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Life Cycle Energy Consumption and Environmental Assessment for utilizing Biofuels in the Development of a Sustainable Transportation System in Ethiopia
Abstract
Ethiopia’s transportation sector is currently dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles running using imported petroleum oil. Due to shortages in hard currency, a rising economy and population growth, and rapid industrialization, energy security to meet the national demand for transport is a quite severe problem. As a result, Ethiopia is strengthening its effort to look for clean alternative energy sources, such as biofuels and electricity. Ethiopia’s biofuel program relies on cane molasses-based ethanol and jatropha based biodiesel for blending into conventional petroleum fuels. In order to investigate the sustainability of Ethiopian biofuel production and use in transportation fuels in terms of their energy balance and environmental impacts, well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis was conducted. The WTW energy saving, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction benefits and criteria air pollutants of blending different commonly used ratios of ethanol with gasoline, biodiesel with diesel and electricity mix (mostly (90%) from hydropower) were analysed in the Ethiopian situation. It is found that both ethanol and biodiesel production has shown net energy gain and reductions in GHG emissions which indicates sustainability and, therefore, could be good substitutes for petroleum fuels if their production pathways are properly managed and implemented. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) fuelled with a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline (E85) could save 65% fossil fuels and 29% of GHG emission reductions compared to neat gasoline vehicles. Compared to neat diesel vehicles, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel (B20) powered vehicles could save 15% fossil energy and could remove 12% of GHG emissions per kilometre driven. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) with biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), gasoline, and diesel showed higher savings of fossil fuel energy and less GHG emissions in every scenario.
... Selain itu, upaya lain yang umum dilakukan dalam menjaga keberlanjutan lingkungan meliputi penerapan teknologi ramah lingkungan, pengelolaan sumber daya alam secara berkelanjutan, dan advokasi untuk kebijakan lingkungan yang lebih ketat. Teknologi hijau seperti energi terbarukan, pengolahan limbah yang efisien, dan transportasi berkelanjutan dapat membantu mengurangi jejak lingkungan dan memperbaiki kualitas udara dan air (Desta et al., 2022;Ishaq & Dincer, 2024). Selain itu, pengelolaan sumber daya alam dengan cara yang berkelanjutan, termasuk penghijauan kawasan, restorasi ekosistem, dan pelestarian habitat satwa liar, juga menjadi langkah penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem (Broadbent et al., 2015;Wedayanti et al., 2023). ...
Urgensi penelitian ini terletak pada kebutuhan mendesak untuk mengatasi masalah ekologis di Indonesia dengan mengadopsi temuan studi global yang relevan menjadi kebijakan adaptif yang sesuai dengan konteks lokal. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengisi kesenjangan dalam literatur dengan menyediakan panduan konkret bagi pengambilan keputusan dalam upaya menjaga keberlanjutan ekologis di Indonesia, serta memperkuat kapasitas negara dalam merumuskan dan melaksanakan kebijakan yang berkelanjutan secara lingkungan. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis bibliometrik dengan data dari database Scopus untuk mendapatkan pemahaman yang mendalam tentang tren penelitian, tema, dan kontribusi para peneliti dalam domain keberlanjutan ekologis. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan melakukan filter pada pencarian keyword berdasarkan judul “ecological sustainability”. Tahapan ini berhasil mengumpulkan dokumen relevan sebanyak 1,550 dokumen. Alat analisis yang dimaksimalkan yaitu memanfaatkan Vosviewer. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa tren peningkatan minat penelitian dalam keberlanjutan ekologis, terutama setelah tahun 2010, menyoroti kesadaran global tentang urgensi masalah lingkungan. Namun, kontribusi Indonesia dalam literatur ilmiah global masih terbatas, sementara pemetaan tematema menunjukkan bahwa beberapa aspek, seperti ekonomi, inovasi, dan energi terbarukan, memerlukan eksplorasi lebih lanjut. Dalam konteks ini, literatur global menjadi sumber berharga untuk menginformasikan kebijakan adaptif untuk Indonesia, memungkinkan pengembangan langkah-langkah konkret yang responsif terhadap dinamika sosial, ekonomi, dan ekologis. Dengan memperkuat kerjasama lintas sektor, meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat, dan mendorong inovasi serta investasi dalam energi alternatif dan terbarukan, Indonesia dapat maju menuju sistem ekonomi yang ramah lingkungan dan berkelanjutan, merespons tantangan keberlanjutan ekologis secara efektif. Pemerintah Indonesia harus memainkan peran utama dalam implementasi kebijakan adaptif untuk mencapai keberlanjutan ekologis.
... Because biofuels offer a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels, they are crucial in decarbonizing the transportation sector and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Therefore, integrating biofuels into existing transportation systems, such as blending them with gasoline or diesel, can immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions without requiring major infrastructure changes [140]. For instance, using liquid biofuels like bioethanol and biodiesel in transportation can seriously influence the decision to adopt biofuels [141]. ...
Biofuels, obtained from locally developed biomass, provide a sustainable energy alternative to reduce reserve depletion, environmental pollution, and rising energy demand in emerging economies like Bangladesh. These fuels can deal with the concerns about energy security through the diversification of the energy mix and mitigation of dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels. Given the ongoing energy shortages, inadequate policy frameworks, and escalating energy demands prompted by population growth and industrial expansion, biofuels have emerged as a sustainable solution. Therefore, this study tries to investigate the biofuel production and adoption drivers employing an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. Specifically, it combines the interval-valued type 2 intuitionistic fuzzy (IVT2IF) theory and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to determine, rank, and assess the correlation among the drivers that affect the sustainable production and adoption of biofuel in emerging economies like Bangladesh. The drivers were initially extracted through a systematic literature review of the existing literature. Followed by expert validation, 17 drivers were chosen for analysis utilizing the IVT2IF-DEMATEL technique. The findings suggest that "facilitating advanced R&D and efficient training regimen", "promoting technological advancements", "enhanced energy security and resilience," and "development of the diversified renewable energy mix" are the most significant drivers, with prominence values 15.616, 15.467, 15.164, and 15.067, respectively. Furthermore, "streamlining bio-waste management processes" holds the highest significance as a causal driver (with a causal weight of 1.290), which is trailed by "commercialization of biofuel retrofits" and "efficient agricultural resource management" (which have causal weights of 0.696 and 0.505, respectively). The study's actionable insights can potentially aid policymakers and decision-makers in formulating investment policies and long-term strategic planning focusing on areas including R&D, infrastructure development, technology, waste management, and renewable energy to achieve energy security, sustainability, and carbon neutrality in Bangladesh.
... Wind and solar energy, both abundant and inexhaustible, enhance energy stability and reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. Among renewable energy solutions, wind power is particularly promising due to its high efficiency in areas with consistent wind patterns and its lower land use compared to solar farms, allowing for dual land use in agriculture [64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79]. ...
