The Experts below are selected from a list of 84816 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
André Faaij - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Biodiversity Impacts of Increased Ethanol Production in Brazil
Land, 2020Co-Authors: Anna S. Duden, Pita A. Verweij, André Faaij, Daniele Baisero, Carlo Rondinini, F. Van Der HilstAbstract:Growing domestic and international ethanol demand is expected to result in increased sugarcane cultivation in Brazil. Sugarcane expansion currently results in Land-Use Changes mainly in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, two severely threatened biodiversity hotspots. This study quantifies potential biodiversity impacts of increased ethanol demand in Brazil in a spatially explicit manner. We project Changes in potential total, threatened, endemic, and range-restricted mammals’ species richness up to 2030. Decreased potential species richness due to increased ethanol demand in 2030 was projected for about 19,000 km2 in the Cerrado, 17,000 km2 in the Atlantic Forest, and 7000 km2 in the Pantanal. In the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, the biodiversity impacts of sugarcane expansion were mainly due to Direct Land-Use Change; in the Pantanal, they were largely due to inDirect Land-Use Change. The biodiversity impact of increased ethanol demand was projected to be smaller than the impact of other drivers of Land-Use Change. This study provides a first indication of biodiversity impacts related to increased ethanol production in Brazil, which is useful for policy makers and ethanol producers aiming to mitigate impacts. Future research should assess the impact of potential mitigation options, such as nature protection, agroforestry, or agricultural intensification.
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greenhouse gas footprints of different biofuel production systems
Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2010Co-Authors: Ric Hoefnagels, Edward Smeets, André FaaijAbstract:The aim of this study is to show the impact of different assumptions and methodological choices on the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of biofuels by providing the results for different key parameters on a consistent basis. These include co-products allocation or system expansion, N2O emissions from crop cultivation, conversion systems and co-product applications and Direct Land-Use Change emissions. The results show that the GHG performance of biofuels varies depending on the method applied and the system boundaries selected. Key factors include selected allocation procedures and the location of production and related yields, reference land and soil N2O emissions.
Omar Masera - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy balances of sugarcane ethanol production in Mexico
Applied Energy, 2011Co-Authors: Carlos García, Alfredo Fuentes, Anna M. Hennecke, Enrique Riegelhaupt, Fabio Manzini, Omar MaseraAbstract:The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: Direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) was ethanol produced from Direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8Â kgCO2e/GJethanol. This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5Â kgCO2e/GJethanol) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJethanol/GJfossil.
Brenda Chang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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estimating life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol a critical review of current u s practices
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2009Co-Authors: Alissa Kendall, Brenda ChangAbstract:Abstract This study reviews corn–ethanol life cycle assessment studies and modeling tools to identify key discrepancies between studies, and shortcomings in analysis of greenhouse gas emissions. The primary conclusions are that Direct land use Change modeling, soil N 2 O emissions modeling, and co-product crediting were either poorly treated or treated inconsistently across most or all studies. Despite the existence of improved methods and tools proposed by institutional bodies and the broader research community, the state of the practice tends towards over-simplified and highly generalized methods that increase potential uncertainty in greenhouse gas estimates and prevents differentiation among producers of corn ethanol.
Michelle M. Wander - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Modeling state-level soil carbon emission factors under various scenarios for Direct land use Change associated with United States biofuel feedstock production.
Biomass & Bioenergy, 2013Co-Authors: Hoyoung Kwon, Steffen Mueller, Jennifer B. Dunn, Michelle M. WanderAbstract:Abstract Current estimates of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels produced in the US can be improved by refining soil C emission factors (EF; C emissions per land area per year) for Direct land use Change associated with different biofuel feedstock scenarios. We developed a modeling framework to estimate these EFs at the state-level by utilizing remote sensing data, national statistics databases, and a surrogate model for CENTURY's soil organic C dynamics submodel (SCSOC). We estimated the forward Change in soil C concentration within the 0–30 cm depth and computed the associated EFs for the 2011 to 2040 period for croplands, grasslands or pasture/hay, croplands/conservation reserve, and forests that were suited to produce any of four possible biofuel feedstock systems [corn ( Zea Mays L)-corn, corn–corn with stover harvest, switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L), and miscanthus ( Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deuter )]. Our results predict smaller losses or even modest gains in sequestration for corn based systems, particularly on existing croplands, than previous efforts and support assertions that production of perennial grasses will lead to negative emissions in most situations and that conversion of forest or established grasslands to biofuel production would likely produce net emissions. The proposed framework and use of the SCSOC provide transparency and relative simplicity that permit users to easily modify model inputs to inform biofuel feedstock production targets set forth by policy.
Carlos García - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy balances of sugarcane ethanol production in Mexico
Applied Energy, 2011Co-Authors: Carlos García, Alfredo Fuentes, Anna M. Hennecke, Enrique Riegelhaupt, Fabio Manzini, Omar MaseraAbstract:The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: Direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) was ethanol produced from Direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8Â kgCO2e/GJethanol. This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5Â kgCO2e/GJethanol) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJethanol/GJfossil.