An Integrated Life-Cycle Assessment of Sunflower Seed Oil as An Alternative Feedstock for Biodiesel

This study is aimed at investigating the environmental, technical, and economic impact of using sunflower seed oil as a possible feedstock for producing biodiesel. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) approach is used to track and assess the material and energy usage as well as the emissions associated with the growth, harvesting, transportation, production, and discharge. In order to examine the role of the production process, a process flowsheet has been synthesized and simulated. The key processing technology used in production is supercritical methanol extraction. The analysis shows that the best choice for the sunflower type is the NuSun brand, because of its moderately high oil contents. The extent of greenhouse gas (GHG ) emissions has also been studied. To conclude this paper, a sensitivity analysis will be provided, allowing for improvements to be made on further studies done on the same topic.