Evaluating the Environmental Footprint of Jatropha Biodiesel Production and Utilization in Ethiopia: A Comprehensive Well-to-Wheel Life Cycle Analysis

Ethiopia is exploring biofuels as an alternative to petroleum-based vehicles to address energy security and sustainability challenges. The biofuel program focuses on producing biodiesel from jatropha plants, which can reduce fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per kilometer driven when blended with diesel.

This study aims to assess jatropha biodiesel production using life cycle assessment and a well-to-wheel analysis, measuring energy balance and environmental impacts for 1 MJ of fuel. Inventory analysis is employed for field survey data, and scenario analysis considers planting conditions, regions, allocation methods, processing, and usage. The study also analyzes the energy savings, emission reduction benefits, and criteria air pollutants when blending different biodiesel-diesel ratios.

The results show that jatropha biofuel can reduce environmental impacts by up to 45-87%, depending on the type of irrigation used. The GHG emissions of 1 MJ of jatropha-based biodiesel produced in Ethiopia are 19.8g CO2 eq/MJ. When examining the global warming potential (GWP) of jatropha planting, it was found that the cultivation of jatropha accounted for the highest share of greenhouse gas emissions at 57.48%, followed by the biodiesel production process at 23.72%. On the other handB20 vehicles, with 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel, could save 17% of fossil energy use and reduce 13% of GHG emissions per km, compared to pure diesel vehicles.

The study's results unequivocally demonstrate that jatropha biodiesel has the potential to mitigate Ethiopia's transportation environmental impact. However, improving jatropha cultivation, oil extraction, and biodiesel production is necessary to achieve this potential.