Environmental life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol: A review

Borrion, Aiduan; McManus, Marcelle; Hammond, Geoffrey P.

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2012.04.016

Cited by 167 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…The figures derived from such analyses can be used in subsequent evaluations or as a basis for decision-making. Research has shown that the results of GHG-emission assessments differ, depending on which methods are used and which assumptions about input data are made (e.g., Borrion et al, 2012;Börjesson, 2009;Sjödin and Grönkvist, 2004;Wetterlund et al, 2010). Thus, these results can be difficult to use as they are products of their context.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociotechnical system studies of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transport systems

Olsson¹

2015

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Sociotechnical system studies of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transport systems Linda Olsson, 2015 Cover design: Per Lagman/LiU-Tryck Printed in Sweden by LiU-Tryck, Linköping, Sweden, 2015 ISBN: 978-91-7519-082-2 ISSN: 0345-7524 AbstractIt is agreed that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy and transport systems must be reduced. Technical means exist to reduce GHG emissions from these sources. However, these emission-reduction measures are not implemented to a high enough degree. In this thesis, it is assumed that this is because the reduction of GHG emissions from energy and transport systems is a wicked problem. Unlike a tame problem, which has an unambiguous definition and a finite number of welldefined solutions, a wicked problem is difficult to define, and its solutions are often intertwined with the problem. The "wickedness" of a wicked problem lies in the extreme difficulty of solving the problem, rather than in the problem itself.In this thesis, the wicked problem of reducing GHG emissions from energy and transport systems is studied by applying a sociotechnical systems approach to the introduction of renewable vehicle fuels, the production and use of biogas, the introduction of electric vehicles, and the sustainability of district heating. In addition, this thesis discusses how energy issues are approached in different contexts, and what implications different actions can have on GHG emissions.The analysis shows that a sociotechnical approach to energy systems analysis can offer insights with regard to how system boundaries are handled within GHGemission assessments and energy and transport policy. By problematising the use of system boundaries in GHG-emission assessments, this thesis explains how attempts to reduce GHG emissions could add to the wicked problem of GHG-emission reductions from energy and transport systems. GHG-emission assessments can give very different results depending on system boundaries. While these results can be used in attempts to solve this wicked problem, they can also contribute to complicating it. As solutions to wicked problems are mainly found in policy, the use of system boundaries in policy is studied. Results show that narrow system boundaries in energy and transport policy can hamper sustainable development of energy and transport systems. The use of wider system boundaries could facilitate approaches to solve the wicked problem of reducing GHG emissions from energy and transport systems by making the consequences and effects of policy actions more clearly visible.i ii SammanfattningDet är välkänt att energi-och transportsystemens utsläpp av växthusgaser måste minska. Tekniska förutsättningar för att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser från användning av energi och transporter existerar. Ändå genomförs inte åtgärder för att minska utsläpp av växthusgaser i tillräcklig utsträckning. I föreliggande avhandling antas detta bero på att minskandet av utsläpp av växthusgaser från energi-och transportsystem är ett 'wicked problem'. ...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociotechnical system studies of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transport systems

Olsson¹

2015

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“…In the corn stover scenarios, iLUC would be expected to be negligible, since the shift from the baseline scenario involves only collection of stover with the primary commodities (corn grain and soybeans) continuing to be produced. However, iLUC impacts could be substantial for the switchgrass and Miscanthus scenarios: Searchinger et al [35] estimated that replacing corn production with switchgrass production may increase GHG emissions by 50 % over 30 Current LCA literature discusses environmental impacts due to CE production from corn stover, switchgrass, and Miscanthus, though results are difficult to compare due to differences in data, assumptions, and site-specific conditions [1,37]. Analyses similar to the present study often include incongruent system boundaries [38,39], geographical scope [40], or some combination of these and other factors [41][42][43].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Explicit Life Cycle Analysis of Cellulosic Ethanol Production Scenarios in Southwestern Michigan

et al. 2016

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Modeling the life cycle of fuel pathways for cellulosic ethanol (CE) can help identify logistical barriers and anticipated impacts for the emerging commercial CE industry. Such models contain high amounts of variability, primarily due to the varying nature of agricultural production but also because of limitations in the availability of data at the local scale, resulting in the typical practice of using average values. In this study, 12 spatially explicit, cradle-to-refinery gate CE pathways were developed that vary by feedstock (corn stover, switchgrass, and Miscanthus), nitrogen application rate (higher, lower), pretreatment method (ammonia fiber expansion [AFEX], dilute acid), and co-product treatment method (mass allocation, sub-division), in which feedstock production was modeled at the watershed scale over a nine-county area in Southwestern Michigan. When comparing feedstocks, the model showed that corn stover yielded higher global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP) than the perennial feedstocks of switchgrass and Miscanthus, on an average per area basis. Full life cycle results per MJ of produced ethanol demonstrated more mixed results, with corn stover-derived CE scenarios that use sub-division as a co-product treatment method yielding similarly favorable outcomes as switchgrass-and Miscanthus-derived CE scenarios. Variability was found to be greater between feedstocks than watersheds. Additionally, scenarios using dilute acid pretreatment had more favorable results than those using AFEX pretreatment.

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“…The choices over where to make our system end can lead to large differences in the results [12,28,32]. Borrion et al [34], in their extensive review of environmental LCA of lignocellulosic ethanol conversion, conclude that results strongly depend on system boundary, functional unit, data quality and allocation methods chosen. The authors also make an important remark stating that "The lack of available data from commercial second generation ethanol plant and the uncertainties in technology performance have made the LCA study of the lignocellulosic ethanol conversion process particularly difficult and challenging."…”

Section: Assessing Biofuels: the Necessity Of A Multicriteria Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Biofuels an Effective and Viable Energy Strategy for Industrialized Societies? A Reasoned Overview of Potentials and Limits

Gomiero¹

2015

Sustainability

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Abstract:In this paper, I analyze the constraints that limit biomass from becoming an alternative, sustainable and efficient energy source, at least in relation to the current metabolism of developed countries. In order to be termed sustainable, the use of an energy source should be technically feasible, economically affordable and environmentally and socially viable, considering society as a whole. Above all, it should meet society's "metabolic needs," a fundamental issue that is overlooked in the mainstream biofuels narrative. The EROI (Energy Return on Investment) of biofuels reaches a few units, while the EROI of fossil fuels is 20-30 or higher and has a power density (W/m 2 ) thousands of times higher than the best biofuels, such as sugarcane in Brazil. When metabolic approaches are used it becomes clear that biomass cannot represent an energy carrier able to meet the metabolism of industrialized societies. For our industrial society to rely on "sustainable biofuels" for an important fraction of its energy, most of the agricultural and non-agricultural land would need to be used for crops, and at the same time a radical cut to our pattern of energy consumption would need to be implemented, whilst also achieving a significant population reduction.

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Environmental life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol: A review

Cited by 167 publications

References 69 publications

Sociotechnical system studies of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transport systems

Sociotechnical system studies of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transport systems

Spatially Explicit Life Cycle Analysis of Cellulosic Ethanol Production Scenarios in Southwestern Michigan

Are Biofuels an Effective and Viable Energy Strategy for Industrialized Societies? A Reasoned Overview of Potentials and Limits

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