ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES FOR UNSATURATED CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Disclosed are systems for producing an unsaturated compound associated with a digital asset, methods for producing an unsaturated compound associated with a digital asset, apparatuses for generating a digital asset, computer-implemented methods for generating a chemical passport, computer program elements for generating a digital asset, uses of an unsaturated compound associated with a digital asset, uses of a digital asset, products produced from the unsaturated compound and associated with a digital asset, a digital asset including one or more decentral identifier(s) and data related to the environmental impact data, apparatuses for producing a product associated with the digital asset and methods for producing a product associated with the digital asset.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A system for producing an unsaturated chemical compound associated with a digital asset, the system comprising: a chemical production network configured to produce the unsaturated compound wherein the unsaturated compound is produced from one or more input material(s) through one or more chemical process(s) of the chemical production network, wherein the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s) are associated with environmental attribute(s); a production operating apparatus configured to generate the digital asset by providing a decentral identifier associated with the produced unsaturated compound and linking the decentral identifier to the environmental attribute(s).

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the unsaturated compound associated with the digital asset is selected from 1-vinylimidazole, cyclohexyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, hydroxy butyl vinyl ether, vinyl caprolactam, vinyl methyl oxazolidinone, 5-methyl-3-vinyl-oxazolidinon, octadecyl vinyl ether, tert-butyl vinyl ether, aminopropyl vinyl ether, dodecyl vinyl ether, Nvinyl-N-methylacetamide, isobutylvinylether, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylvinylcarbinol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol divinyl ether, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, butanediol divinyl ether, 1,3-divinylimidazolidin-2-one, trivinylcyclohexane, 1,5,9-cyclododecatrienes, cyclohexanedimethanol monovinyl ether, ethinylcyclohexane, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrane or any mixture thereof.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital asset of the unsaturated compound includes mass balanced environmental attributes related to the input material(s).

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more environmental attribute(s) associated with the unsaturated compound are provided from at least one balancing account configured to store environmental attribute(s) associated with input material(s).

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more environmental attribute(s) are associated with at least one property related to the environmental impact of the one or more input material(s) and/or the chemical process(s).

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the production operating apparatus is configured to gather environmental attributes associated with the produced unsaturated compound before, during and/or after production of the unsaturated compound by the chemical production network.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with the unsaturated compound produced through chemical processes from one or more input material(s) provided to the chemical production network include the environmental attribute(s) associated with the input material(s), the chemical process(es) and/or the chemical production network(s).

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with input material(s) are provided before, during and/or after production of the unsaturated compound by the chemical production network, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with input material(s) are allocated to at least one balancing account before, during and/or after production of the unsaturated compound by the chemical production network.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with the produced unsaturated compound relate to environmental properties generated from process data associated with the chemical processing of the input material(s) and/or energy data associated with the energy consumption of the chemical processing, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with the produced unsaturated compound are generated before, during and/or after production of the unsaturated compound by the chemical production network.

25. A method for producing an unsaturated compound associated with a digital asset, wherein the method comprises: producing the unsaturated compound from one or more input material(s) through one or more chemical process(s) of a chemical production network, wherein the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s) are associated with environmental attribute(s); generating the digital asset by providing a decentral identifier associated with the produced unsaturated compound and one or more environmental attribute(s) associated with the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s); linking the decentral identifier and the one or more environmental attribute(s); providing the produced unsaturated compound in association with the digital asset.

26. An unsaturated compound associated with a digital asset including a decentral identifier associated with the unsaturated compound and linked to one or more environmental attribute(s) of the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s) used to produce the unsaturated compound.

27. The unsaturated compound of claim 26, wherein the unsaturated compound is selected from 1-vinylimidazole, cyclohexyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, hydroxy butyl vinyl ether, vinyl caprolactam, vinyl methyl oxazolidinone, 5-methyl-3-vinyl-oxazolidinon, octadecyl vinyl ether, tert-butyl vinyl ether, aminopropyl vinyl ether, dodecyl vinyl ether, N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, isobutylvinylether, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylvinylcarbinol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol divinyl ether, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, butanediol divinyl ether, 1,3-divinylimidazolidin-2-one, trivinylcyclohexane, 1,5,9-cyclododecatrienes, cyclohexanedimethanol monovinyl ether, ethinylcyclohexane, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrane or any mixture thereof.

