Determining the Unit Values of the Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Production of Biofuels in the Life Cycle

Mariusz Niekurzak

doi:10.3390/en14248394

Abstract

Thanks to the allocation methods, i.e., the division of the total GHG emissions between each of the products generated in the production of biofuels, it is possible to reduce the emissions of these gases by up to 35% in relation to the production and combustion of fuels derived from crude oil. As part of this study, the biodiesel production process was analyzed in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the basis of the obtained results, the key factors influencing the emissions level of the biodiesel production process were identified. In order to assess the sensitivity of the results of the adopted allocation method, this study included calculations of GHG emissions with an allocation method based on mass, energy, and financial shares. The article reviews recent advances that have the potential to enable a sustainable energy transition, a green economy, and carbon neutrality in the biofuels sector. The paper shows that the technology used for the production of biodiesel is of great importance for sustainable development. The possibility of using renewable raw materials for the production of fuels leads to a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels and lower emission of pollutants. It showed that during the combustion of biodiesel, the percentages of released gas components, with the exception of nitrogen oxides, which increased by 13%, were significantly lower: CO2—78%, CO—43%, SO2—100%, PM10—32%, and volatile hydrocarbons—63%. Moreover, it was found that biodiesel undergoes five times faster biodegradation in the environment than diesel oil.

Highlights

The progressive exploitation of non-renewable resources, such as coal, oil, or gas, leads to the excessive use of these raw materials and the exhaustion of stocks
The use of biofuels has a better environmental impact than the use of petroleum products, as their combustion emits an average of 35% less greenhouse gases compared to the combustion of diesel fuel
Total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be reduced over the life cycle of the main product by about 31% as emissions are split between it and the by-product

Summary

Introduction

The progressive exploitation of non-renewable resources, such as coal, oil, or gas, leads to the excessive use of these raw materials and the exhaustion of stocks. An increase in interest in the production of fuels from organic sources has been observed in the world [1]. This is a result of the overlapping of several factors: high oil prices, individual countries’ striving for energy sovereignty, counteracting global warming, and the limited resources of non-renewable resources. Biofuels are all fuels that are produced from biomass. Liquid biofuels are mainly: bioethanol (ethyl alcohol produced from plants in fermentation and distillation processes) and biodiesel (chemically processed vegetable oil). Solid biofuels are processed and unprocessed biomass, as well as a biodegradable fraction of municipal waste. All the mentioned biofuels are used in heating and power engineering [9,10,11]

Methods

Results

Conclusion