A life cycle assessment perspective on biodiesel production from fish wastes for green microgrids in a circular bioeconomy

Abstract

To increase reliability, renewable energy systems are usually supported by diesel generators, which, in turn, contribute to carbon emissions. To solve this challenge, researchers proposed biodiesel utilization, especially biodiesel from agri-food residues under a circular bioeconomy. In line with that, the current study aims to assess the environmental sustainability of biodiesel production from fish waste by life cycle assessment approach based on IMPACT world+ impact assessment method. The findings show that producing 1 L of biodiesel from fish waste damages 1.18 × 10−5 DALY human health and 2.44 × 101 PDF.m2.yr ecosystem quality, mainly caused by fish oil production. Based on weighing results, fish oil biodiesel production leads to 4.3 EUR2003/L total environmental impacts vs. 21.1 EUR2003/L for vegetable oils biodiesel (mixture of soybean, canola and palm). These findings provide a solid evidence base for biodiesel production from fish waste and its utilization instead of diesel in renewable energy systems, especially in coastal areas.