Abstract
In order to solve the energy crisis and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), renewable energy resources are exploited for power generation. Because lignocellulosic biomass resources are abundant and renewable, various technologies are applied to using lignocellulosic biomass to derive biofuel and electricity. This paper focuses on power generation from lignocellulosic biomass and comparison of the effects of different feedstocks, transportation, and power generation technologies evaluated through life cycle assessment (LCA). The inputs and boundaries of LCA vary with different feedstocks, such as forestry wood, agricultural residues, and fast-growing grass. For agricultural residues and fast-growing grass, the transportation cost from field to power plant is more critical. Three technologies for power generation are analyzed both with and without pelletization of lignocellulosic biomass. The GHG emissions also vary with different feedstocks and depend on burning technologies at different plant scales. The daily criteria pollutant emissions of power generation from different lignocellulosic biomass were evaluated with a life cycle assessment model of GREET.net 2014. It is concluded that bio-power generation is critical with the urgency of greenhouse effects.
Highlights
The United Nations has recently reported that global warming is mainly due to progressive consumption of fossil resources on the Earth [1]
Called life cycle analysis (LCA), evaluates the environmental burdens by identifying resource inputs, energy consumptions, and emissions to various environmental compartments resulting from the particular life cycle of a product
The daily criteria pollutant emissions of power generation from different lignocellulosic biomass, such as forestry residue, miscanthus, willow, poplar, and switchgrass were evaluated through life cycle assessment by using GREET.net 2014 (The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model, 2014 version) [52]
Summary
The United Nations has recently reported that global warming is mainly due to progressive consumption of fossil resources on the Earth [1]. Lignocellulosic biomass resources available for power generation mainly include agricultural crop residues (such as wheat straw, corn stover, rice straw, and other cultured plant stems), wood and its wastes from forestry and industry (such as bough, bark, and sawdust), dedicated short-rotation energy coppice (such as eucalyptus, poplar, and willow), and grass (such as switch grass and other natural grasses). Called life cycle analysis (LCA), evaluates the environmental burdens by identifying resource inputs, energy consumptions, and emissions to various environmental compartments resulting from the particular life cycle of a product. Different models of LCA are evaluated to clarify the environmental effects of different types of lignocellulosic biomass according to environmental impacts during the whole process of power generation through discussion of the energy, supply consumption and GHG emissions. The whole process starts from the biomass plantation and ends at waste releases in power plants
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