Integrated Life Cycle Assessment Modelling of Densified Fuel Production from Various Biomass Species

Rukayya Ibrahim Muazu, Siddharth Gadkari and Jhuma Sadhukhan
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Rukayya Ibrahim Muazu: Centre for Environment & Sustainability (CES), University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Siddharth Gadkari: Chemical and Process Engineering (CPE), University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Jhuma Sadhukhan: Centre for Environment & Sustainability (CES), University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: This work presents new data on the life cycle impact assessment of various lignocellulosic biomass types in Mexico. A comparative life cycle assessment model of biomass densification systems was conducted. An integrated approach that incorporated various process variables, such as technology and variations in feed properties, within the analysis was employed to evaluate the environmental impact of producing 1 MJ of energy-containing densified fuel. The results show that the densification unit and curing (fuel drying) have the highest impact on the life cycle’s operational energy and the total life cycle energy, respectively. Of all the 33 biomass types from the 17 species sources considered in this study, sweet sorghum and sandbur grass have the highest global warming potential, 0.26 and 0.24 (kg CO 2 -eq), and human toxicity 0.58 and 0.53 (kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene-eq), respectively, while coffee pulp and cooperi pine wood have the least impact in both categories, with values of 0.08 and 0.09 (kg CO 2 -eq), and 0.17 and 0.16 (kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene-eq), respectively. Chichicaxtla sawmill slabs also have a low environmental impact, and cooperi pine and Ceiba wood have the lowest ozone depletion and ecotoxicity potential. A sensitivity analysis indicated the effects of the transportation system and energy source on the life cycle’s environmental impact. Adequate feed preparation, the blending of multiple feeds in the optimum ratio, and the careful selection of densification technology could improve the environmental performance of densifying some of the low-bulk-density feed biomass types.

Keywords: integrated modelling; LCA; densification; biomass; energy; environmental impact (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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