Self-starting torque (T_Self-starting) presents a significant challenge for Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines (DVAWTs), often necessitating external assistance to initiate rotation. This study addresses the issue by optimizing airfoil design, employing embossed blades (EBs), and adjusting blade height (H) to reduce T_Self-starting. From an analysis of 43 rotors at a chord-based Reynolds number (Rec) of 45,192, national advisory committee for aeronautics (NACA) 0015, NACA4412, and NACA4415 rotors were selected for their superior power coefficients (Cp). These rotors were optimized using double-multiple streamtube theory (DMST) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), focusing on the thickness-to-chord ratio (TCR). Among them, the NACA0015-Opt rotor achieved the highest Cp, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing DVAWT efficiency. This study also investigates the effect of H on the performance of EBs, comparing H of 35 cm and 75 cm. Experimental findings reveal that combining airfoil optimization with EBs, along with an increased H, leads to a substantial decrease in T_self-starting. Specifically, higher H enhance the aerodynamic performance of EBs by improving airflow over the blade surface, further reducing drag and contributing to a significant reduction in T_self-starting. At a H of 75 cm, the embossed blade Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (EB-DVAWT) equipped with the optimized NACA0015-Opt rotor required 15.92 %, 17.04 %, 18.12 %, 21.23 %, 52.06 %, 49.23 %, 51.25 %, 35.20 %, 14.12 %, and 9.09 % less T_self-starting at wind velocities (U∞) of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 9.5 m/s, respectively, compared to the baseline smooth blade Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (SB-DVAWT) with the original NACA0015 rotor.
... Compared to ICE vehicles and conventional hybrids, PHEVs have the lowest Well to Wheel (WtW) fossil energy consumption and GHG emissions [12]. The weighted CO 2 emissions calculated from the laboratory tests and using the official utility factors [13] further demonstrated the potential for significant emission savings when compared to conventional vehicles [14,15]. ...
... • Establishing biofuel farms and oil-producing facilities in rural areas can promote the use of biofuel for household energy, farming machinery, and transportation in accordance with the country's blending policy [32,33]. This can also stimulate infrastructure growth by attracting investments to rural areas with biofuel potential and reduce deforestation by limiting the use of fuelwood for domestic energy use. ...
Ethiopia is committed to using sustainable energy sources due to the limited availability of traditional fuel and their environmental damage. This study examines the viability of biofuels as an alternative fuel source in Ethiopia for community’s sustainable transition to cleaner energy. The research reviews relevant publications, policies, initiatives, and programs, identifies barriers to implementation, and collects data through literature reviews, community discussions and observations of energy experts. Ethiopia has 8.6 million hectares available for energy crops and governmental policies are encouraging the use of clean fuels. The study suggests that biofuel can support rural development and environmental sustainability. However, challenges to the widespread adoption of alternative fuels by communities exist such as flawed policies, limited technical skills, insufficient maintenance experts, a scarcity of biofuel production companies, and inadequate markets for biofuel seeds. To achieve a sustainable future through the use of clean energy in the country, policy interventions and investment strategies are necessary. All stakeholders must adopt policies and develop capacity-building programs while providing incentives for developers and users.
... Compared to ICE vehicles and conventional hybrids, PHEVs have the lowest Well to Wheel (WtW) fossil energy consumption and GHG emissions [12]. The weighted CO 2 emissions calculated from the laboratory tests and using the official utility factors [13] further demonstrated the potential for significant emission savings when compared to conventional vehicles [14,15]. ...
... Producing biofuel efficiently is crucial for sustainability, particularly in terms of land use, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions [17]. According to Desta et al. [18], the production of ethanol and biodiesel results in a net energy gain and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating sustainability. To decrease emissions, it is recommended to utilize renewable and ecofriendly fuels like biodiesel and other unconventional options, according to emission norms [14]. ...
... The consumption of petroleum and other liquid fuels in developing countries of the Asian continent has been found to have a positive correlation with life expectancy. The higher use of liquid fuels in transportation is evidence of an economy characterized by heightened commerce and commercial operations, fostering economic expansion and prospects (Desta et al., 2022). Sufficient transport infrastructure facilitates enhanced mobility, improving accessibility to essential services such as healthcare facilities (Das et al., 2022). ...
Life expectancy is critical in determining living conditions in modern societies, making it a vital focus for policymakers. This research employs a panel quantile regression model (ranging from 0.05 to 0.95) in Asian countries from 2000 to 2018. The study investigates the impact of economic growth, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, carbon emissions, and government health services on life expectancy. The findings reveal that economic growth affects life expectancy only at the 0.95th quantiles while negatively influencing lower and medium quantiles. Conversely, carbon emissions have a significant adverse effect on life expectancy across all quantiles. Hydroelectricity negatively affects life expectancy at low and high quantiles, except at the 0.95th quantile. On the other hand, higher levels of petroleum and other liquids intake demonstrate positive effects on life expectancy in all quantiles. Government-provided healthcare significantly improves life expectancy in the lowest and middle quantiles, but its impact diminishes in the highest quantile. These findings underscore the importance of fostering growth and productivity through improved organizational structures. Simultaneously, efforts toward environmental sustainability and clean energy sources are essential for a thriving ecosystem. Yet, effective use of renewable energy and technical endeavors is essential to ensuring environmental sustainability and a thriving ecosystem as part of establishing a clean form of energy sources.
... As a result, a minimal biorefinery technique was required. Furthermore, a number of worldwide efforts are now underway to use Dunaliella salina to construct a sustainable CO 2 biorefinery (Goswami et al., 2022;Desta et al., 2022). ...
Today, fossil fuel is the primary source of energy worldwide. Because of rising global population and demands, the decline of fossil energy is a problem for future supply. Aside from accessibility, pollutants created by fuel combustion are a global health and environmental issue, contributing to global climate changes, destruction of the environment, and air-pollution-related illnesses, which result in countless deaths globally annually. We define biofuel as any liquid, gasoline, and solid gasoline derived predominantly from sustainable biomass resources. Biofuels act as a connection between both the rural and electrical industries since food crops are the primary fertilizers in biofuel production. The aim of this paper is to know about the second generation of biofuels, its types, benefits, and drawbacks, and its production. Employment growth and regional growth will most likely be the key determinants of second-generation biofuel project implementation in key markets and emerging nations. More study is needed to guarantee that second-generation biofuels will deliver financial advantages to undeveloped nations.
... However, sotol distilleries can implement eco-friendly technologies for the road transport of inputs and byproducts, such as biofuels [27] and hybrid trucks [28]. Eriksson et al. (2016) mentioned that using biodiesel instead of diesel is a strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions generated when transporting raw materials and auxiliaries. ...
