Post on 20-Apr-2018
LCA of BioLCA of Bio--Oils and Energy Oils and Energy
CropsCrops
Marcelle McManusMarcelle McManus
University of BathUniversity of Bath
Drivers for BioDrivers for Bio--energyenergy
�� KyotoKyoto
�� Renewable Energy TargetsRenewable Energy Targets
�� Fuel SecurityFuel Security
�� RTFO (in Europe)RTFO (in Europe)
�� Easy to use with current infrastructure Easy to use with current infrastructure
and technologyand technology
Source: http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/last_400k_yrs.html
and http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/last_400k_yrs.html, based on publications from Nature
Changing media coverage…Changing media coverage…
�� “UK 'lacks ambition' on bioenergy““UK 'lacks ambition' on bioenergy“–– BBC News, 18 September 2006 BBC News, 18 September 2006
�� “Bioenergy: Fuelling the food crisis?” “Bioenergy: Fuelling the food crisis?” –– BBC News, 4 June 2008BBC News, 4 June 2008
�� Secret report: biofuel caused food crisisSecret report: biofuel caused food crisisInternal World Bank study delivers blow to plant Internal World Bank study delivers blow to plant energy drive (Guardian, July 4energy drive (Guardian, July 4thth 2008)2008)
Friends of the Earth Advert : 2007
Brazil: Large fields of soy
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Residents
protest against food price rises in
front of UN peacekeepers in April
Borneo, Malaysia: A worker
harvests palm oil
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Can BioCan Bio--energy help?energy help?
�� Need to ensure we understand the impacts of Need to ensure we understand the impacts of decisionsdecisions
�� Comprehensive research on land availability, energy Comprehensive research on land availability, energy and water use, food importation, fertiliser use etc…and water use, food importation, fertiliser use etc…
�� Wider questions Wider questions –– which of these impacts, eg food which of these impacts, eg food shortages, are associated with bioshortages, are associated with bio--energy? Which energy? Which with drought, conflict etc?with drought, conflict etc?
�� AttributionalAttributional and Consequential LCAand Consequential LCA
�� Two case studies, biofuel and heatTwo case studies, biofuel and heat
Life Cycle Assessment Framework according to ISO 14040Life Cycle Assessment Framework according to ISO 14040
Four different phases of LCA can be distinguished:
Goal and scope
definition
Inventory
analysis
Impact
assessment
Interpretation
Direct application:
• product development
and improvement
• Strategic planning
• Public policy making
• Marketing
• Other
Source: ISO 14040
Biofuels from Biofuels from
cropscrops
Crop growth
Fertilisers,
herbicides,
pesticides etc
Harvesting
Processing
Displacement of
crops (food)
Displacement of
land (forest etc?)
Energy input
Soil quality and
ability to store
greenhouse gases
Energy use through
machine use
Land for storage
Emissions to water
and air
waste
Emissions to water
and air
Use
Transport to
processing plant
Emissions to land,
air and water
through processing
Energy input
Land for processing
plant
Avoided CO2
through avoidance
of fossil fuel use
Use type – biofuels
or heating?
transport
Emissions to air,
land and water
Disposal
AshEnergy use
Emissions to air,
land and water
Energy and
emissions
associated with the
importation of food
Loss of biodiversity
Different impact
regarding different
types of use
(transport fuel or
heating etc)
Security of energy
supply
Different
component wear as
a result of different
fuel?