28. A method for generating a digital asset associated with an unsaturated compound, wherein the unsaturated compound is produced from one or more input material(s) through one or more chemical process(s) of a chemical production network, wherein the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s) are associated with environmental attribute(s), the method comprising: providing a decentral identifier associated with the produced unsaturated compound and one or more environmental attribute(s) of the one or more input material(s) and/or the one or more chemical process(s) used to produce the unsaturated compound; linking the decentral identifier and the environmental attribute(s); providing the digital asset in association with the produced unsaturated compound, wherein the environmental attribute(s) associated with the unsaturated compound is made accessible to a user of the unsaturated compound through the digital asset.

29. A digital asset as generated according to the method of claim 28.

30. A method comprising using the digital asset generated according to the method of claim 28 and producing a product from the unsaturated compound associated with the digital asset.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0079] In the following, the present disclosure is further described with reference to the enclosed figures:

[0080] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an example of a chemical production network producing one or more output material(s) from one or more input material(s) in connection with a production operating system including an attribute management system.

[0081] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically an example of attributing environmental attributes of input materials to output materials of the chemical production network.

[0082] FIG. 3 illustrates schematically an example of attributing environmental attributes of input materials and chemical processes to an output material of the chemical production network.

[0083] FIG. 4 illustrates schematically another example of a method or apparatus for providing environmental attributes associated with output materials to a material user as data consumer via a decentral network.

[0084] FIG. 5 illustrates schematically an example of a method or apparatus for providing environmental attributes of output materials across value chains via the decentral network.

[0085] FIG. 6 illustrates schematically an example of a chemical production network for producing unsaturated compounds associated with the digital asset.

[0086] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a chemical production network 102 producing one or more output material, in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 from one or more input material(s) 100 in connection with a production operating system 106 including an attribute management system.

[0087] For producing one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 different input materials 100 may be provided as physical inputs to the chemical production network 102. The physical input material(s) 100 and output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 may be associated with one or more properties related to environmental impact. The properties related to environmental impact may be digitalized in the form of environmental attributes such as recycled or bio-based content of the input materials. The production operating system 106 may be configured to ingest such environmental attributes and to track the environmental attributes across the chemical production network 102 from input materials 100 to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104.

[0088] The chemical production network 102 may include multiple interlinked processing steps. The chemical production network 102 may be an integrated chemical production network 102 with interrelated production chains. The chemical production network 102 may include multiple different production chains that have at least one intermediate product in common. The chemical production network 102 may include multiple stages of the chemical value chain. The chemical production network 102 may include the producing, refining, processing and/or purification of gas or crude oil. The chemical production network 102 may include a stream cracker, or a syngas plant connected to multiple production chains that output products 104 from the effluent of such plants. The chemical production network 102 may include multiple production chains that output from one or more input material(s) 100 one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104. The chemical production network 102 may include multiple tiers of a chemical value chain. The chemical production network 102 may include a physically interconnected arrangement of production sites. The production sites may be at the same location or at different locations. In the latter case the production sites may be interconnected by means of dedicated transportation systems such as pipelines, supply chain vehicles, like trucks, supply chain ships or other cargo transportation means.

[0089] The chemical production network 102 may chemically convert input materials 100 to one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104. The chemical production network 102 may convert input materials 100 by way of chemical conversion to one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104.

[0090] The input materials 100 may be fed to the chemical production network 102 at any entry point. The input materials 100 may be fed to the chemical production network 102 at the start of the chemical production network 102. Input materials 100 may for example make up the feedstock of a steam cracker. The input material 100 may include non-fossil input material, such as biobased or recycled material, and/or fossil input material for the manufacture of chemical intermediates and chemical output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104.

[0091] The chemical production network 102 may include multiple production steps. The production steps included in the chemical production network 102 may be defined by the system boundary of the chemical production network 102. The system boundary may be defined by location or control over production processes. The system boundary may be defined by the site of the chemical production network 102. The system boundary may be defined by production processes controlled by one entity or multiple entities jointly. The system boundary may be defined by value chain with staggered production processes to an end product, which may be controlled by multiple entities separately. The chemical production network 102 may include a waste collection and sorting step, a recycling step such as pyrolysis, a cracking step such as steam cracking, a separation step to separate intermediates of one process step and further processing steps to convert such intermediates to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 leaving the system boundary of the chemical production network 102.

