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Environmental profile of ethanol from poplar biomass as transport fuel in Southern Europe

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  • González-García, Sara
  • Gasol, Carles M.
  • Gabarrell, Xavier
  • Rieradevall, Joan
  • Moreira, Ma Teresa
  • Feijoo, Gumersindo

Abstract

Liquid biofuels provide one of the few options for fossil fuel substitution in the short to medium-term and they are strongly being promoted by the European Union as transport fuel (such as ethanol) since they have the potential to offer both greenhouse gas (GHG) savings and energy security. A “well to wheel” analysis has been conducted for poplar based ethanol by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The aim of the analysis is to assess the environmental performance of three ethanol applications (E10, E85 and E100) in comparison with conventional gasoline. To compare the environmental profiles, the study addressed the impact potentials per kilometre driven by a middle size passenger car, taking into account the performance difference between ethanol blends and gasoline. According to the results of this study, fuel ethanol derived from poplar biomass may help to reduce the contributions to global warming, abiotic resources depletion and ozone layer depletion up to 62%, 72% and 36% respectively. Reductions of fossil fuel extraction of up to 80% could be achieved when pure ethanol is used. On the contrary, contributions to other impact categories would be increased, specifically to acidification and eutrophication. In both categories, ethanol based blends are less environmentally friendly than conventional gasoline due to the higher impact from the upstream activities. Research focussed on the reduction of the environmental impacts should be pointed forward poplar cultivation as well as ethanol conversion plant (enzyme manufacturing, energy production and distillation). In this study poplar cultivation was really intensive in order to obtain a high yield. Strategic planning according to the location of the crops and its requirements should help to reduce these impacts from its cultivation.

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  • González-García, Sara & Gasol, Carles M. & Gabarrell, Xavier & Rieradevall, Joan & Moreira, Ma Teresa & Feijoo, Gumersindo, 2010. "Environmental profile of ethanol from poplar biomass as transport fuel in Southern Europe," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 1014-1023.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:35:y:2010:i:5:p:1014-1023
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2009.10.029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Puricelli, S. & Cardellini, G. & Casadei, S. & Faedo, D. & van den Oever, A.E.M. & Grosso, M., 2021. "A review on biofuels for light-duty vehicles in Europe," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Testa, Riccardo & Di Trapani, Anna Maria & Foderà, Mario & Sgroi, Filippo & Tudisca, Salvatore, 2014. "Economic evaluation of introduction of poplar as biomass crop in Italy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 775-780.
    10. Wiloso, Edi Iswanto & Heijungs, Reinout & de Snoo, Geert R., 2012. "LCA of second generation bioethanol: A review and some issues to be resolved for good LCA practice," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 5295-5308.
    11. Borrion, Aiduan Li & McManus, Marcelle C. & Hammond, Geoffrey P., 2012. "Environmental life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4638-4650.
    12. Tahereh Soleymani Angili & Katarzyna Grzesik & Anne Rödl & Martin Kaltschmitt, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Bioethanol Production: A Review of Feedstock, Technology and Methodology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    13. Pérez-López, Paula & Gasol, Carles M. & Oliver-Solà, Jordi & Huelin, Sagrario & Moreira, Ma Teresa & Feijoo, Gumersindo, 2013. "Greenhouse gas emissions from Spanish motorway transport: Key aspects and mitigation solutions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 705-713.
    14. Menten, Fabio & Chèze, Benoît & Patouillard, Laure & Bouvart, Frédérique, 2013. "A review of LCA greenhouse gas emissions results for advanced biofuels: The use of meta-regression analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 108-134.
    15. Daylan, B. & Ciliz, N., 2016. "Life cycle assessment and environmental life cycle costing analysis of lignocellulosic bioethanol as an alternative transportation fuel," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 578-587.
    16. Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski & Kazimierz Warmiński & Michał Krzyżaniak, 2020. "Energy Value of Yield and Biomass Quality of Poplar Grown in Two Consecutive 4-Year Harvest Rotations in the North-East of Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Singh, Renu & Srivastava, Monika & Shukla, Ashish, 2016. "Environmental sustainability of bioethanol production from rice straw in India: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 202-216.
    18. Qi, Jianhui & Zhao, Jianli & Xu, Yang & Wang, Yongjia & Han, Kuihua, 2018. "Segmented heating carbonization of biomass: Yields, property and estimation of heating value of chars," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 301-311.

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