IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v8y2015i4p3258-3271d48546.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Life-Cycle Energy and GHG Emissions of Forest Biomass Harvest and Transport for Biofuel Production in Michigan

Author

Listed:
  • Fengli Zhang

    (College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
    Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA)

  • Dana M. Johnson

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
    School of Business and Economics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA)

  • Jinjiang Wang

    (College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China)

Abstract

High dependence on imported oil has increased U.S. strategic vulnerability and prompted more research in the area of renewable energy production. Ethanol production from renewable woody biomass, which could be a substitute for gasoline, has seen increased interest. This study analysed energy use and greenhouse gas emission impacts on the forest biomass supply chain activities within the State of Michigan. A life-cycle assessment of harvesting and transportation stages was completed utilizing peer-reviewed literature. Results for forest-delivered ethanol were compared with those for petroleum gasoline using data specific to the U.S. The analysis from a woody biomass feedstock supply perspective uncovered that ethanol production is more environmentally friendly (about 62% less greenhouse gas emissions) compared with petroleum based fossil fuel production. Sensitivity analysis was conducted with key inputs associated with harvesting and transportation operations. The results showed that research focused on improving biomass recovery efficiency and truck fuel economy further reduced GHG emissions and energy consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Fengli Zhang & Dana M. Johnson & Jinjiang Wang, 2015. "Life-Cycle Energy and GHG Emissions of Forest Biomass Harvest and Transport for Biofuel Production in Michigan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:8:y:2015:i:4:p:3258-3271:d:48546
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/4/3258/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/4/3258/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Fengli & Johnson, Dana M. & Johnson, Mark A., 2012. "Development of a simulation model of biomass supply chain for biofuel production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 380-391.
    2. Liu, Zhexuan & Qiu, Tong & Chen, Bingzhen, 2014. "A study of the LCA based biofuel supply chain multi-objective optimization model with multi-conversion paths in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 221-234.
    3. Long Nguyen & Kara G. Cafferty & Erin M. Searcy & Sabrina Spatari, 2014. "Uncertainties in Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Advanced Biomass Feedstock Logistics Supply Chains in Kansas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-22, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Haji Esmaeili, Seyed Ali & Sobhani, Ahmad & Szmerekovsky, Joseph & Dybing, Alan & Pourhashem, Ghasideh, 2020. "First-generation vs. second-generation: A market incentives analysis for bioethanol supply chains with carbon policies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    2. Zhang, Fengli & Johnson, Dana M. & Wang, Jinjiang, 2016. "Integrating multimodal transport into forest-delivered biofuel supply chain design," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 58-67.
    3. Xiaoxi Yan & Dong Jiang & Jingying Fu & Mengmeng Hao, 2018. "Assessment of Sweet Sorghum-Based Ethanol Potential in China within the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Ye, Fei & Li, Yina & Lin, Qiang & Zhan, Yuanzhu, 2017. "Modeling of China's cassava-based bioethanol supply chain operation and coordination," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 217-228.
    5. Rodica Niculescu & Adrian Clenci & Victor Iorga-Siman, 2019. "Review on the Use of Diesel–Biodiesel–Alcohol Blends in Compression Ignition Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-41, March.
    6. Zhang, Fengli & Johnson, Dana M. & Wang, Jinjiang & Yu, Chunxia, 2016. "Cost, energy use and GHG emissions for forest biomass harvesting operations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1053-1062.
    7. Seyed Ali Haji Esmaeili & Ahmad Sobhani & Sajad Ebrahimi & Joseph Szmerekovsky & Alan Dybing & Amin Keramati, 2023. "Location Allocation of Biorefineries for a Switchgrass-Based Bioethanol Supply Chain Using Energy Consumption and Emissions," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-22, January.
    8. Marco Manzone & Fabrizio Gioelli & Paolo Balsari, 2017. "Kiwi Clear‐Cut: First Evaluation of Recovered Biomass for Energy Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-12, November.
    9. Raghava Rao Kommalapati & Iqbal Hossan & Venkata Sai Vamsi Botlaguduru & Hongbo Du & Ziaul Huque, 2018. "Life Cycle Environmental Impact of Biomass Co-Firing with Coal at a Power Plant in the Greater Houston Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, June.