[0092] The production operating system 106 of the chemical production network 102 may be configured to monitor and/or control the chemical production network 102 based on operating parameters of the different processes. One process step monitored and/or controlled may be the feed of input materials 100 or the release of output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104. Another process step monitored and/or controlled may be the registration of environmental attributes associated with input materials 100 entering the system boundary of the chemical production network 102. Yet another process step monitored and/or controlled may be the attribution of environmental attributes to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 produced via the chemical production network 102. Yet another process step monitored and/or controlled may be the management of environmental attributes associated with input materials 100 and output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 of the chemical production network 102.

[0093] The production operating system 106 may be configured to register inbound environmental attributes and to assign outbound environmental attributes. The production operating system 106 may be configured to access data related the inputs materials 100, the processes and/or the output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 used in the chemical production network 102. For example, the production operating system 106 may be configured to register a recycled or bio-based content of the one or more input material(s) 100 used in the chemical production network 102 as environmental attribute. The production operating system 106 may be configured to allocate the environmental attribute to at least one balancing account associated with the recycled or bio-based content of the input materials 100. The production operating system 106 may be configured to allocate at least a part of the environmental attributes from the at least one balancing account to the at least one output material(s), in particular to the unsaturated compound(s), 104.

[0094] The production operating system 102 may be configured to handle environmental attributes related to the input materials 100 and output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 of the chemical production network 102. For example, the production operating system 106 may be configured to determine environmental attributes associated with the use of input materials 100 impacting the environmental property of the chemical production network 102 and the output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 produced by the chemical production network 102. Further in particular, the production operating system 102 may be configured to determine environmental attributes associated with the output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104. This way the production operating system 102 may be configured to store environmental attributes in balancing accounts or to withdraw environmental attributes from the balancing accounts. The environmental attributes may hence be viewed as a credit that may be deposited in an account or deducted from an account related to the input and output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), of the chemical production network 102. This way the environmental impact of the production may be tracked and/or traced.

[0095] In chemical production networks 102 multiple value chains may be linked. Additionally different input materials 100 or chemical processes impacting the environmental property of output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 produced by the chemical production network 102 may be used. Examples of input materials 100 impacting at least one environmental property of output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 produced from such input materials 100 are recycled, renewable or bio-based input materials 104. Examples of chemical processes impacting the environmental property include chemical processes using environmentally friendly technology such as carbon capture, carbon utilization or heat pumps.

[0096] Owing to the processing of chemicals in continuous or semi-continuous production and the complexity of chemical production networks 102, traceability of the input materials through the network may be hampered. In such scenarios, an equivalent environmental attribute signifying the impact on the environmental property of output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 produced by the chemical production network may be allocated to balancing accounts and assigned to one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 of the chemical production network 102. The environmental attributes may hence be decoupled from the physical material flow inside the chemical production network 102. Decoupling may be based on the mass balance model in that the equivalent amount assigned to the one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) may not exceed the equivalent amount provided by input materials or processes. If an equivalent amount has been allocated to the virtual account of one environmental attribute type, it may not be allocated a second time to another virtual account of the one environmental attribute type. Environmental attribute types may be recycled, bio-based, renewable or the like. Environmental attributes may be provided in the form of digital assets or unsaturated compound passports attached to the physical entity of the unsaturated compound.

[0097] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically an example of attributing environmental attributes associated with input materials 100 to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 of the chemical production network 102.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 1 the chemical production network 102 and operations of the chemical production network 102 may be monitored and/or controlled by a production operating system 106. The production operating system 106 may be configured to track environmental attributes from input materials 100 fed to the chemical production network 102 to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 produced by the chemical production network 102. For tracking the operating system 106 may be configured to register environmental attributes associated with the input materials 100 provided to the chemical production network 102 and to attribute environmental attributes to output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 produced by the chemical production network 102.

[0099] The input materials 100 such as pyrolysis oil, bio-naphtha or bio-gas (in particular biomethane) may be provided to the chemical production network 102. The input materials 100 may enter the chemical production network 104 at the entry point, such as a such as a steam cracker or a syngas plant. The input materials 100 may be used in the chemical production network 102 to produce one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 from the input materials 100. output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s), 104 may be provided at exit points of the chemical production network 102. Further output material(s) may be MDI, TDI, PA6, EPS, PC, Polyols, Caprolactam, adipic acid, HMD, Polyamides.