Sotol is a distilled spirit made in the north of Mexico produced from the wild plant Dasylirion wheeleri. Although sotol was awarded the Designation of Origin (DO) in 2002 and has an economic influence on the DO region, its environmental profile has not been determined. For that reason, this paper reports a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of the industrial sotol production process in the Mexican state of Chihuahua to determine any significant environmental impacts caused by sotol production from raw material acquisition to the packaging stage. The LCA was modeled using SimaPro 8.5.2 software (PRé Sustainability, Amersfoort, The Netherlands) and the environmental impacts were calculated using the CML-IA baseline v3.03/EU25 impact assessment technique. The findings reveal that sotol beverage manufacturing considerably affects three of the eleven impact categories selected and that the harvesting and bottling stages have the greatest negative environmental impact of all the sotol production stages. According to empirical data, one bottle (750 mL) of sotol results in a higher carbon dioxide value than any other spirit evaluated in earlier LCA studies, with white, rested, and aged sotol generating 5.07, 5.12, and 5.13 kg CO2 eq, respectively. Other drinks, such as mescal, classic gin, and whisky generate only 1.7, 0.91, and 2.25 kg CO2 eq, respectively. In conclusion, sotol distillery companies should start to decrease road transport of raw materials used in the packaging stage and begin to cultivate sotol instead of extracting it from the wild as strategies to achieve cleaner production.
... Furthermore, taking the transient fuel consumptions penalties caused by the engine combustion mode switching into consideration, Zhang et al. optimized the supervisory controller of the dual-mode DHE-based hybrid powertrain using a finite state machine-based penalty model [38], which realized notable fuel usage reduction by precise control of the dual-mode combustion-based hybrid powertrain. Though the independent contributions of each technology, including biofuel [2,39], high-efficiency combustion [40] and supervisory control systems [41], can be found separately in the state of the art literature, to the best of the author's knowledge, there are few studies investigate the synergistic de-carbonization effect of bio-ethanol and advanced combustion for hybrid electric vehicles under various supervisory control strategies. Therefore, the contribution of this work is to quantify the benefits of combining advanced SICI-SI engine with bio-ethanol as the primary fuel under optimized control strategies, in terms of actual implementation performance of energy conversion efficiency and WTW CO 2 emissions. ...
The advanced combustion-based dedicated hybrid engines (DHEs) operating with biofuels demonstrate great advantages to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To explore the potential of this solution, the synergistic effect of bio-ethanol and spark-induced compression ignition (SICI) combustion with reliance on efficient supervisory control systems is evaluated for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. This article is pioneered with the forward engineering of SICI combustion engine for plug-in hybrid biofuel-electric vehicles (PHBEVs) by optimizing the high-efficiency region of SICI combustion system for the PHBEV with dynamic programming (DP)-based case studies, after which the DHE prototype is produced using one-dimension and three-dimension engine digital twin models. Further, experimental test data of the optimized DHE is used to model the PHBEV in GT-Suite and MATLAB/Simulink software, and its charge-sustaining (CS) performance with rule-based control and adaptive equivalent minimization control strategy (A-ECMS) under both homologation and real-world driving cycles is evaluated and compared with the offline DP. The results show that the SICI combustion engine-based PHBEV with ethanol blending from E20 to E100 can reduce the well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 emissions by 28% to 75%, respectively, where more than 7% of the reduction is contributed by control system optimization using A-ECMS. Moreover, the digital twin-based simulation platform developed in this work can be applied to evaluate and optimize the advanced combustion engines and supervisory controllers for hybrid biofuel-electric vehicles.
In Ethiopia, a Life Cycle Analysis of Jatropha-based biodiesel was conducted using the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model to assess energy consumption, efficiency, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the well-to-tank (WTT) and well-to-wheel stages. The inventory analysis involved field surveys and scenarios to evaluate energy savings, emission reductions, and air pollutants in biodiesel-diesel blends. In the WTT analysis, the energy consumption for producing 1 MJ of Jatropha-based biodiesel was found to be 0.43 MJ under rain-fed and 0.68 MJ under irrigated conditions. The net energy value was positive, and the net energy ratio was higher compared to that in other countries. The results show that GHG emissions at 19.8 g CO2 eq/MJ during the WTT stage can reduce environmental impacts by up to 45–87% depending on the type of irrigation used. When examining the global warming potential, it was found that the cultivation of Jatropha accounted for the highest share of GHG at 57.58%, followed by the biodiesel production process at 23.88%. On the other hand, vehicles employing B20 blend could replace 14.78% of fossil energy use and reduce 13.95% of GHG emissions per km, compared to pure diesel vehicle.
Global environmental quality has been negatively affected by urbanization, particularly vulnerable in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanism and driving forces for the change of environmental quality with urbanization process is essential to improve the environmental sustainability. In this study, the compounded night light index (CNLI) and remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) were used respectively to evaluate the urbanization level and environmental quality in Ethiopia from 2010 to 2020. On this basis, a temporospatial assessment framework was proposed, followed by methods of coupling coordination degree, spatial autocorrelation, elasticity, and decomposition. The results showed that 63 out of 690 woredas experienced environmental deterioration. Socioeconomic effect, carbon intensity, and climate change were decomposed as drivers to environmental quality, with socioeconomic effects contributing >68% of environmental improvement, while carbon intensity and climate change were responsible for >51% and >58% of environmental deterioration from 2010 values. Continuous increase in impervious surfaces resulted in a six-fold increase in surface runoff, which raised the flooding risk in sub areas and rural landscapes. This demands reforms of climate strategies and proper livestock management.
