GHG balance of biodiesel production and consumption in EU

Abstract

The promotion of biofuels as energy for transportation in the industrialised countries is mainly driven by the perspective of oil depletion, concerns about energy security and global warming. Nevertheless, the production of biofuels entails emissions to the environment coming from the different stages in the product life cycle. This paper evaluates the environmental impact of pure rapeseed biodiesel (B100) production and consumption in the public transport sector, in terms of GHG emissions released by every stage in the life cycle, in order to identify proper interventions to reduce the emissions. The methodology applied to this purpose is an Attributional Life Cycle Analysis (ALCA). The Agricultural phase results to be the process that produces the highest GHG emissions, mainly because of the production and the use of nitrogen fertiliser.