Life cycle water use of low-carbon transport fuels

Abstract

In society’s quest to mitigate climate change it is important to consider potential trade-offs in climate solutions impacting other environmental issues. This analysis explores the life cycle water consumption of alternative low-carbon energy sources for transportation. Energy sources analyzed include both biofuels used in internal combustion engines and low-carbon electricity generation methods used in conjunction with electric vehicles. Biofuels considered are corn-based ethanol, soybean biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass, and microbial biodiesel. Electricity sources analyzed are coal with carbon sequestration, photovoltaic cells, and solar concentrators. The assessment method used is hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA), which combines materials-based process method and the economic input–output (EIO) method. To compare these technologies on an even footing the life cycle water use to propel a passenger vehicle one mile is estimated. All technologies evaluated showed an increase in water consumption compared to unleaded gasoline when water use from vehicle manufacturing was included. Scale-up calculations showed that mass adoption of electric vehicles and some configurations of algae and switchgrass systems could potentially contribute to the decarbonization of transportation with tolerable increases in overall water consumption. Irrigated crop based biofuels however were found to have significant potential impact on water resources when scaled up to macroscopic production levels.