Previous chapters of this book have discussed the origins of plastic in Africa, plastic production in Africa, and the mechanical recycling of plastics within the continent. From the discussion so far, we see that, despite some countries implementing bans and other measures to reduce plastic waste accumulation, there is still an increasing trend in plastic production in Africa and across the world. This chapter reviews chemical plastic recycling in Africa. The first few sections discuss chemical recycling and energy recovery technologies. The later part of the chapter discusses some of the chemical recycling and energy recovery projects in some countries across Africa. In doing so, it gives the reader an idea of the current status and future potential of chemical recycling and energy recovery in terms of the available resource and potential output and impact within the African continent. The polymer wastes considered here are largely plastic from municipal solid waste. That is waste generated from the daily activities of homes, businesses, and other commercial activities. It excludes the plastics scraps from the manufacturing of plastics, and the conversion or processing of plastics during the manufacturing of plastic products. A section considered the anaerobic digestion of waste from livestock processing which comprises mainly proteins and lipids.KeywordsChemical recyclingPyrolysisGasificationEnergy recoveryPolycondensationDepolymerization
Given the unprecedented level of air pollution in urban areas, green transport systems has been a subject to an important debate in academic and policymaking circles. Despite the considerable outputs of the attendant literature, most of empirical studies to date have relied on conventional econometric models in which structural shocks are not controlled. This study, therefore, aims to offer a new perceptive of the dynamic connection between renewable energy, environment-related technological innovation, and transport-based CO2 emissions in Turkey during 1990Q1 to 2014Q1 by applying the Structural Vector Autoregressive approach (SVAR). Furthermore, to explore the co-movements and the lead-lag interrelations among the study variables, the wavelet coherence technique was used. The wavelet coherence technique circumvents the other traditional causality approaches by detecting the causal interrelation between the underlying series at different frequencies. The findings disclose that environment-related technological innovation has no reliable power to explain the variation in CO2 emissions from the transport sector. Solar energy is found to impact the CO2 emissions positively in the long run, while biofuels hold the same effect in short run. Moreover, per capita GDP and urbanization significantly impact the carbon emissions from the transport system in the long run with a negative sign. The wavelet analysis reveals that renewables and environmental-related technological innovation lead the transport-based CO2 emissions. The fourth and 16th periods are the most dominant frequencies. Accordingly, the study suggests that innovation in environment-related technologies is not enough to mitigate the pollution that stemming from the transport system in Turkey, it should be accompanied by strong and effective environmental measures. These policies might include environmental taxations, carbon pricing and trading schemes, which aim not only to prevent the pollution and over-extraction of resources, but also to promote the public revenues from different activities that related to environmental purposes and other applications such as energy product and vehicle fuels. In addition, it is suggested to strengthening the transportation system through the deployment of renewables and high-tech eco-friendly modes of transportation.
Background and purpose: The environmental sustainability is a requirement for modern urban transportation systems. Selecting the appropriate option for the public transport in any urban system does not lead only to the sustainable urban transportation development, but will adapt planning process to its people's characteristics and encourage the people to use it by increasing its productivity. Therefore, this study aims to assess the environmental effect of developing an electric public transport system in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: In this study, after obtaining the documented and published data, including (books, transportation articles, and obtaining transportation statistics of Tehran from the bus companies and Municipal Transportation and Traffic Organization), AHP-TOPSSIS method was used to select the best option for developing the public transportation in Tehran.
Results: The results showed that the option of implementing an electric transportation system with the private sector investment and government facilities (0.5798), using the electric transport systems in city center (0.3972), converting BRTs to electricity (0.2886), and non - implementation option (0.2672), respectively, had the highest and lowest priority among the development methods of public transport systems in Tehran.
Conclusions: To eliminate the use of fossil fuels in near distant future to prevent the climate change and eliminate environmental pollution from fossil fuels, Tehran's urban transportation system should be implemented to eliminate the fossil fuels, develop and transform its fleet into the electrical systems
Keywords
Keywords: Environmental Impact Assessment Electric Public Transport AHP-TOPSIS Tehran
There was a heightened global interest in large-scale Jatropha cultivation for the past few decades, and this incited investment toward the crop in many developing countries. Many saw Jatropha as a green fuel that could possibly be an alternative to fossil fuel, which has adverse implications to deal with the impacts of climate change. However, Jatropha investments failed to meet global expectations, leading to unexpected social, environmental, and economic transformations in the investment spaces. This paper reviews and synthesizes the transformations and complexities in failed Jatropha spaces in six previous major Jatropha investment destinations across the world—Mexico, India, China, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Ghana—by employing qualitative data analysis. The findings generally show that, in all of the countries studied, promoters of Jatropha investments, including the central government and private investors, subscribed to a “wait-and-see” approach with positive expectations. The review revealed that the intended goal of establishing global Jatropha investments to serve as an alternative source of fuel failed because of the unexpected complexities of the hype, which dwelled much on the deferment option of the “wait-and-see” approach for global Jatropha investments. Failure of the investments along with unmet expectations led to land-use changes from Jatropha to the cultivation of other crops (often food crops) or total land abandonment. Although we are not totally pessimistic about the economic and production viability of Jatropha as a biofuel feedstock, we emphasize the importance of paying considerable attention to other feedstocks that might have a better future as alternatives to fossil-based energy for the deployment of sustainable bioenergy. Furthermore, our findings provide meaningful justification for policy- and decision-makers in the development space to tacitly reflect and appraise new investment initiatives or interventions before endorsement.
Jatropha curcas has been introduced as a low-cost energy crop in Burkina Faso for the production of straight vegetable oil (SVO) and biodiesel. It is cultivated in different plantation systems including smallholder inter-plantings with annual crops, large-scale monoculture, afforestation on marginal land, in traditional hedge systems along contour stone walls, and in living fences. We performed Life Cycle Assessment of these Jatropha systems using empirical data on yields and carbon stocks, and accounting for changes in agro-ecosystem provisioning and regulating services that occurred after the land conversion to Jatropha. The study found that all J. curcas production pathways substantially reduced greenhouse gas emission (68-89%) and saved energy (65-90%) compared to diesel fuel. Highest values are achievable under the assumption that by-products (husks, seed cake, glycerin) are used for energy generation. The decentralized production of SVO supplied by feedstocks from intercropping and hedgerow systems seems to be most promising option. However, very low land-use efficiency (6.5-9.5 GJ ha −1 production) characterized Jatropha intercropping and monoculture plantations , rendering the plant a competitor to food crops and increasing the risk of conversion of savanna land to Jatropha cultivation. Jatropha plantings on marginal lands largely failed. High labor requirements constrain integration of Jatropha plantation systems within small farmholdings. Currently, the traditional hedge systems show the lowest land-use replacement potential and labor needs while providing multiple ecosystem services, but alone cannot satisfy rural energy needs. In order to reach energy supply targets without claiming more land and compromising other ecosystem services, the J. curcas plantation systems in Burkina Faso need to be made more efficient through plant breeding and improved agronomic management.
Many new vehicle technologies are claiming to be the best in class to reduce the impact on the environment. However what are ‘green’ or ‘clean’ vehicles? How can this be assessed in the appropriate scientific way?
In the transport sector, electric vehicles (EVs) are widely accepted as the next technology paradigm, capable of solving the environmental problems associated with internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). However, EVs also have environmental impacts that are directly related to the country’s electricity generation mix. In countries without an environmentally friendly electricity generation mix, EVs may not be effective in lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this study, we analyzed the extent to which the GHG emissions associated with EVs differs among 70 countries in the world, in relation to their domestic electricity generation mix. Then, we compared the results with the GHG emissions from the ICEVs. Countries with a high percentage of fossil fuels in their electricity generation mix showed high GHG emissions for EVs, and for some of these countries, EVs were associated with more GHG emissions than ICEVs. For these countries, policies based on the positive environmental impact of EVs may have to be reconsidered. In addition, different policies may need to be considered for different vehicle types (compact car, SUV, etc.), because the ability of EVs to reduce GHG emissions compared to that of ICEVs varies by vehicle type.
