chemical Engineering Journal 138179 (IF: 16.74)

Sustainability assessment brings economic, social and environmental information together. I developed and applied the sustainable value approach to assess farm performance. The combination of different metrics combining environmental and economic aspects is an interesting approach to assess sustainability performance. Techno-economic assessment (TEA), life cycle costing (LCC), life cycle analysis (LCA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA), including the valuation of externalities, are important methodological components towards sustainability assessments.

Examples of papers using sustainability assessments:

  • Van Passel, S., Meul, M. 2012. Multilevel and multi-user sustainability assessment of farming systems. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 32: 170-180  (IF: 2.05)
  • Ang, F., Van Passel, S., 2012. Beyond the environmentalist’s paradox and the debate on weak versus strong sustainability. Bioscience 62: 251-259 (IF: 4.74)
  • Hoogmartens, R., Van Passel, S., Van Acker, K., Dubois, M. 2014. Bridging the gap between LCA, LCC and CBA as sustainability tools. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 48: 27-33 (IF: 2.40)
  • Thomassen, G., Van Dael, M., Lemmens, B., Van Passel, S. 2017. A review of the sustainability of algal-based biorefineries: Towards an integrated assessment framework. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 68: 876-887 (IF: 6.80)
  • Van Schoubroeck, S., Springael, J., Van Dael, M., Malina, R., Van Passel, S. 2019. Sustainability indicators for biobased chemicals: A Delphi study using multi-criteria decision analysis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 114:198-208 (IF: 5.12)
  • Thomassen, G., Van Dael, M., You, F., Van Passel, S. 2019. A multi-objective optimization-extended environmental techno-economic assessment: Exploring the optimal microalgal-based value chain. Green Chemistry 21: 5945-5959 (IF: 9.48)
  • Rafiaani, P., Kuppens, T., Thomassen, G., Van Dael, M., Azadi, H., Lebailly, Ph, Van Passel, S. 2020. A critical view on social performance assessment at company level: Social life cycle analysis of an algae case. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 25: 363-381 (IF: 4.14)
  • Buyle, M., Maes, B., Van Passel, S., Boonen, K., Vercalsteren, A., Audenaert, A. 2021. Ex-ante LCA of emerging carbon steel slag treatment technologies: Fast forwarding lab observations to industrial-scale production. Journal of Cleaner Production 313: 127921 (IF: 9.30)
  • Sauve, G., Esguerra, J.-L., Laner, D., Johansson, J., Svensson, N., Van Passel, S., Van Acker, K. 2023. Integrated early-stage environmental and economic assessment of emerging technologies and its applicability to the case of plasma gasification. Journal of Cleaner Production 382: 134684 (IF: 11.07)