Evaluating the environmental impacts of the multi-feedstock biodiesel production process in Indonesia using life cycle assessment (LCA)

Abstract

Biodiesel production from multiple feedstocks, which is currently being carried out on a laboratory scale, has the potential to be scaled up on an industrial scale in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to study the environmental impact of multi-feedstock biodiesel production. This study assesses the environmental performance of the simulated production of multi-feedstock biodiesel and compares it to palm oil biodiesel production in Indonesia. Generally, the life cycle of multi-feedstock biodiesel production has a higher environmental impact at the plantation stage than palm oil biodiesel production. The land-use change of scrubland into plantations of multiple crops (soybean, canola, sunflower, oil palm) showed a contribution of 9.89 tCO2 GHG emissions per tonne of biodiesel produced whereas as that into only oil palm plantation obtained a value of −3.43 tCO2. Many of the environmental impacts such as ecotoxicity, eutrophication, acidification, and global warming are related to plantation activities, particularly due to the use of fertilisers. The cultivation of multiple crops is more detrimental to the environment than the oil palm alone because they use more fertilisers. The use of soybean, canola, and sunflower to produce multi-feedstock biodiesel is not recommended because it provides a higher environmental burden than palm oil biodiesel.