The Experts below are selected from a list of 99 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Mary Ann Curran - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a review of assessments conducted on bio ethanol as a transportation fuel from a net energy greenhouse gas and environmental life cycle perspective
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: Harro Von Blottnitz, Mary Ann CurranAbstract:Abstract Interest in producing ethanol from biomass in an attempt to make transportation ecologically sustainable continues to grow. In recent years, a large number of assessments have been conducted to assess the environmental merit of biofuels. Two detailed reviews present contrasting results: one is generally unfavourable, whilst the other is more favourable towards fuel bio-ethanol. However, most work that has been done so far, to assess the conversion of specific feedstocks to biofuels, specifically bio-ethanol, has not gone beyond energy and carbon assessments. This study draws on 47 published assessments that compare bio-ethanol systems to conventional fuel on a life cycle basis, or using life cycle assessment (LCA). A majority of these assessments focused on net energy and greenhouse gases, and despite differing assumptions and system boundaries, the following general lessons emerge: (i) make ethanol from Sugar Crops, in tropical countries, but approach expansion of agricultural land usage with extreme caution; (ii) consider hydrolysing and fermenting lignocellulosic residues to ethanol; and (iii) the LCA results on grasses as feedstock are insufficient to draw conclusions. It appears that technology choices in process residue handling and in fuel combustion are key, whilst site-specific environmental management tools should best handle biodiversity issues. Seven of the reviewed studies evaluated a wider range of environmental impacts, including resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human and ecological health, smog formation, etc., but came up with divergent conclusions, possibly due to different approaches in scoping. These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification, human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed.
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a review of assessments conducted on bio ethanol as a transportation fuel from a net energy greenhouse gas and environmental life cycle perspective
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: Harro Von Blottnitz, Mary Ann CurranAbstract:Interest in producing ethanol from biomass in an attempt to make transportation ecologically sustainable continues to grow. In recent years, a large number of assessments have been conducted to assess the environmental merit of biofuels. Two detailed reviews present contrasting results: one is generally unfavourable, whilst the other is more favourable towards fuel bio-ethanol. However, most work that has been done so far, to assess the conversion of specific feedstocks to biofuels, specifically bio-ethanol, has not gone beyond energy and carbon assessments. This study draws on 47 published assessments that compare bio-ethanol systems to conventional fuel on a life cycle basis, or using life cycle assessment (LCA). A majority of these assessments focused on net energy and greenhouse gases, and despite differing assumptions and system boundaries, the following general lessons emerge: (i) make ethanol from Sugar Crops, in tropical countries, but approach expansion of agricultural land usage with extreme caution; (ii) consider hydrolysing and fermenting lignocellulosic residues to ethanol; and (iii) the LCA results on grasses as feedstock are insufficient to draw conclusions. It appears that technology choices in process residue handling and in fuel combustion are key, whilst site-specific environmental management tools should best handle biodiversity issues. Seven of the reviewed studies evaluated a wider range of environmental impacts, including resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human and ecological health, smog formation, etc., but came up with divergent conclusions, possibly due to different approaches in scoping. These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification, human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Harro Von Blottnitz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a review of assessments conducted on bio ethanol as a transportation fuel from a net energy greenhouse gas and environmental life cycle perspective
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: Harro Von Blottnitz, Mary Ann CurranAbstract:Abstract Interest in producing ethanol from biomass in an attempt to make transportation ecologically sustainable continues to grow. In recent years, a large number of assessments have been conducted to assess the environmental merit of biofuels. Two detailed reviews present contrasting results: one is generally unfavourable, whilst the other is more favourable towards fuel bio-ethanol. However, most work that has been done so far, to assess the conversion of specific feedstocks to biofuels, specifically bio-ethanol, has not gone beyond energy and carbon assessments. This study draws on 47 published assessments that compare bio-ethanol systems to conventional fuel on a life cycle basis, or using life cycle assessment (LCA). A majority of these assessments focused on net energy and greenhouse gases, and despite differing assumptions and system boundaries, the following general lessons emerge: (i) make ethanol from Sugar Crops, in tropical countries, but approach expansion of agricultural land usage with extreme caution; (ii) consider hydrolysing and fermenting lignocellulosic residues to ethanol; and (iii) the LCA results on grasses as feedstock are insufficient to draw conclusions. It appears that technology choices in process residue handling and in fuel combustion are key, whilst site-specific environmental management tools should best handle biodiversity issues. Seven of the reviewed studies evaluated a wider range of environmental impacts, including resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human and ecological health, smog formation, etc., but came up with divergent conclusions, possibly due to different approaches in scoping. These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification, human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed.