The environmental impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) partially depend on the parameters of their site of operation. Variations of average driving patterns in different geographic locations and the use of heating and cooling due to local climate conditions have an impact on the energy consumption of EVs. In combination with the regional electricity mix these factors influence the environmental impact of EVs. Hence, these influencing factors must be included in an ecological assessment. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method is used for the quantitative ecological assessment. An LCA can e.g. serve as a decisions support tool in vehicle engineering. This paper proposes a framework to consider influencing factors for the ecological assessment of EVs. A case study is used to demonstrate the capability of the framework.
A well-to-wheels life cycle analysis on total energy consumptions and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions for alternative fuels and accompanying vehicle technologies has been carried out for the base year 2010 and projected to 2020 based on data gathered and estimates developed for China. The fuels considered include gasoline, diesel, natural gas, liquid fuels from coal conversion, methanol, bio-ethanol and biodiesel, electricity and hydrogen. Use of liquid fuels including methanol and Fischer–Tropsch derived from coal will significantly increase GHG emissions relative to use of conventional gasoline. Use of starch-based bio-ethanol will incur a substantial carbon disbenefit because of the present highly inefficient agricultural practice and plant processing in China. Electrification of vehicles via hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle technologies offers a progressively improved prospect for the reduction of energy consumption and GHG emission. However, the long-term carbon emission reduction is assured only when the needed electricity is generated by zero- or low-carbon sources, which means that carbon capture and storage is a necessity for fossil-based feedstocks. A PHEV that runs on zero- or low-carbon electricity and cellulosic ethanol may be one of the most attractive fuel-vehicle options in a carbon-constrained world.
With India's transportation sector relying heavily on imported petroleum-based fuels, the Planning Commission of India and the Indian government recommended the increased use of blended biodiesel in transportation fleets, identifying Jatropha as a potentially important biomass feedstock. The Indian Oil Corporation and Indian Railways are collaborating to increase the use of biodiesel blends in Indian locomotives with blends of up to B20, aiming to reduce GHG emissions and decrease petroleum consumption. To help evaluate the potential for Jatropha-based biodiesel in achieving sustainability and energy security goals, this study examines the life cycle, net GHG emission, net energy ratio, and petroleum displacement impacts of integrating Jatropha-based biodiesel into locomotive operations in India. In addition, this study identifies the parameters that have the greatest impact on the sustainability of the system.
Butanol produced from bio-sources (such as corn) could have attractive properties as a transportation fuel. Production of butanol through a fermentation process called acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) has been the focus of increasing research and development efforts. Advances in ABE process development in recent years have led to drastic increases in ABE productivity and yields, making butanol production worthy of evaluation for use in motor vehicles. Consequently, chemical/fuel industries have announced their intention to produce butanol from bio-based materials. The purpose of this study is to estimate the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. The study employs a well-to-wheels analysis tool--the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model developed at Argonne National Laboratory--and the Aspen Plus{reg_sign} model developed by AspenTech. The study describes the butanol production from corn, including grain processing, fermentation, gas stripping, distillation, and adsorption for products separation. The Aspen{reg_sign} results that we obtained for the corn-to-butanol production process provide the basis for GREET modeling to estimate life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The GREET model was expanded to simulate the bio-butanol life cycle, from agricultural chemical production to butanol use in motor vehicles. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. We also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. Our study shows that, while the use of corn-based butanol achieves energy benefits and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, the results are affected by the methods used to treat the acetone that is co-produced in butanol plants.
In the context of energy security, rural development and climate change, India actively promotes the cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a biodiesel feedstock which has been identified as suitable for achieving the Indian target of 20% biofuel blending by 2017. In this paper, we present results concerning the range of environmental impacts of different Jatropha curcas cultivation systems. Moreover, nine agronomic trials in Andhra Pradesh are analysed, in which the yield was measured as a function of different inputs such as water, fertilizer, pesticides, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Further, the environmental impact of the whole Jatropha curcas biodiesel value chain is benchmarked with fossil diesel, following the ISO 14040/44 life cycle assessment procedure. Overall, this study shows that the use of Jatropha curcas biodiesel generally reduces the global warming potential and the nonrenewable energy demand as compared to fossil diesel. On the other hand, the environmental impacts on acidification, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, and water depletion all showed increases. Key for reducing the environmental impact of Jatropha curcas biodiesel is the resource efficiency during crop cultivation (especially mineral fertilizer application) and the optimal site selection of the Jatropha curcas plantations.
The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) was ethanol produced from direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8 kgCO2e/GJethanol. This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5 kgCO2e/GJethanol) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJethanol/GJfossil.
The interest in using Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) as a feedstock for the production of bio-diesel is rapidly growing. The properties of the crop and its oil have persuaded investors, policy makers and clean development mechanism (CDM) project developers to consider JCL as a substitute for fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, JCL is still a wild plant of which basic agronomic properties are not thoroughly understood and the environmental effects have not been investigated yet. Gray literature reports are very optimistic on simultaneous wasteland reclamation capability and oil yields, further fueling the Jatropha bio-diesel hype. In this paper, we give an overview of the currently available information on the different process steps of the production process of bio-diesel from JCL, being cultivation and production of seeds, extraction of the oil, conversion to and the use of the bio-diesel and the by-products. Based on this collection of data and information the best available practice, the shortcomings and the potential environmental risks and benefits are discussed for each production step. The review concludes with a call for general precaution and for science to be applied.