Spillages of fuel
(comparison of bio
fuels and fossil
fuels)
Water use
Chemical or any other raw
material input
Ideal Energy CropsIdeal Energy Crops
�� high yield (maximum production of dry high yield (maximum production of dry matter per hectare)matter per hectare)
�� low energy input to producelow energy input to produce
�� low costlow cost
�� composition with the least contaminantscomposition with the least contaminants
�� low nutrient requirementslow nutrient requirements
Land Use ConflictLand Use Conflict
�� Land “squeeze” becomes more prevalent as Land “squeeze” becomes more prevalent as
land is required for food, housing and energyland is required for food, housing and energy
�� There are bioThere are bio--fuel targets, although these fuel targets, although these
might be revisedmight be revised
�� In the UK in order to meet the 5% biofuels In the UK in order to meet the 5% biofuels
blend in the RTFO targets approximately 10% blend in the RTFO targets approximately 10%
of the total agricultural land would be of the total agricultural land would be
requiredrequired
Main FeedstocksMain Feedstocks
�� Arable/AnnualArable/Annual–– Rapeseed, wheat, maize, sugar beet, potatoesRapeseed, wheat, maize, sugar beet, potatoes
�� Herbaceous PerennialsHerbaceous Perennials–– Miscanthus, switchgrass, reed canary grassMiscanthus, switchgrass, reed canary grass
�� Woody PerennialsWoody Perennials
–– Short rotation coppice, pine, spruceShort rotation coppice, pine, spruce
�� Residues and WastesResidues and Wastes–– Forest residue, straw, organic municipal waste, Forest residue, straw, organic municipal waste, waste fats and oilswaste fats and oils
Sowing
Harrowing and Seed Bed Production
Ploughing
Fertilising
Crop Protection
Rapeseed CropGrowth
Drying and Storing
Dried Rapeseed
diesel
diesel
diesel
diesel, natural gas, electricity,heavy fuel oil,
hard coal, CaSO2
To Air: NH3, NO, NO2,N2O, F, CO2, SO2.
To Water: P, P2O5, NH4+, NO3
diesel, heavy fuel oil, natural gas, hard coal.
To Air: N2O, CH4, NH3To Water: NO3-, P, K2O
Harvesting diesel
electricity, heavy fuel oil
rapeseed for sowing
straw
transportation
transportationtransportation of fertilisers
transportation ofcrop protectors
Cleaned and Passed through Magnetic
Separators
Heating and Rolling
Seeds ruptured using steam heat
Pressed in Expeller Press
Press Cake
Cooled and washedwith Hexane in
an Extractor
Miscella (solution of oil in hexane)
Solid mealsaturated with
hexane
Subject to tripleeffect evaporation in order to strip thehexane from the oil
for reuse
Desolventiser used to strip
out the hexane
Rapeseed OilMeal is dried and
cooled and stored insilos
Hexane Hexane
Characterised Data for Rapeseed Characterised Data for Rapeseed
ProductionProduction
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Car
cino
gens
Res
p. o
rgan
ics
Res
p. in
organ
ics
Clim
ate
chan
ge
Rad
iatio
n
Ozo
ne la
yer
Ecoto
xici
ty
Acidi
ficat
ion/
Eut
roph
icat
ion
Land
use
Min
eral
s
Fossi
l fue
ls
ploughing harvesting harrowing and seed preparation
drying crushing fertilising
soil emissions crop protection
Normalised Data for Rapeseed Normalised Data for Rapeseed
ProductionProduction
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
Car
cino
gens
Res
p. o
rgan
ics
Res
p. in
organ
ics
Clim
ate
chan
ge
Rad
iatio
nO
zone
laye
r
Ecoto
xici
ty
Acidi
ficat
ion/
Eut
roph
icat
ion
Land
use
Min
eral
sFos
sil f
uels
plouging harvesting harrow ing and seed preparation
drying crushing fertilising
soil emissions crop protection
Water Use in Crude Rape Oil Water Use in Crude Rape Oil
ProductionProduction
Total Water Consumption = 510m3 per hectare of rapeseed (produces 1188kg crude oil)
water used in crude rape oil production
ploughing
harvesting
harrowing and seed
preparation
drying
crushing
fertilisers
crop protection
Normalised Data for rapeseed based Normalised Data for rapeseed based
biobio--dieseldiesel
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
Carc
inog
ens
Resp
. org
anics
Resp
. ino
rgan
ics
Clim
ate
chang
e
Radi
atio
n
Ozo
ne la
yer
Eco
toxi
city
Aci
dific
atio
n/ E
utroph
icat
ion
Land
use
Min
eral
s
Fossi
l fue
ls
People Emission Equivalents
ploughing harvesting harrowing and seed preparation
drying and transport crushing fertilising
soil emissions crop protection tranesterification chemicals
NaOH Methanol electricity for transesterification
Net Energy of rapeseed based Net Energy of rapeseed based
biodieselbiodiesel
�� Energy Content (ERSU, Strathclyde):Energy Content (ERSU, Strathclyde):
–– Diesel ~ 37.9 MJ/L. Diesel ~ 37.9 MJ/L.
–– Biodiesel ~ 35.6 MJ/L. Biodiesel ~ 35.6 MJ/L.
