Biofuel Life-Cycle Analysis: Possible for Standardization?
RCN Conference on Pan American Biofuel and Bioenergy Sustainability
2014
RCN Conference on Pan American Biofuels and Bioenergy Sustainability
Abstracts
Standardization of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Biofuels in the Pan America Region
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - 1:40pm to 2:00pm
Biofuel Life-Cycle Analysis: Possible for Standardization?
Michael Wang, Jennifer Dunn, and Hao Cai
Systems Assessment Section
Energy Systems Division
Argonne National Laboratory
RCN Conference on Pam American Biofuels & Bioenergy Sustainability
Recife, Brazil, July 22-25, 2014
Abstract
Biofuels are being promoted worldwide to reduce fossil energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to promote rural economic development. Regulations in North America and Europe are in place to regulate biofuel GHG emissions on the basis of life-cycle analysis (LCA). Numerous studies have been conducted to address biofuel GHG emissions. Attempts are being made globally to reconcile different studies, harmonize key assumptions, and possibly standardize biofuel LCAs.
In the past several years, Argonne National Laboratory has been addressing some of the key issues for biofuel life-cycle analysis with its Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREETTM) model. Such issues include different generations of biofuels with a variety of feedstocks, technology changes over time, LCA system boundary, treatment of co-products in biofuel LCAs, and land use change carbon emissions. This presentation will propose potential reconciliation and harmonization for biofuel LCAs. It will discuss the difficulty of biofuel LCA standardization. Finally, it will summarize updated GREET biofuel LCA results with these issues and their LCA impacts considered.
