Life-cycle analysis of drop-in biojet fuel produced from British Columbia forest residues and wood pellets via fast-pyrolysis

A well-to-wake life-cycle analysis of biojet fuel produced from pyrolysis-derived biocrudes upgraded via hydrotreatment was carried out and compared to petroleum-derived jet fuel. The life-cycle analysis model compared a 100 million liter-per-year upgraded pyrolysis oil facility at three locations in British Columbia, Canada using British Columbia pellet and forest residue feedstocks. The carbon intensity of the pyrolysis-based biojet fuel was 69-71% lower than conventional fossil-based jet fuel, depending on the location and type of woody biomass feedstock that was used. Methodological choices such as the source of the hydrogen consumed during pyrolysis oil upgrading and the co-product method used had the greatest impact on the carbon intensity of the biojet fuel, while technical factors such as the moisture content of the biomass feedstock and the overall yield had a moderate impact on the carbon intensity . Optimizing these various parameters could reduce the carbon intensity of pyrolysis-derived biojet fuel by 110% when compared to petroleum jet fuel.