The environmental sustainability of biofuel production is still a debated issue in the world bio-economy development. Therefore, different researches are undergoing to evaluate the sustainability of ethanol production in different countries. This study aimed at analyzing the environmental performance of ethanol production in Ethiopia, considering energy balance and emission reduction using a life cycle assessment approach. It is also intended to identify the environmental hotspots so that possible improvement option can be devised. The life cycle assessment methodology was applied considering three alternative scenarios: 1) Base Case, which is the current situation, 2) Alternative 1, which considers the utilization of biogas from vinasse and bioslurry, and 3) Alternative 2, which includes mechanical harvesting and avoids pre-harvest cane trash burning. The results show that agricultural stage is greatly contributing to the pollutant emissions. The contribution of cane trash burning was significant to all the impact categories considered and avoiding pre-harvest cane trash burning significantly reduced the emissions contributing to global warming, acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, ozone formation, particulate matter and eutrophication. On the other hand, the introduction of mechanical harvesting to avoid pre-harvest cane trash burning increased ecotoxicity, human toxicity and resource consumption (land, water and mineral) impacts. The net energy balance is positive for all the alternatives considered. In addition to using by-products, proper management of fuel utilization at the agricultural stage can further enhance benefits from the sector. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the price of molasses highly influences both energy ratio and greenhouse gas emissions since it completely shifts the allocation of upstream emissions from sugar to molasses
Road transportation worldwide is undergoing a rapid transition to more sustainable alternative fuel vehicle technologies as an effective means of dealing with climate change and related challenges. Several well-to-wheel studies have been done in mostly industrialized countries to assess the environmental impacts of these technologies as compared to conventional fuel vehicles. This study is a well-to-wheel assessment for the case of Lebanon and similar fuel-importing countries in the developing world where energy and transportation infrastructure are typically underdeveloped. The study considers the energy use, GHG and criteria pollutant emissions and economic costs for conventional and potentially feasible alternative fuel vehicle pathways for the Lebanese case in order to inform transition strategies to alternative fuels over the near, medium and long-terms. Results show that electric vehicles are beneficial for the long term as they require costly charging infrastructure and a clean electricity mix. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are attractive for the medium term, with gasoline or diesel hybrid electric vehicles the most feasible and beneficial technologies in the short-term. A sensitivity analysis showed that natural gas-based vehicles are competitive at high driving mileage, while locally produced biodiesel from waste cooking oil proved beneficial if emission controls are enforced.
The increase of public attention, scientific research and political interest in environmental problems associated with transportation has provided the motivation for re-invention of electric vehicles. However the usage of grid-dependent EVs with a high-carbon electricity grid might produce more damage to the environment. This study aims to provide an environmental impact comparison of ICEVs, HEVs and EVs during their usage cycle, by modeling their energy consumption (electricity or fuel) and the supply chains of the supplied energy, (well-to-wheel) based on a life cycle assessment. The results show that running EVs with the existing mixed sources of electrical energy produce larger impacts on the environment 60% of the time; when compared to HEVs. When compared to ICEVs, EVs produce a larger environmental impact on 7 out of 15 environmental impact categories. Overall the environmental impacts of EVs are substantial based on the well-to-wheel analysis. It will continue to be so if no change is made to the methods of electricity generation in the near future. Given that the environmental profile of EVs is linked with the existing national electricity generation mix, the national electricity supply must be made cleaner before the electrification of the urban transport system.
This paper proposes an exergy-based well-to-wheels analysis to compare different passenger vehicles, based on three key indicators: petroleum energy use, CO2 emissions, and economic cost. A set of fuel pathways, including petroleum-based fuels, compressed natural gas, biofuels, and electricity are considered in five representative national energy mixes, namely Brazil, China, France, Italy, and the United States of America. Results show no fundamental difference in the fossil fuel pathways among the five scenarios considered. Compressed natural gas vehicles and electric vehicles can completely displace oil consumption in the personal transportation sector. Compressed natural gas vehicles also reduce CO2 emissions by over 20% compared to gasoline vehicles. Emissions from electric vehicles greatly vary depending on the electricity mix. In low-carbon electricity mixes electric vehicles reach almost-zero CO2 emissions, while the use of biofuels leads to the lowest CO2 emissions in carbon-intensive electricity generation mixes, where vehicles running on E85 could reduce CO2 emission by over 50% compared to gasoline vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles show the lowest overall economic cost, due to improved efficiency and low cost of petroleum-based fuels. Vehicles running on electricity are characterized by significantly higher capital cost and lower operating costs. Thus, different electricity generation costs impact minimally the overall cost. These results can be used to inform decision-makers regarding the multi-dimensional impact of passenger vehicles, including environmental impact, economic cost, and depletion of primary energy resources, with particular focus on petroleum.
The study aims to evaluate the sugarcane biorefinery and molasses ethanol production in Thailand using the combined environmental and economic sustainability indicator, so called "Eco-efficiency". Four sugarcane biorefinery scenarios in Thailand are evaluated. The total output values (US$) and the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (kgCO2eq) are selected as the indicators for characterizing economic and environmental performance, respectively. The results show that the biorefinery system of mechanized farming along with cane trash utilization for power generation yields the highest eco-efficiency. The benefits come from the increased value added of the biorefinery together with the decreased GHG emissions of the biorefinery system. As compared to the base case scenario, the new systems proposed result in the eco-efficiency improvement by around 20-70%. The biorefinery concept induces reduction of GHG emissions attributed to molasses ethanol. Green cane production and harvesting results in further lowering of the GHG emissions. Integration of sugarcane biomass utilization across the entire sugarcane complex would enhance the sustainability of the sugarcane production system.
This paper evaluates GHG emissions and energy balances (i.e. net energy value (NEV), net renewable energy value (NREV) and net energy ratio (NER)) of jatropha biodiesel as an alternative fuel in Tanzania by using life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The functional unit (FU) was defined as 1 tonne (t) of combusted jatropha biodiesel. The findings of the study prove wrong the notion that biofuels are carbon neutral, thus can mitigate climate change. A net GHG equivalent emission of about 848 kg t−1 was observed. The processes which account significantly to GHG emissions are the end use of biodiesel (about 82%) followed by farming of jatropha for about 13%. Sensitivity analysis indicates that replacing diesel with biodiesel in irrigation of jatropha farms decreases the net GHG emissions by 7.7% while avoiding irrigation may reduce net GHG emissions by 12%. About 22.0 GJ of energy is consumed to produce 1 t of biodiesel. Biodiesel conversion found to be a major energy consuming process (about 64.7%) followed by jatropha farming for about 30.4% of total energy. The NEV is 19.2 GJ t−1, indicating significant energy gain of jatropha biodiesel. The NREV is 23.1 GJ t−1 while NER is 2.3; the two values indicate that large amount of fossil energy is used to produce biodiesel. The results of the study are meant to inform stakeholders and policy makers in the bioenergy sector.
Increasing demand for transport fuels has driven China to attach great importance to biodiesel development. To evaluate the environmental impacts caused by producing and driving with biodiesel made from soybean, jatropha, and microalgae under China conditions, the LCA methodology is used and the assessment results are compared with fossil diesel. The solar energy and CO2 uptake in biomass agriculture and reduction of dependency on fossil fuels lead to a better performance on abiotic depletion potential (ADP), global warming potential (GWP), and ozone depletion potential (ODP) in the life cycle of biodiesel compared to fossil diesel. Except for ADP, GWP and ODP, producing and driving with biodiesel does not offer benefits in the other environmental impact categories including eutrophication, acidification, photochemical oxidation, and toxicity. Jatropha and microalgae are more competitive biodiesel feedstock compared to soybean in terms of all impacts. By using global normalization references and weighting method based on ecotaxes, the LCA single score for the assessed 10 mid-point impact categories of soybean, jatropha, and microalgae based biodiesel is 54, 37.2 and 3.67 times of that of fossil diesel, respectively. Improvement of biomass agriculture management, development of biodiesel production technologies, bettering energy structure and promoting energy efficiency in China are the key measures to lower environmental impacts in the life cycle of biodiesel in the future. Various sensitivity analyses have also been applied, which show that, choice of allocation method, transport distance, uncertainty in jatropha and microalgae yield and oil content, and recycling rate of harvest water of microalgae have significant influence on the life cycle environmental performance of biodiesel.
