Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Biogas as a Fuel for Transport Compared with Alternative Fuels

Kari-Anne Lyng and Andreas Brekke
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Kari-Anne Lyng: Ostfold Research, Stadion 4, 1671 Kråkerøy, Norway
Andreas Brekke: Ostfold Research, Stadion 4, 1671 Kråkerøy, Norway

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Upgraded biogas, also known as biomethane, is increasingly being used as a fuel for transport in several countries and is regarded as an environmentally beneficial option. There are, nevertheless, few studies documenting the environmental impacts of biogas as a transport fuel compared with the alternatives on the market. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to compare the environmental performance of biogas used as a fuel for bus transport with natural gas, electricity fueled buses, biodiesel, and fossil diesel. A sensitivity analysis was performed for the biogas alternative to assess the importance of the underlying assumptions. The results show that biogas has a relatively low contribution to the environmental impact categories assessed. Emissions of greenhouse gases are dependent on assumptions such as system boundaries, transport distances and methane leakages.

Keywords: biogas; fuel; transport; anaerobic digestion; life cycle assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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