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Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's oil sands-derived transportation fuels

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  • Nimana, Balwinder
  • Canter, Christina
  • Kumar, Amit

Abstract

A comprehensive LCA (life cycle assessment) for transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel) derived from Canada's oil sands was conducted, and all the current possible pathways from bitumen extraction to use in vehicles were explored. Authors, in earlier studies, have presented the energy consumption and GHG (greenhouse gas) emission results for individual unit operations-recovery, extraction, upgrading and refining. The LC (life cycle) inventory data for the current LCA study were obtained from theoretical model named FUNNEL-GHG-OS (FUNdamental ENgineering PrinciplEs- based ModeL for Estimation of GreenHouse Gases in the Oil Sands), developed from fundamental engineering principles. The impact of the cogeneration of electricity in oil sands recovery, extraction, and upgrading on the LC GHG emissions of gasoline was explored. LC WTW (well-to-wheel) GHG emissions range from 106.8 to 116 g-CO2equivalent/MJ of gasoline, 100.5 to 115.2 g-CO2equivalent/MJ of diesel, and 96.4 to 109.2 g-CO2equivalent/MJ of jet fuel, depending on the pathway. Combustion emissions (64.7%–70.3%) are the largest constituent of WTW emissions for gasoline production; recovery (through surface mining and steam assisted gravity drainage) forms 7.2%–16% depending on the LC production process of gasoline.

Suggested Citation

  • Nimana, Balwinder & Canter, Christina & Kumar, Amit, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's oil sands-derived transportation fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 544-554.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:88:y:2015:i:c:p:544-554
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.05.078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nimana, Balwinder & Canter, Christina & Kumar, Amit, 2015. "Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in upgrading and refining of Canada's oil sands products," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 65-79.
    2. Ouellette, A. & Rowe, A. & Sopinka, A. & Wild, P., 2014. "Achieving emissions reduction through oil sands cogeneration in Alberta’s deregulated electricity market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 13-21.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Chen, Leyuan & Wang, Yao & Jiang, Yancui & Zhang, Caizhi & Liao, Quan & Li, Jun & Wu, Jihao & Gao, Xin, 2024. "Life cycle assessment of liquid hydrogen fuel for vehicles with different production routes in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
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    4. Di Lullo, Giovanni & Zhang, Hao & Kumar, Amit, 2017. "Uncertainty in well-to-tank with combustion greenhouse gas emissions of transportation fuels derived from North American crudes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 475-486.
    5. Amir Ansari & Hamidreza Abediasl & Mahdi Shahbakhti, 2024. "Ambient Temperature Effects on Energy Consumption and CO 2 Emissions of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Guo, John & Orellana, Andrea & Sleep, Sylvia & Laurenzi, Ian J. & MacLean, Heather L. & Bergerson, Joule A., 2020. "Statistically enhanced model of oil sands operations: Well-to-wheel comparison of in situ oil sands pathways," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    7. Rahman, Md. Mustafizur & Canter, Christina & Kumar, Amit, 2015. "Well-to-wheel life cycle assessment of transportation fuels derived from different North American conventional crudes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 159-173.
    8. Babkir Ali, 2020. "Integration of Impacts on Water, Air, Land, and Cost towards Sustainable Petroleum Oil Production in Alberta, Canada," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-17, May.
    9. Hannouf, Marwa & Assefa, Getachew & Gates, Ian, 2021. "Carbon intensity threshold for Canadian oil sands industry using planetary boundaries: Is a sustainable carbon-negative industry possible?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    10. Lazzaroni, Edoardo Filippo & Elsholkami, Mohamed & Arbiv, Itai & Martelli, Emanuele & Elkamel, Ali & Fowler, Michael, 2016. "Energy infrastructure modeling for the oil sands industry: Current situation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 435-445.
    11. Sapkota, Krishna & Oni, Abayomi Olufemi & Kumar, Amit & Linwei, Ma, 2018. "The development of a techno-economic model for the extraction, transportation, upgrading, and shipping of Canadian oil sands products to the Asia-Pacific region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 273-292.
    12. Radpour, Saeidreza & Gemechu, Eskinder & Ahiduzzaman, Md & Kumar, Amit, 2021. "Development of a framework for the assessment of the market penetration of novel in situ bitumen extraction technologies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).

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