This paper evaluates life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) balances in production and use of molasses-based ethanol (EtOH) in Nepal. The total life cycle emissions of EtOH is estimated at 432.5 kgCO2eq m−3 ethanol (i.e. 20.4 gCO2eq MJ−1). Avoided emissions are 76.6% when conventional gasoline is replaced by molasses derived ethanol. A sensitivity analysis was performed to verify the impact of variations in material and energy flows, and allocation ratios in the GHG balances. Market prices of sugar and molasses, amount of nitrogen-fertilizers used in sugarcane production, and sugarcane yield per hectare turn out to be important parameters for the GHG balances estimation. Sales of the surplus electricity derived from bagasse could reduce emissions by replacing electricity produced in diesel power plants. Scenario analysis on two wastewater processes for treatment of effluents obtained from ethanol conversion has also been carried out. If wastewater generated from ethanol conversion unit is treated in pond stabilization (PS) treatment process, GHG emissions alarmingly increase to a level of 4032 kgCO2eq m−3 ethanol. Results also show that the anaerobic digestion process (ADP) and biogas recovery without leakages can significantly avoid GHG emissions, and improve the overall emissions balance of EtOH in Nepal. At a 10% biogas leakage, life cycle emissions is 1038 kgCO2eq m−3 ethanol which corresponds to 44% avoided emissions compared to gasoline. On the other hand, total emissions surpass the level of its counterpart (i.e. gasoline) when the leakage of biogas exceeds 23.4%.
Jatropha curcas L. has been considered as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production in several tropical countries. Two Jatropha plantation models currently being considered in Thailand, a perennial plantation for 20 years and annual harvesting, are compared vis-à-vis the energy benefits. The advantage of the perennial plantation is that fruit yield is low in the first 2 years but stabilizes after the second year; thus, the biodiesel production is maximized. On the other hand, the biodiesel yield for annual harvesting is low but substantial energy is gained from the wood which can be used for power production. The overall energy output from the annual system is about twice that of the perennial system whereas the biodiesel production is less than half. The energy values of both the systems are high and the net energy ratios as high as 6–7 indicating a substantial energy benefit.
The increasing energy demands along with the expected depletion of fossil fuels have promoted to search for alternative fuels that can be obtained from renewable energy resources. Biodiesel as a renewable energy resource has drawn the attention of many researchers and scientists because its immense potential to be part of a sustainable energy mix in near future. This report attempts to compile the findings on current global and Malaysian energy scenario, potential of biodiesel as a renewable energy source, biodiesel policies and standards, practicability of Jatropha curcas as a biodiesel source in Malaysia as well as impact of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas. Final part of this report also describes the development of biodiesel market in Malaysia. The paper found that Jatropha curcas is one of the cheapest biodiesel feedstock and it possesses the amicable fuel properties with higher oil contents compared to others. Being non edible oil seed feedstocks it will not affect food price and spur the food versus fuel dispute. Jatropha can be substituted significantly for oil imports. Jatropha biodiesel has potential to reduce GHG emission than diesel fuel and it can be used in diesel engine with similar performance of diesel fuel. Jatropha curcas has an immense contribution to develop rural livelihoods too. Finally biodiesel production from Jatropha is eco-friendly and offers many social and economical benefits for Malaysia and can play an increasingly significant role to fulfill the energy demand in Malaysia.
In recent years, liquid biofuels for transport have benefited from significant political support due to their potential role in curbing climate change and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. They may also participate to rural development by providing new markets for agricultural production. However, the growth of energy crops has raised concerns due to their high consumption of conventional fuels, fertilizers and pesticides, their impacts on ecosystems and their competition for arable land with food crops. Low-input species such as Jatropha curcas, a perennial, inedible crop well adapted to semiarid regions, has received much interest as a new alternative for biofuel production, minimizing adverse effects on the environment and food supply. Here, we used life-cycle assessment to quantify the benefits of J. curcas biofuel production in West Africa in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy use, compared with fossil diesel fuel and other biofuels. Biodiesel from J. curcas has a much higher performance than current biofuels, relative to oil-derived diesel fuels. Under West Africa conditions, J. curcas biodiesel allows a 72% saving in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional diesel fuel, and its energy yield (the ratio of biodiesel energy output to fossil energy input) is 4.7. J. curcas production studied is eco-compatible for the impacts under consideration and fits into the context of sustainable development.
This paper presents life-cycle-analysis (LCA) energy consumption (EC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of China's current six biofuel pathways, which are: corn-derived ethanol (CE); cassava-derived ethanol (KE); sweet sorghum-derived ethanol (SE); soybean-derived bio-diesel (SB); jatropha fruit-derived bio-diesel (JB); and used cooking oil (UCO)-derived bio-diesel (UB). The tool utilized here is the WTW (Well-to-Wheels) module of Tsinghua-CA3EM model covering the entire lifecycle including: raw materials cultivation (or feedstock collection); fuel production; transportation and distribution; and application in automobile engines, compared with Conventional Petroleum-based gasoline and diesel Pathways (CPP). The results indicate: (1) the fossil energy inputs are about 1.0-1.5 times the energy contained in the fuel for the CE, SE and SB pathways, but 0.5-0.9 times for the KE, UB and JB pathways; (2) compared with CPP, the JB, KE and UB pathways can reduce both fossil fuel consumption and GHG emissions; the CE and SB pathways can only reduce fossil fuel consumption, but increase GHG emission; the SE pathway increases not only fossil fuel consumption but also GHG emission; and (3) the main factors inducing high EC and GHG emission levels include: high EC levels during the fuel production stage and high fertilizer application rates during the planting of raw feedstocks. Conclusions are that of the aforementioned biofuel pathways in (the) People's Republic of China: (1) only the JB, KE and UB pathways have energy-saving merits as indicated by the LCA energy inputs and outputs; (2) compared with CPP, all but the SE pathway reduces fossil fuel consumption. However, the SB and CE pathway increase GHG emission; (3) all six displace petroleum by utilizing more coal; and (4) feedstock productivity levels must be increased, and there must be a reduction in fertilizer utilization and EC consumption during the cultivation and transportation stages in order to achieve the goals of energy balance and GHG emission reduction.
