Obtaining bioLPG via the HVO Route in Brazil: A Prospect Study Based on Life Cycle Assessment Approach

Natália de Almeida Menezes, Isadora Luiza Clímaco Cunha, Moisés Teles dos Santos and Luiz Kulay ()
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Natália de Almeida Menezes: Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580–Bloco 18, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
Isadora Luiza Clímaco Cunha: Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580–Bloco 18, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
Moisés Teles dos Santos: Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580–Bloco 18, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
Luiz Kulay: Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580–Bloco 18, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: BioLPG is a partially renewable fuel that can be produced by different conversion routes, with vegetable oil hydrotreatment (HVO) being one of the most promising processes. This study uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to assess the environmental impacts associated with this processing. The analysis considered the conditions practiced in Brazil with soybean oil (SO) as raw material, different hydrogen sources, and raw materials’ feed rates in the reaction system. The model was based on secondary data collected for the 2020–2021 biennium, and the environmental impacts were determined for Global Warming Potential, Primary Energy Demand, Terrestrial Acidification, Fine Particulate Matter Formation, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, and direct Land Use Change. The results show that the SO produced by soybeans grown in Paraná/BR and hydrotreated with H 2 obtained by electrolysis ([SO/H 2 ]mol/mol = 1:30) had the best environmental performance in four of the six impact categories analyzed. A complementary analysis also identified the best environmental performances for bioLPG obtained from blending SO from different sources to avoid supplier dependence. Even accumulating worse environmental performance than fossil LPG, renewable fuel has promising prospects for deployment in Brazil. Nevertheless, for this to occur, some actions must be implemented in its production cycle.

Keywords: bioLPG; HVO technology; renewable fuel; life cycle assessment; environmental performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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