    10. Haji Esmaeili, Seyed Ali & Szmerekovsky, Joseph & Sobhani, Ahmad & Dybing, Alan & Peterson, Tim O., 2020. "Sustainable biomass supply chain network design with biomass switching incentives for first-generation bioethanol producers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Espinoza Pérez, Andrea Teresa & Camargo, Mauricio & Narváez Rincón, Paulo César & Alfaro Marchant, Miguel, 2017. "Key challenges and requirements for sustainable and industrialized biorefinery supply chain design and management: A bibliographic analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 350-359.
    2. Ba, Birome Holo & Prins, Christian & Prodhon, Caroline, 2016. "Models for optimization and performance evaluation of biomass supply chains: An Operations Research perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(P2), pages 977-989.
    3. Rendon-Sagardi, Miguel A. & Sanchez-Ramirez, Cuauhtemoc & Cortes-Robles, Guillermo & Alor-Hernandez, Giner & Cedillo-Campos, Miguel G., 2014. "Dynamic analysis of feasibility in ethanol supply chain for biofuel production in Mexico," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 358-367.
    4. Eriksson, Anders & Eliasson, Lars & Sikanen, Lauri & Hansson, Per-Anders & Jirjis, Raida, 2017. "Evaluation of delivery strategies for forest fuels applying a model for Weather-driven Analysis of Forest Fuel Systems (WAFFS)," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 420-430.
    5. Shen, Jiayu, 2020. "An environmental supply chain network under uncertainty," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 542(C).
    6. Palander, Teijo & Haavikko, Hanna & Kärhä, Kalle, 2018. "Towards sustainable wood procurement in forest industry – The energy efficiency of larger and heavier vehicles in Finland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 100-118.
    7. Patrizia Busato & Alessandro Sopegno & Remigio Berruto & Dionysis Bochtis & Angela Calvo, 2017. "A Web-Based Tool for Energy Balance Estimation in Multiple-Crops Production Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Zhang, Xingping & Luo, Kaiyan & Tan, Qinliang, 2016. "A feedstock supply model integrating the official organization for China's biomass generation plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 276-290.
    9. Jonker, J.G.G. & Junginger, H.M. & Verstegen, J.A. & Lin, T. & Rodríguez, L.F. & Ting, K.C. & Faaij, A.P.C. & van der Hilst, F., 2016. "Supply chain optimization of sugarcane first generation and eucalyptus second generation ethanol production in Brazil," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 494-510.
    10. Zahraee, Seyed Mojib & Rahimpour Golroudbary, Saeed & Shiwakoti, Nirajan & Stasinopoulos, Peter, 2021. "Particle-Gaseous pollutant emissions and cost of global biomass supply chain via maritime transportation: Full-scale synergy model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    11. Li, Zhengbing & Liang, Yongtu & Ni, Weilong & Liao, Qi & Xu, Ning & Li, Lichao & Zheng, Jianqin & Zhang, Haoran, 2022. "Pipesharing: economic-environmental benefits from transporting biofuels through multiproduct pipelines," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    12. Hoo Poh Ying & Cassendra Bong Phun Chien & Fan Yee Van, 2020. "Operational Management Implemented in Biofuel Upstream Supply Chain and Downstream International Trading: Current Issues in Southeast Asia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-26, April.
    13. Zhao, Yan & Damgaard, Anders & Xu, Yingjie & Liu, Shan & Christensen, Thomas H., 2019. "Bioethanol from corn stover – Global warming footprint of alternative biotechnologies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C), pages 237-253.
    14. Iffat Abbas Abbasi & Hasbullah Ashari & Ijaz Yusuf, 2023. "System Dynamics Modelling: Integrating Empty Fruit Bunch Biomass Logistics to Reduce GHG Emissions," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, April.
    15. Heino Pesch & Louis Louw, 2023. "Evaluating the Economic Feasibility of Plant Factory Scenarios That Produce Biomass for Biorefining Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-36, January.
    16. Wang, Yu & Ebadian, Mahmood & Sokhansanj, Shahab & Webb, Erin & Lau, Anthony, 2017. "Impact of the biorefinery size on the logistics of corn stover supply – A scenario analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 360-376.
    17. He-Lambert, Lixia & English, Burton C. & Lambert, Dayton M. & Shylo, Oleg & Larson, James A. & Yu, T. Edward & Wilson, Bradly, 2018. "Determining a geographic high resolution supply chain network for a large scale biofuel industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 266-281.
    18. Kusumastuti, Ratih Dyah & Donk, Dirk Pieter van & Teunter, Ruud, 2016. "Crop-related harvesting and processing planning: a review," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 76-92.
    19. Arabi, Mahsa & Yaghoubi, Saeed & Tajik, Javad, 2019. "A mathematical model for microalgae-based biobutanol supply chain network design under harvesting and drying uncertainties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1004-1016.
    20. José Eduardo Galve & Daniel Elduque & Carmelo Pina & Carlos Javierre, 2016. "Sustainable Supply Chain Management: The Influence of Disposal Scenarios on the Environmental Impact of a 2400 L Waste Container," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-12, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:8:y:2015:i:4:p:3258-3271:d:48546. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.