Policy Implications of Allocation Methods in the Life Cycle Analysis of Integrated Corn and Corn Stover Ethanol Production

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Christina E. Canter ; Jennifer B. Dunn ; Jeongwoo Han ; Zhichao Wang…
• 关键词：Ethanol ; Corn ; Corn stover ; GHG emissions ; Integrated facility ; Life cycle analysis
• 刊名：BioEnergy Research
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：March 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：9
• 期：1
• 页码：77-87
• 全文大小：640 KB
• 刊物类别：Chemistry and Materials Science
• 刊物主题：Chemistry<br>Biomaterials<br>Biochemical Engineering<br>Bioorganic Chemistry<br>
• 出版者：Springer New York
• ISSN：1939-1242

文摘

A biorefinery may produce multiple fuels from more than one feedstock. The ability of these fuels to qualify as one of the four types of biofuels under the US Renewable Fuel Standard and to achieve a low carbon intensity score under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard can be strongly influenced by the approach taken to their life cycle analysis (LCA). For example, in facilities that may co-produce corn grain and corn stover ethanol, the ethanol production processes can share the combined heat and power (CHP) that is produced from the lignin and liquid residues from stover ethanol production. We examine different LCA approaches to corn grain and stover ethanol production considering different approaches to CHP treatment. In the baseline scenario, CHP meets the energy demands of stover ethanol production first, with additional heat and electricity generated sent to grain ethanol production. The resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for grain and stover ethanol are 57 and 25 g-COb>2b>eq/MJ, respectively, corresponding to a 40 and 74 % reduction compared to the GHG emissions of gasoline. We illustrate that emissions depend on allocation of burdens of CHP production and corn farming, along with the facility capacities. Co-product handling techniques can strongly influence LCA results and should therefore be transparently documented.