[0100] On entry of the input material 100, input material data 108 may be provided via a communication network to a computing interface of the production operating system 106. A data provider, such as a QR code reader, may be configured to provide material data 108 related to the one or more input material(s) 100 and respective environmental attributes 108 to a computing interface configured to allocate the environmental attributes associated with the input materials 100. The material data 108 may include the input material identifier and environmental attributes associated with the input materials 100. The input material identifier may be associated with the physical entity of the input material 100 entering the chemical production network 102. The material data may be provided on, prior or after providing of the one or more input material(s) at entry points to the chemical production network 102.

[0101] The input material identifier may be linked to the environmental attribute(s) associated with the respective input material(s) 100, the amount of input material 100 and the certificate certifying the environmental attribute(s). The amount of input material may be a measured amount of input material 100 fed to a plant or storage of the chemical production network 102 for producing one or more output material(s), in particular unsaturated compound(s) 104 from the input material(s) 100. The input material identifier associated with the respective input material 100, the environmental attribute(s) associated with the respective input material(s) 100 and the amount of input material(s) 100 provided to the chemical production network 102 may be provided to the production operating system 106. Such data may be provided via a communication network on entry to chemical production network 102, or the data may be transferred from a computing system to the production operating system 106.

[0102] An inbound allocator 110 may be configured to allocate the one or more environmental attribute(s) to at least one balancing account 112 associated with the respective environmental attribute. For example, one balancing account 112 may relate to environmental attributes from recycled material and another balancing account 112 may relate to environmental attributes from bio-based material. The balancing account may be associated with the respective environmental attribute type, such as bio-based or recycled. Based on such association the balancing account associated with the environmental attribute type of the respective input material 100 may be selected. The environmental attributes may be allocated to the selected balancing account. For example, the account 112 for recycled material may be selected and the environmental attribute may be allocated to such account 122.

[0103] To allocate, the one or more environmental attribute(s) may be converted to balancing units and the balancing units may be allocated to the balancing account 122. 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 environmental attribute. The conversion factor may hence take into account the difference between producing chemical products from conventional input material(s) and producing chemical products from non-conventional input material(s) or producing chemical products from a mix of conventional and non-conventional input materials. The conversion factor may relate to differences in chemical and/or physical properties of conventional and non-conventional input material(s).

[0104] By using the balancing accounts 112 it can be ensured that environmental attributes of input materials 100 are only used once for assignment to unsaturated compounds 104. This way double counting on input or output is avoided to ensure positive environmental impact can be reliable tracked and assigned to unsaturated compounds 104.

[0105] An identifier provider 116 may be configured to provide the unsaturated compound identifier associated with the unsaturated compound produced by the chemical production network 102 and provided at the exit point from the chemical production network 102.

[0106] An outbound assigner 114 may be configured to assign at least one environmental attribute from the at least one balancing account 112 associated with the respective environmental attribute to the unsaturated compound identifier ID2. One or more environmental attribute(s) may be assigned to the at least one unsaturated compound identifier ID2. Assignment may include de-allocation of the one or more environmental attributes from the balancing account 112 associated with the respective environmental attribute type. Assignment may include converting one or more balancing unit(s) to one or more environmental attribute(s).

[0107] Assigning at least one environmental attribute associated with input material(s) to unsaturated compound(s) may include the linking of the unsaturated compounds identifier ID2 with the environmental attribute. The unsaturated compound identifier ID2 may be associated with the physical entity of the unsaturated compound. This way the virtual identifier of a material may be uniquely linked to the physical material. Such linking may include a physical or virtual link of identifiers uniquely associated with the physical material. For physical linking a tag or code may be physically connected to the material, e.g., by printing a QR code on the packaging. For virtual linking different identifiers associated with the physical material may be linked. For example, an order number, a batch number, LOT number or a combination thereof may be linked.

[0108] The outbound assigner 114 may be configured to provide the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound to a data consumer, such as a system associated with a user of the unsaturated compound. The outbound assigner 114 may be configured to provide the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound to a decentral network as will be described in the example of FIG. 4. Environmental attributes may be provided via the above ID based schema in the form of digital assets or unsaturated compound passports associated with the physical entity of the unsaturated compound.

[0109] FIG. 3 illustrates schematically an example of attributing environmental attributes of input materials 100 and chemical processes to the unsaturated compound 104 of the chemical production network 102.

