LCA Study of Oleaginous Bioenergy Chains in a Mediterranean Environment

Abstract

This paper reports outcomes of life cycle assessments (LCAs) of three different oleaginous bioenergy chains (oilseed rape, Ethiopian mustard and cardoon) under Southern Europe conditions. Accurate data on field practices previously collected during a three-year study at two sites were used. The vegetable oil produced by oleaginous seeds was used for power generation in medium-speed diesel engines while the crop residues were used in steam power plants. For each bioenergy chain, the environmental impact related to cultivation, transportation of agricultural products and industrial conversion for power generation was evaluated by calculating cumulative energy demand, acidification potential and global warming potential. For all three bioenergy chains, the results of the LCA study show a considerable saving of primary energy (from 70 to 86 GJ· ha −1 ) and greenhouse gas emissions (from 4.1 to 5.2 t CO2· ha −1 ) in comparison to power generation from fossil fuels, although the acidification potential of these bioenergy chains may be twice that of OPEN ACCESSEnergies 2014, 7 6259 conventional power generation. In addition, the study highlights that land use changes due to the cultivation of the abovementioned crops reduce soil organic content and therefore worsen and increase greenhouse gas emissions for all three bioenergy chains. The study also demonstrates that the exploitation of crop residues for energy production greatly contributes to managing environmental impact of the three bioenergy chains.

The Role of Compost in Bio-waste Management and Circular Economy

“…Among the cardoon cultivation inputs, the main C footprint were due to the chemical fertilizers (i.e. urea) and diesel according to Cocco et al [22]. Moreover, the use of compost cut down on N 2 O emissions according to Aguilera et al [23].…”

Low-Input Herbicide Management: Effects on Rapeseed Production and Profitability

“…ha −1 combined with two different tillage operations might successfully control wild mustard and wild oat. On the other hand, tillage operations over time might strongly impact the structure and fertility of the soil, also considering their crucial role in terms of impact in the farm energy balance [49,50]. As a consequence, appropriate crop rotations with grain cereals (e.g., durum wheat) can be effective to control wild mustard because it is easily controlled by herbicides commonly used for these crops.…”

The Influence of Herbicide Underdosage on the Composition and Diversity of Weeds in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera D.C.) Mediterranean Fields

“…Crop genotype, sowing date, density, and row spacing were based on technical recommendations for the region to obtain the highest attainable yield (Table S4) [41][42][43].…”