Life cycle assessment of biofuels from Jatropha curcas in West Africa: a field study

Abstract

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. Lowinput 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.

Pioneering in Marginal Fields: Jatropha for Carbon Credits and Restoring Degraded Land in Eastern Indonesia

“…Life cycle assessment studies of jatropha claimed that jatropha could be a promising crop for carbon sequestration [27]. Some even stressed the "robust opportunities and the high potential for jatropha to attract carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism" [28]. The estimates concerning greenhouse gas reduction from jatropha plantations vary widely in the literature, from 5.5 ton CO 2 /year/ha [29] to 17-25 ton CO 2 /year/ha [30].…”

Viabilidad económica y financiera de sistemas silvopastoriles con Jatropha curcas L. en Manabí, Ecuador

“…De las numerosas materias primas presentadas, el Piñón (Jatropha curcas L.) tiene una historia larga y miscelánea. Originalmente aclamada como un "cultivo milagroso" debido a las predicciones de altos rendimientos bajo condiciones marginales de cultivo (4).…”

Genetic Improvement, Sustainable Production and Scalable Small Microenterprise of Jatropha as a Biodiesel Feedstock

“…This reduction in GWP is similar to that estimated for other bioenergy crops including oil palm, sunflower, rapeseed, soybean, corn stover, and switchgrass. Achten et al [78] and Ndong et al [74] both concluded that the cultivation step, specifically fertilization, was the largest contributor to observed greenhouse gas emissions. Other factors that contribute to current uncertainty in greenhouse gas emissions and energy yield from biofuels are harvestable yield, rates and magnitude of soil carbon sequestration, irrigation and other management inputs (e.g., pesticides), energy costs associated with raw material acquisition, and co-product allocation.…”

“…A more rigorous analysis of the energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels can be achieved through life cycle assessment, in which energy requirements at all steps in the process are quantified to the extent possible [7]. Using such an approach, several investigations have documented that the production of Jatropha for biodiesel [74] or jet fuel [75] can result in a 55 to 72% savings in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fuel use. Similarly, for Jatropha grown in West Africa and Thailand, the energy yield defined as the ratio of biodiesel energy output compared to the fossil energy input ranged from 4.7 to 6.03 [74,76].…”

“…Using such an approach, several investigations have documented that the production of Jatropha for biodiesel [74] or jet fuel [75] can result in a 55 to 72% savings in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fuel use. Similarly, for Jatropha grown in West Africa and Thailand, the energy yield defined as the ratio of biodiesel energy output compared to the fossil energy input ranged from 4.7 to 6.03 [74,76]. Achten et al [77] recently conducted a life cycle assessment for Jatropha in rural India and showed that the production and use of Jatropha biodiesel results in a 55% reduction in the Global Warming Potential (GWP) compared to the reference fossil-fuel-based system.…”