[0110] As described in the context of FIGS. 1 and 2 the chemical production network 102 and operations of the chemical production network 102 may be monitored and/or controlled by a production operating system 106. Input materials 100 such as pyrolysis oil, bio-naphtha or bio-gas (in particular biomethane) may be provided to the chemical production network 102. The input materials 100 may be used in the chemical production network 102 to produce one or more unsaturated compound(s) 104 from the input materials 100.

[0111] On entry of the input material 100, input material data 108 may be provided via a communication network to a computing interface of the production operating system 106. A data provider, such as a QR code reader, may be configured to provide material data 108 related to the one or more input material(s) 100 and respective environmental attributes 108 to a computing interface configured to allocate the environmental attributes associated with the input materials 100. The material data 108 may include the input material identifier and environmental attributes associated with the input materials 100. The input material identifier may be associated with the physical entity of the input material 100 entering the chemical production network 102. The input material identifier may be linked to the carbon footprint of the input material 100 as environmental attribute. The material data may be provided on, prior or after providing of the one or more input material(s) at entry points to the chemical production network 102.

[0112] The inbound allocator 110 may be configured to retrieve the one or more environmental attribute(s) and to provide such attributes to the carbon footprint (CF) generator 120. A process data provider 122 may be configured to gather process data associated with the chemical processing of the input material(s) 100 to produce the unsaturated compound(s) 104. The process data provider 122 may be configured to gather energy data associated with the energy consumption of the chemical processing. The process data provider 122 may be configured to provide the process data and the energy data to the CF generator 120.

[0113] The CF generator 120 may be configured to determine the carbon footprint of the unsaturated compound produced by the chemical production network. The carbon footprint of the of the unsaturated compound may be determined based on the process data, the energy data and the carbon footprint of the input material(s) 100 used to produce the unsaturated compound.

[0114] An identifier provider 116 may be configured to provide the unsaturated compound identifier associated with the unsaturated compound produced by the chemical production network 102 and provided at the exit point from the chemical production network 102.

[0115] An outbound assigner 114 may be configured to assign the determined carbon footprint to the unsaturated compound identifier ID2. One or more environmental attribute(s) may be assigned to the at least one unsaturated compound identifier ID2, such as described in the context of FIG. 2.

[0116] The outbound assigner 114 may be configured to provide the environmental attributes, in particular the carbon footprint, associated with the unsaturated compound to a data consumer, such as a system associated with a user of the unsaturated compound. The outbound assigner 114 may be configured to provide the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound to a decentral network as will be described in the example of FIG. 4. Environmental attributes may be provided via the above ID based schema in the form of digital assets or unsaturated compound passports associated with the physical entity of the unsaturated compound.

[0117] FIG. 4 illustrates schematically an example of a method or apparatus for providing environmental attributes associated with unsaturated compounds to a material user as data consumer via a decentral network.

[0118] The unsaturated compound 104 as produced by the chemical production network 102 may be provided in association with the digital asset as described in the context of FIGS. 2 and 3. The digital asset may include the unsaturated compound identifier. The digital asset may include one or more environmental attribute(s) such as the product carbon footprint, recycled content or bio-based content. The digital asset may relate to one or more environmental attribute(s) such as the product carbon footprint, recycled content or bio-based content. The digital asset may include a digital representation of one or more environmental attribute(s) such as the product carbon footprint, recycled content or bio-based content.

[0119] The digital asset may further include or relate to authentication and/or authorization information linked to the unsaturated compound identifier. The authentication and/or authorization information may be provided for authentication and/or authorization of a data providing service 208 and/or data consuming service 210. The unsaturated compound identifier may include or relate to a decentral identifier, that is uniquely associated with the unsaturated compound. The decentral identifier may be connected to the digital representation of the environmental attributes. The digital representation may include a representation for accessing the environmental attributes or parts thereof. The decentral identifier may include a Universally Unique IDentifier (UUID) or a Digital IDentifier (DID). The decentral identifier may include any unique identifier uniquely associated with a data owner and/or unsaturated compound. The data owner may be the producer of the unsaturated compound. Via the decentral identifier and its unique association with the data owner and/or unsaturated compound access to the material configuration data may be controlled by the data owner.

