Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Production from Different Biomass Sources in Italy

Amalia Zucaro (), Giuliana Ansanelli (), Antonietta Cerbone, Antonio Picarelli, Caterina Rinaldi, Tiziana Beltrani, Silvia Sbaffoni and Gabriella Fiorentino
Additional contact information
Amalia Zucaro: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Giuliana Ansanelli: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Antonietta Cerbone: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Antonio Picarelli: ENEA, Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources, Division Smart Sector Integration and Distributed RES Generation, 00196 Rome, Italy
Caterina Rinaldi: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Tiziana Beltrani: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Silvia Sbaffoni: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy
Gabriella Fiorentino: ENEA, Department for Sustainability, Division Resource Efficiency, 00196 Rome, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: The European Union is targeting climate neutrality by 2050, with a focus on enhancing energy efficiency, expanding renewable energy sources, and reducing emissions. Within Italy’s electricity mix, bioenergy sources, namely biogas, solid biomass, and bioliquids, play a crucial territorial role. A comparative analysis was conducted through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), utilizing national data from the ARCADIA project, to assess the environmental sustainability of the investigated bioenergy chains and identify the most convenient ones. The study revealed that, among the bioenergy sources, solid biomass emerges as the most environmentally friendly option since it does not rely on dedicated crops. Conversely, biogas shows the highest environmental impact, demonstrating less favorable performance across nine out of the sixteen evaluated impact categories. The LCA underscores that the cultivation of dedicated energy crops significantly contributes to environmental burdens associated with electricity generation, affecting both biogas and bioliquids performance. The cultivation process needs water and chemical fertilizers, leading to adverse environmental effects. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing residual biomass for energy generation over dedicated crops. Utilizing forestry and agro-industrial residues, municipal solid waste, and used cooking oils presents numerous advantages, including environmental preservation, resource conservation and recovery, as well as waste reduction.

Keywords: environmental impacts; Italian LCA database; bioenergy; electricity mix; biogas; solid biomass; bioliquids (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: 2024
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