Well-to-wheel (WTW) life cycle assessment (LCA) of multistage torrefaction and in situ catalytic upgrading: overview of unit operations, modeling tools, and data sources.
In light of advances
in the simultaneous production of biobased
fuels and chemicals, a prospective well-to-wheel lifecycle assessment
(LCA) model of a two-step multistage torrefaction biorefinery is constructed
to quantify both lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy
return on primary fossil energy investment (EROIfossil)
for a transportation-range biofuel product. Coproductsincluding
cyclopentanone (CPO), biochar, and a potential net electricity exportare
handled via six coproduct scenarios, evaluated across both market-based
allocation and displacement methods. Process-scale performance metrics
and product distributions are compared across cases to evaluate trade-offs
between process and environmental performance; carbon flows are visualized
to better explain patterns of carbon yield and waste. LCA results
include median GHG values spanning from −30.8 to +36.1 g CO2e/MJ-fuel and median EROIfossil values ranging
from 1.6 to 12.8 MJ-fuel/MJ-PEfossil. Sensitivity results
for the Market CPO case under market-based allocation display a large
dependence on CPO yield, hydrogen consumption and fuel and CPO prices,
while exhibiting minimal dependence on liquid fuel yield. Unrealistically
low lifecycle GHG and high EROIfossil values are obtained
under displacement for the maximum level of CPO production, prompting
a discussion of methodological limitations, especially as they relate
to the assignment of system expansion coproduct credit within existing
EROI formulations.
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