[0120] The digital asset including the digital representation of one or more environmental attribute(s) such as the product carbon footprint, recycled content or bio-based content may be stored in a decentral data base 200. The one or more environmental attribute(s) such as the product carbon footprint, recycled content or bio-based content may be stored in a data base 202 associated with the data owner, such as the producer of the unsaturated compound 104.

[0121] The unsaturated compound 104 may be physically delivered to a user of the unsaturated compound. The unsaturated compound may be connected with a QR-code having encoded the unsaturated compound identifier. The user of the unsaturated compound may read the QR-code through a QR-code reader 206. The unsaturated compound identifier may be provided to a data base 208 associated with the consumer of the unsaturated compound 104. In other embodiments the consumer of the unsaturated compound may retrieve the unsaturated compound identifier through the decentral data base 200.

[0122] The data owner in this example may be the input material producer, the output material producer, the output material user, the end product producer. The data owner may comprise any entity generating data. The data generating node may be coupled to the data owner or the entity owning or producing physical products from or for which data is generated. The data may be generated by a third-party entity on behalf of the entity owning physical products from or for which data is generated.

[0123] The data consuming service 210 may comprise computer-executable instructions for accessing and/or processing data, such as unsaturated compound data, associated with the data owner. The data providing service 210 may comprise computer-executable instructions for providing and/or processing data, such as unsaturated compound data, associated with the data owner for accessing and/or processing by the data consuming service 214.

[0124] Based on the received unsaturated compound identifier a request to access the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound identifier may be triggered by the data consuming service 210 as signified by arrow 212. The unsaturated compound identifier may be provided to the data providing service 214 associated with or of the producer of the unsaturated compound 104. In addition, authentication and/or authorization information may be provided.

[0125] The request may be authenticated and/or authorized to access the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound identifier. Based on successful authorization and/or authentication access to the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound identifier may be granted.

[0126] For access the unsaturated compound identifier may be provided to the data providing service 214 as signified by arrow 212. The data providing service 214 may use the received unsaturated compound identifier to retrieve the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound 104 as signified by arrows 218 and 220. The environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound 104 provided to the data providing service 214 may be provided to the data consuming service 210 as signified by arrow 216. The environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound 104 may be stored in the data base 208 associated with the user of the unsaturated compound 104 as signified by arrow 220.

[0127] Through the output identifier or decentral identifier, the environmental attributes can be uniquely associated with the unsaturated compound. Through the decentral network the environmental attributes may be transferred between the producer of the unsaturated compound and the user of the unsaturated compound. This way the environmental attributes can be shared with unique association to the unsaturated compound and without central intermediary directly between the value chain players. This allows for transparency of environmental attributes across the value chain and positive environmental impacts from unsaturated compounds produced by the chemical production network 102 can be tracked through the value chain.

[0128] FIG. 5 illustrates schematically an example of a method or apparatus for providing environmental attributes associated with unsaturated compounds across value chains via the decentral network.

[0129] In the example of FIG. 5 a fully connected value chain including the chemical production network is illustrated. In the example, the input material provider, the unsaturated compound producer, the unsaturated compound user and the end product producer may be connected to the decentral network as described in the context of FIG. 4. Environmental attributes may be provided via the ID based schema described in the context of FIGS. 2-4 in the form of digital assets or unsaturated compound passports associated with the physical entity of the input material, the unsaturated compound, any intermediate product or the end product.

[0130] The input material provider may provide the input materials such as bio-gas or pyrolysis oil. The environmental attributes of the input material may be provided through the data providing service connected to the decentral network as described in the context of FIG. 4. The unsaturated compound producer may produce the unsaturated compound from the input material(s) provided to the chemical production network. The unsaturated compound producer may access the environmental attributes associated with the input material through a data consuming service connected to the decentral network as described in the context of FIG. 4. The unsaturated compound producer may manage the environmental attributes via the production operating system as described in the context of FIGS. 1 to 3. The unsaturated compound producer may assign the environmental attributes associated with the input materials or environmental attributes associated with the chemical production network such as the carbon footprint, to the unsaturated compounds as described in the context of FIGS. 1 to 3. The unsaturated compound producer may provide the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound through the data providing service connected to the decentral network as described in the context of FIG. 4. The unsaturated compound user or the end product producer may access the environmental attributes associated with the unsaturated compound through the data consuming service connected to the decentral network as described in the context of FIG. 4.

