This study evaluates whether a transition of large ports facilities to biofuel production for mobility improves the environmental performance and satisfies the renewable energy directive (RED) and it is the first LCA study that considers biofuel production from torrefied wood. The systems studied are wood, torrefied wood, and straw pellets circulating fluidized bed gasification for H 2 , synthetic natural gas, or Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel production and use. These systems are evaluated for their global warming, acidification, eutrophication and particulate matter potentials, as well as, for their aggregated environmental performance. The effects of the electricity mix selection and ecoinvent database's economic allocation are also analyzed. All biomass systems result in a better aggregated environmental performance and benefits for the global warming potential. However, regarding the acidification, particulate matter, and eutrophication potentials, most biomass systems are inferior to the reference systems. Switching to a zero-emission electricity mix offers benefits for all the biomass and fossil-H 2 systems and researchers should use databases cautiously. The bio-H 2 and FT diesel of wood-based systems show the best environmental performance and satisfy the current and future RED targets. On one hand, the bio-H 2 systems result in the largest benefits regarding the global warming potential, and on the other hand, both wood-based FT diesel systems offer overall benefits which concern not only the sustainable target of CO 2 emissions reduction, but also the air quality improvement of the broader area as well.
Fiji is an island country with just over 300 small islands and approximately 853,000 people. It is a small island developing state (SIDS) that is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuel for its energy needs. The paper attempts to determine the past and current energy situation in Fiji, challenges faced and strategizes to overcome these challenges. In 2014, Fiji generated 859 GWh of grid electricity from 259.8 MW of power plants. Here, 45.4 % of grid electricity was produced by hydro, 50.9 % by diesel generators and the remaining by biomass. However, Fiji's transport sector is completely dependent on fossil fuels with fuel import bill equivalent to an average 58 % of export earnings and taking up 21 % of total import bill. The smallness of Fiji and dispersed islands within Fiji group leads to many challenges to have accessible, affordable and sustainable energy supply. These challenges are comprehensively discussed in this paper.Strategies such as increasing private-public partnership in renewable energy projects, changing customer behavior, setting up a credible feed-in tariff structure, developing locally owned business in renewable energy and energy efficiency, setting up of risk mitigation facilities and strengthening institutions supporting energy sector are discussed to overcome or minimize challenges.
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