�� Embodied energy of bioEmbodied energy of bio--diesel is diesel is
calculated to be 29.75MJ/Lcalculated to be 29.75MJ/L
Performance of BiofuelsPerformance of Biofuels�� BiodieselBiodiesel–– At blends lower than 20% there is an At blends lower than 20% there is an increase in efficiency and improved fuel increase in efficiency and improved fuel economy without an impact on economy without an impact on performanceperformance
–– Specific fuel consumption is higher for Specific fuel consumption is higher for engines using high blends of biodieselengines using high blends of biodiesel
–– Problem with thickening at high blends Problem with thickening at high blends due to higher viscositydue to higher viscosity
22ndnd generation biofuelsgeneration biofuels
�� Energy produced from lignocellulosic Energy produced from lignocellulosic
materialmaterial
�� More energy obtained per hectareMore energy obtained per hectare
�� Technology still in developmentTechnology still in development
The boiler has been
estimated to save
over 100 tonnes of
CO2 each year
Normalised Boiler Production Normalised Boiler Production
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Ca
rcin
og
en
s
Re
sp
.
org
an
ics
Re
sp
.
ino
rga
nic
s
Clim
ate
ch
an
ge
Ra
dia
tion
Oz
on
e la
ye
r
Ec
oto
xic
ity
Ac
idifi
ca
tion
/
Eu
tro
ph
ica
tion
La
nd
us
e
Min
era
ls
Fo
ss
il fu
els
People Emission Equivalents
Steel Fireclay High alloy steel Synthetic rubber Stainless Steel Transport
Fossil fuel use and avoidance in a Fossil fuel use and avoidance in a
small biomass boilersmall biomass boiler
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
avoided annual
energy
boiler production insulated piping annual emissions w oodchips
Fossil fuels
Normalised data for a small Normalised data for a small
woodchip biomass boilerwoodchip biomass boiler
Respiratory inorganics - effects resulting from winter smog caused by emissions of dust,
sulphur and nitrogen oxides to air.
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
Car
cino
gens
Res
p. o
rgan
ics
Res
p. in
organ
ics
Clim
ate
chan
ge
Rad
iatio
n
Ozo
ne la
yer
Ecoto
xici
ty
Acidi
ficat
ion/
Eut
roph
icat
ion
Land
use
Min
eral
s
People Emission Equivalents
avoided annual energy boiler production insulated piping annual emissions w oodchips
Normalised data for the boiler with Normalised data for the boiler with
differing loading ratingsdiffering loading ratings
Using other impact assessments the impact of winter and summer smog is negligible
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Car
cino
gens
Res
p. o
rgan
ics
Res
p. in
organ
ics
Clim
ate
chan
ge
Rad
iatio
n
Ozo
ne la
yer
Ecoto
xici
ty
Acidi
ficat
ion/
Eut
roph
icat
ion
Land
use
Min
eral
sPeople Emission Equivalents
avoided annual energy boiler and piping annual low load emissions
annual partial load emissions annual full load emissions w oodchips
Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks
�� Need to understand the wider Need to understand the wider
implicationsimplications
�� Everything has some negative impactEverything has some negative impact
�� BioBio--energy could be used to help meet energy could be used to help meet
renewable energy and carbon reduction renewable energy and carbon reduction
targetstargets
�� This is not a new conceptThis is not a new concept
“I foresee the time when industry shall no longer denude the forests which require generations to mature, nor use up the
mines which were ages in the making, but shall draw its raw
material largely from the annual products of the fields,” he
declared.
“I am convinced that we shall be able to get out of the yearly
crops most of the basic materials which we now get from forest
and mine. We shall grow annually many if not most of the
substances needed in manufacturing.
“When that day comes, and it is surely on the way, the farmer
will not lack a market and the worker will not lack a job. More
people will live in the country. The present unnatural condition
will be naturally balanced again. Chemistry will reunite
agriculture and industry. They were allowed to get too far apart
and the world has suffered by the separation.”
Henry Ford (1863 – 1947)
Contact DetailsContact Details
Dr. Marcelle McManusDr. Marcelle McManus
Department of Mechanical EngineeringDepartment of Mechanical Engineering
University of BathUniversity of Bath
BathBath
BA2 7AYBA2 7AY
M.McManus@bath.ac.ukM.McManus@bath.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1225 383877+44 (0) 1225 383877