Since 2003 India has been actively promoting the cultivation of Jatropha on unproductive and degraded lands (wastelands) for the production of biodiesel suitable as transportation fuel. In this paper the life cycle energy balance, global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential and land use impact on ecosystem quality is evaluated for a small scale, low-input Jatropha biodiesel system established on wasteland in rural India. In addition to the life cycle assessment of the case at hand, the environmental performance of the same system expanded with a biogas installation digesting seed cake was quantified. The environmental impacts were compared to the life cycle impacts of a fossil fuel reference system delivering the same amount of products and functions as the Jatropha biodiesel system under research. The results show that the production and use of Jatropha biodiesel triggers an 82% decrease in non-renewable energy requirement (Net Energy Ratio, NER = 1.85) and a 55% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) compared to the reference fossil-fuel based system. However, there is an increase in acidification (49%) and eutrophication (430%) from the Jatropha system relative to the reference case. Although adding biogas production to the system boosts the energy efficiency of the system (NER = 3.40), the GWP reduction would not increase (51%) due to additional CH4 emissions. For the land use impact, Jatropha improved the structural ecosystem quality when planted on wasteland, but reduced the functional ecosystem quality. Fertilizer application (mainly N) is an important contributor to most negative impact categories. Optimizing fertilization, agronomic practices and genetics are the major system improvement options.
The rapid expansion of ethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil has raised a number of questions regarding its negative consequences and sustainability. Positive impacts are the elimination of lead compounds from gasoline and the reduction of noxious emissions. There is also the reduction of CO2 emissions, since sugarcane ethanol requires only a small amount of fossil fuels for its production, being thus a renewable fuel. These positive impacts are particularly noticeable in the air quality improvement of metropolitan areas but also in rural areas where mechanized harvesting of green cane is being introduced, eliminating the burning of sugarcane. Negative impacts such as future large-scale ethanol production from sugarcane might lead to the destruction or damage of high-biodiversity areas, deforestation, degradation or damaging of soils through the use of chemicals and soil decarbonization, water resources contamination or depletion, competition between food and fuel production decreasing food security and a worsening of labor conditions on the fields. These questions are discussed here, with the purpose of clarifying the sustainability aspects of ethanol production from sugarcane mainly in São Paulo State, where more than 60% of Brazil's sugarcane plantations are located and are responsible for 62% of ethanol production.
This paper evaluates life cycle energy analysis of molasses based ethanol (MOE) in Nepal. Net energy value (NEV), net renewable energy value (NREV) and energy yield ratio are used to evaluate the energy balance of MOE in Nepal. Total energy requirements in sugarcane farming, cane milling and ethanol conversion processes are estimated and energy allocation is made between co-products (molasses and sugar) as per their market prices. The result shows negative NEV (−13.05 MJ/L), positive NREV (18.36 MJ/L) and energy yield ratio (7.47). The higher positive value of NREV and energy yield ratio reveal that a low amount of fossil fuels are required to produce 1 L of MOE. However, negative NEV reveals that the total energy consumption (both fossil and renewables) to produce the ethanol is higher than its final energy content. Nevertheless, the renewable energy contribution amounts to 91.7% of total energy requirements. The effect of the increased price of molasses and reduced energy consumption in the sugarcane milling and ethanol conversion are found to be significant in determining the energy values and yield ratio of MOE. In addition, there are clear measures that can be taken to improve efficiency along the production chain. Finally, energy security, scarcity of hard currency for importing fossil fuels and opportunities for regional development are also strong reasons for considering local renewable energy options in developing countries.
An analysis of energy performance and supply potential was performed to evaluate molasses utilization for fuel ethanol in Thailand. The Thai government recently has set up a production target of 1.925 million litres a day of sugar-based ethanol. The molasses-based ethanol (MoE) system involves three main segments: sugar cane cultivation, molasses generation, and ethanol conversion. Negative net energy value found for MoE is a consequence of not utilizing system co-products (e.g. stillage and cane trash) for energy. Taking into account only fossil fuel or petroleum inputs in the production cycle, the energy analysis provides results in favour of ethanol. A positive net energy of 5.95 MJ/L which corresponds to 39% energy gain shows that MoE is efficient as far as its potential to replace fossil fuels is concerned. Another encouraging result is that each MJ of petroleum inputs can produce 6.12 MJ of ethanol fuel. Regarding supply potential, if only the surplus molasses is utilized for ethanol, a shift of 8–10% sugar cane produce to fuel ethanol from its current use in sugar industry could be a probable solution.
Essential requirements for biofuel are that (a) it should be produced from renewable raw material, and (b) it should have a lower negative environmental impact than that of fossil fuels. Apart from direct assessment of the engine emissions, environmental impact is also determined by performing life cycle analysis. Life cycle energy balance depends on specific climatic conditions and the agro- and processing technologies used. Rapeseed oil methyl ester life cycle energy ratios in Lithuanian conditions have been calculated as a function of rapeseed productivity, oil pressing and transesterification technologies used.Opportunities to improve biodiesel fuel life cycle energy efficiency, by implementing new technologies in agriculture as well as in industrial processing, were reviewed. The effectiveness of new technologies was evaluated on the basis of energy balance comparison.
A life cycle approach was adopted for energy, green house gas (GHG) emissions and renewability assessment for production of 1ton of Jatropha biodiesel. Allocation and displacement approaches were applied for life cycle inventory, process energy and process GHG emission attribution to co-products. The results of process energy and GHG emission analyses revealed that the amount of process energy consumption and GHG emission in the individual stages of the life cycle assessment (LCA) were a strong function of co-product handling and irrigation. The GHG emission reduction with respect to petroleum diesel for generating 1GJ energy varied from 40% to 107% and NER values from 1.4 to 8.0 depending upon the methodology used for energy and emission distribution between product and co-products as well as irrigation applied. However, GHG emission reduction values of 54 and 40 and NER (net energy ratio) values of 1.7 and 1.4 for irrigated and rain-fed scenarios, respectively indicate the eco-friendly nature and renewability of biodiesel even in the worst scenario where total life cycle inventory (LCI), process energy and GHG emission were allocated to biodiesel only.
Biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas Linnaeus (JCL) has been considered for partial substitution of diesel fuel for transportation in Thailand. The aim of this study is to investigate the energy consumption for long-term investment (20 years) of Jatropha Methyl Ester (JME) production in Thailand using a life cycle approach. Apart from the average result, two scenarios--best and worst case--are set up to illustrate the range of results due to the variety of management practices. The main contributors to the energy use are JCL cultivation, transesterification, and transportation process. The net energy gain (NEG) and net energy ratio (NER) of biodiesel and coproducts from the life cycle of JCL are 4720 GJ/ha and 6.03, respectively. Even if only biodiesel is considered without coproducts, the NER is 1.42, still higher than 1. The study will support decision makers in the energy policy sector to make informed decisions vis-a-vis promotion of JCL plantations for biodiesel.
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