LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF THE THERMOCHEMICAL CONVERSION OF BIOMASS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FUEL, ELECTRICITY AND HEAT

While 1st generation biofuels compete with food production for resources and arable land, 2nd generation biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass residues avoid this competition. In this paper, the thermochemical conversion of cereal straw as most prominent and mainly unused agricultural residue to fuel, electricity and heat (bioliq (R) process chain) is analysed from an ecological point of view. For the life cycle assessment (LCA), the software openLCA and the database ecoinvent are used. Based on the mass and energy flows all process steps along the bioliq (R) value chain are modelled as subsystems and connected to a product system, comprising all relevant supply chains and disposal pathways. For life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), the midpoint indicators and methods according to the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook of the European Commission are applied. The results for the bioliq (R) process chain are compared to the environmental impacts of reference processes and products, e.g., the production and use of fossil-based gasoline and the German electricity mix. The results show ecological advantages of the bioliq (R) process chain. For the impact categories climate change and ozone depletion for example the bioliq (R) process chain shows a decrease of environmental impacts of 69 % and 79 % respectively compared to the above mentioned reference processes.