[0131] The respective data owners in this example may be the input material producer, the output material producer, the output material user, the end product producer. The data owner may comprise any entity generating data. The data generating node may be coupled to the data owner or the entity owning or producing physical products from or for which data is generated. The data may be generated by a third-party entity on behalf of the entity owning physical products from or for which data is generated.

[0132] The data consuming service may comprise computer-executable instructions for accessing and/or processing data, such as unsaturated compound data, associated with the data owner. The data providing service may comprise computer-executable instructions for providing and/or processing data, such as unsaturated compound data, associated with the data owner for accessing and/or processing by the data consuming service.

[0133] In the example of FIG. 5 the decentral identifier may relate to the end product. Such decentral identifier may be provided to the value chain participants. Via the end product specific decentral identifier data associated with the end product produced from the unsaturated compound may be gathered across the production chain and assigned to the end product specific decentral identifier. For example, the one or more environmental attribute(s) associated with the end product may be derived from the environmental attribute(s) associated with the unsaturated compound, the input material or any other product entity present in the value chain of the end product.

[0134] This way the environmental attributes of input materials, unsaturated compounds and any products produced from unsaturated compounds may be tracked through the value chain up to the end product. By tracking the environmental attributes of materials in such way the information can be made transparent across the value chain while the information flow can be controlled by the participants in the supply chain. In addition, the environmental attributes can be handled according to the individual participants needs by production operating systems as described in the context of FIGS. 1 to 3. Overall, such tracking enables tracking of positive environmental impact by individual supply chain participants, which makes positive environmental impacts transparent and attributable to individual supply chain participants.

[0135] FIG. 6 illustrates schematically an example of a chemical production network for producing diethylene glycol divinyl ether associated with the digital asset. The example of FIG. 6 is an illustrative example and should not be considered limiting.

[0136] In the example of FIG. 6 biomethane and natural gas (fossil methane) may be provided to the chemical production network for producing as an example diethylene glycol divinyl ether. Bio methane and natural gas may be the input materials in this example as mixed feedstock. From biomethane and natural gas ethyne and other intermediate materials may be produced. From ethyne and diethylene glycol diethylene glycol divinyl ether and other products, such as intermediate materials or output materials, may be produced.

[0137] In the example of FIG. 6 the bio-based content of biomethane as non-fossil input material may be tracked. As described in the context of FIG. 2, the bio-based content of biomethane at the start of the diethylene glycol divinyl ether production chain may be registered via the production operating system 106. Here the bio-based content of biomethane may be allocated to the balancing account 112 for bio-based content. The environmental attribute of the bio-based content of biomethane is hence detached from the mass flows of the chemical processing in the chemical production network 102 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0138] For attribution of the bio-based content of the biomethane used to produce the diethylene glycol divinyl ether, the bio-based content may be determined. The bio-content attributable to diethylene glycol divinyl ether production may be based on mass conservation attributable to the produced diethylene glycol divinyl ether. For example, only half of the bio-based content may be attributable to the diethylene glycol divinyl ether and the other half may be attributable to other output products resulting from the biomethane as input material. The environmental attribute bio-based content may be attributed to such extend to the diethylene glycol divinyl ether.

[0139] In the system shown in FIG. 2, the environmental attribute associated with the production of diethylene glycol divinyl ether may be attributed to the produced diethylene glycol divinyl ether by associating the decentral ID to the diethylene glycol divinyl ether and assigning the environmental attribute to the decentral ID. By linking the ID and the environmental attribute, the environmental attribute may be uniquely linked to the produced diethylene glycol divinyl ether. The diethylene glycol divinyl ether may be delivered to the diethylene glycol divinyl ether user. The packaging such as containers with diethylene glycol divinyl ether may include a QR-code. The decentral ID may be included or encoded to the QR code. This way the diethylene glycol divinyl ether user may access the environmental attributes associated to the diethylene glycol divinyl ether via the ID based protocol described in the context of FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0140] Similarly to this example the chemical production network for producing diethylene glycol divinyl ether associated with the digital asset may be based on the method illustrated in FIG. 3 for carbon footprints.

[0141] 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.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] In the claims as well as in the description the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps and 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.

[0145] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein relate to the methods, the systems, devices, the computer program element 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.

[0146] All terms and definitions used herein are understood broadly and have their general meaning.