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a review of assessments conducted on bio ethanol as a transportation fuel from a net energy greenhouse gas and environmental life cycle perspective
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: Harro Von Blottnitz, Mary Ann CurranAbstract:Interest in producing ethanol from biomass in an attempt to make transportation ecologically sustainable continues to grow. In recent years, a large number of assessments have been conducted to assess the environmental merit of biofuels. Two detailed reviews present contrasting results: one is generally unfavourable, whilst the other is more favourable towards fuel bio-ethanol. However, most work that has been done so far, to assess the conversion of specific feedstocks to biofuels, specifically bio-ethanol, has not gone beyond energy and carbon assessments. This study draws on 47 published assessments that compare bio-ethanol systems to conventional fuel on a life cycle basis, or using life cycle assessment (LCA). A majority of these assessments focused on net energy and greenhouse gases, and despite differing assumptions and system boundaries, the following general lessons emerge: (i) make ethanol from Sugar Crops, in tropical countries, but approach expansion of agricultural land usage with extreme caution; (ii) consider hydrolysing and fermenting lignocellulosic residues to ethanol; and (iii) the LCA results on grasses as feedstock are insufficient to draw conclusions. It appears that technology choices in process residue handling and in fuel combustion are key, whilst site-specific environmental management tools should best handle biodiversity issues. Seven of the reviewed studies evaluated a wider range of environmental impacts, including resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human and ecological health, smog formation, etc., but came up with divergent conclusions, possibly due to different approaches in scoping. These LCAs typically report that bio-ethanol results in reductions in resource use and global warming; however, impacts on acidification, human toxicity and ecological toxicity, occurring mainly during the growing and processing of biomass, were more often unfavourable than favourable. It is in this area that further work is needed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Mark A J Huijbregts - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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life cycle greenhouse gas emissions fossil fuel demand and solar energy conversion efficiency in european bioethanol production for automotive purposes
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: L Reijnders, Mark A J HuijbregtsAbstract:Abstract Crop derived biofuels such as (bio)ethanol are increasingly applied for automotive purposes. They have, however, a relatively low efficiency in converting solar energy into automotive power. The outcome of life cycle studies concerning ethanol as to fossil fuel inputs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with such inputs depend strongly on the assumptions made regarding e.g. allocation, inclusion of upstream processes and estimates of environmentally relevant in- and outputs. Peer reviewed studies suggest that CO 2 emissions linked to life cycle fossil fuel input are typically about 2.1–3.0 kg CO 2 kg −1 starch-derived ethanol. When biofuel production involves agricultural practices that are common in Europe there are net losses of carbon from soil and emissions of the greenhouse gas N 2 O. Dependent on choices regarding allocation, they may, for wheat (starch) be in the order of 0.6–2.5 kg CO 2 equivalent kg −1 of ethanol. This makes ethanol derived from starch, or Sugar Crops, in Europe still less attractive for mitigating climate change. In case of wheat, changes in agricultural practice may reduce or reverse carbon loss from soils. When biofuel production from Crops leads to expansion of cropland while reducing forested areas or grassland, added impetus will be given to climate change.
Martin Kumar Patel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Comparing biobased products from oil Crops versus Sugar Crops with regard to non-renewable energy use, GHG emissions and land use.
Industrial Crops and Products, 2016Co-Authors: Koen P.h. Meesters, Sjaak G. Conijn, Wim J. Corré, Martin Kumar PatelAbstract:Non-renewable energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and land use of two biobased products and biofuel from oil Crops is investigated and compared with products from Sugar Crops. In a bio-based economy chemicals, materials and energy carriers will be produced from biomass. Next to side streams, also vegetable oils and Sugars are expected to become important resources for these products. Application of these resources calls for effective resource use, with minimal environmental impacts. In this paper we study a number of available options and their trade-offs. Use of vegetable oils in a chemical and a resin results in a higher reduction of non- renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions than their use as biodiesel. Furthermore, similar savings in environmental impact per unit of land can be reached by products from either oil or Sugar Crops as transportation fuel, but the Sugar Crops, applied in chemicals or bioplastics outcompete the oil Crops.
L Reijnders - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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life cycle greenhouse gas emissions fossil fuel demand and solar energy conversion efficiency in european bioethanol production for automotive purposes
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007Co-Authors: L Reijnders, Mark A J HuijbregtsAbstract:Abstract Crop derived biofuels such as (bio)ethanol are increasingly applied for automotive purposes. They have, however, a relatively low efficiency in converting solar energy into automotive power. The outcome of life cycle studies concerning ethanol as to fossil fuel inputs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with such inputs depend strongly on the assumptions made regarding e.g. allocation, inclusion of upstream processes and estimates of environmentally relevant in- and outputs. Peer reviewed studies suggest that CO 2 emissions linked to life cycle fossil fuel input are typically about 2.1–3.0 kg CO 2 kg −1 starch-derived ethanol. When biofuel production involves agricultural practices that are common in Europe there are net losses of carbon from soil and emissions of the greenhouse gas N 2 O. Dependent on choices regarding allocation, they may, for wheat (starch) be in the order of 0.6–2.5 kg CO 2 equivalent kg −1 of ethanol. This makes ethanol derived from starch, or Sugar Crops, in Europe still less attractive for mitigating climate change. In case of wheat, changes in agricultural practice may reduce or reverse carbon loss from soils. When biofuel production from Crops leads to expansion of cropland while reducing forested areas or grassland, added impetus will be given to climate change.
