Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental life cycle assessment for rapeseed-derived biodiesel

  • LCA FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS AND FOOD PRODUCTS
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Biofuels have received special research interest, driven by concerns over high fuel prices, security of energy supplies, global climate change as well as the search of opportunities for rural economic development. This work examines the production of biodiesel derived from the transesterification of crude rapeseed oil, one of the most important sources of biodiesel in Europe, paying special attention to the environmental profile-associated to the manufacture life cycle (i.e., cradle-to-gate perspective).

Methods

To do so, a Spanish company with an average annual biodiesel production of 300,000 t was assessed in detail. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study covers the whole life cycle, from the production of the crude rapeseed oil to the biodiesel production and storage. The inventory data for the foreground system consisted of average annual data obtained by on-site measurements in the company, and background data were taken from databases. Seven impact categories have been assessed in detail: abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, global warming, ozone layer depletion, land competition, and photochemical oxidant formation. An energy analysis was carried out based on the cumulative nonrenewable fossil and nuclear energy demand as an additional impact category. Furthermore, well-to-wheels environmental characterization results were estimated and compared per ton-kilometer for the biodiesel (B100) and the conventional diesel so as to point out the environmental drawbacks and strengths of using biodiesel as transport fuel in a 28 t lorry.

Results and discussion

The results showed that the cultivation of the rapeseed was the main key issue in environmental terms (68 %–100 % depending on the category) mainly because of fertilizer doses and intensive agricultural practices required. With regard to the biorefinery production process, pretreatment and transesterification sections considerably contribute to the environmental profile mostly due to electricity and chemical requirements. Concerning the well-to-wheels comparison, using B100 derived from rapeseed oil instead of petroleum-based diesel would reduce nonrenewable energy dependence (−20 %), GHG emissions (−74 %), and ozone layer depletion (−44 %) but would increase acidification (+59 %), eutrophication (+214 %), photochemical smog (+119 %), and land competition.

Conclusions

The information presented in this study could help to promote the use of renewable transport biofuels. However, the extensive implementation of biodiesel (particularly rapeseed oil-derived biodiesel) in our society is enormously complex with many issues involved not only from environmental but also economical and social points of view.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. http://www.essom.com/backend/data-file/engineer/engin21_1.pdf [accessed October 10, 2011]

References

  • Algra D (2002) Environmental impact of drinking water. A life cycle analysis of the drinking water systems for the region of Barcelona. IVEM-doctoraalverlsag nr. 150. University of Groningen, Groningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Althaus HJ, Chudacoff M, Hischier R, Jungbluth N, Osses M, Primas A (2007) Life cycle inventories of Chemicals. Ecoinvent report No. 8, v2.0 EMPA. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • Antizar-Ladislao B, Turrion-Gomez JL (2008) Second-generation biofuels and local bioenergy systems. Biofuels Bioprod Bioref 2:455–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bai Y, Luo L, van der Voet E (2010) Life cycle assessment of switchgrass-derived ethanol as transport fuel. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15:468–77

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brew Project (2006) Medium and long-term opportunities and risks of the biotechnological production of bulk chemicals from renewable resources—the potential of white biotechnology. Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS), Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht (The Netherlands). http://www.projects.science.uu.nl/brew/programme.html [accessed October 09, 2011]

  • Canola Council of Canada (2010) Life cycle analysis canola biodiesel, http://www.canolacouncil.org/uploads/Canola%20Lifecycle%20Analysis.pdf [accessed February 27, 2012]

  • Dale B (2008) Biofuels: thinking clearly about the issues. J Agric Food Chem 56:3885–3891

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delucchi MA (2003) A lifecycle emissions model (LEM): lifecycle emissions from transportation fuels, motor vehicles, transportation modes, electricity use, heating and cooking fuels. Main Report UCD-ITS-RR-03-17

  • Dones R, Bauer C, Bolliger R, Burger B, Faist Emmenegger M, Frischknecht R, Heck T, Jungbluth N, Röder A, Tuchschmid M (2007) Life cycle inventories of energy systems: results for current systems in Switzerland and other UCTE countries. Ecoinvent report No. 5. Paul Scherrer Institut Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • ETH-ESU 96 (2004) SimaPro database manual. The ETH-ESU 96 Libraries. http://www.pre.nl/download/manuals/DatabaseManualETH-ESU96.pdf [accessed September 01, 2011]

  • Eurostat (2011) Crop production statistics at regional level, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Crop_production_statistics_at_regional_level#Rapeseed_production [accessed October 24, 2011]

  • Fu GZ, Chan AW, Minns DE (2003) Life cycle assessment of bio-ethanol derived from cellulose. Int J Life Cycle Assess 8:137–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García CA, Fuentes A, Hennecke A, Riegelhaupt E, Manzini F, Masera O (2011) Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy balances of sugarcane ethanol production in Mexico. Appl Energ 88:2088–2097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goedkoop M, de Schryver A, Oele M (2008) Introduction to LCA with SimaPro 7. PRé Consultants, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldemberg J (2008) The challenge of biofuels. Energy Environ Sci 1:523–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes MSP, Muylaert de Araújo MS (2009) Biofuels production and the environmental indicators. Renew Sust Energ Rev 13:2201–4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Luo L, Moreira MT, Feijoo G, Huppes G (2009a) Life cycle assessment of flax shives derived second generation ethanol fueled automobiles in Spain. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 13:1922–1933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Gasol CM, Gabarrell X, Rieradevall J, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2009b) Environmental aspects of ethanol-based fuels from Brassica carinata: a case study of second generation ethanol. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 13:2613–2620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2010a) Environmental performance of lignocellulosic bioethanol production from alfalfa stems. Biofuels Bioprod Bioref 4:118–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Gasol CM, Gabarrell X, Rieradevall J, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2010b) Environmental profile of ethanol from poplar biomass as transport fuel in southern Europe. Renew Energy 35:1014–1023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2010c) Comparative environmental performance of lignocellulosic ethanol from different feedstocks. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 14:2077–2085

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Gasol CM, Moreira MT, Gabarrell X, Rieradevall i Pons J, Feijoo G (2011) Environmental assessment of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.)-based etanol as potential transport fuel. Int J Life Cycle Assess 16:465–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guinée JB, Gorrée M, Heijungs R, Huppes G, Kleijn R, de Koning A, van Oers L, Wegener A, Suh S, Udo de Haes HA (2001) Life cycle assessment. An operational guide to the ISO standards, Centre of Environmental Science, Leiden

    Google Scholar 

  • Hischier R, Weidema B, Althaus HJ, Bauer C, Doka G, Dones R et al (2009) Implementation of life cycle impact assessment methods. Ecoinvent report No. 3, v2.1. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • IDEMAT Database (2001) Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of Delft University of Technology. Delft (The Netherlands)

  • ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental management–life cycle assessment–principles and framework. Second edition. Geneva (Switzerland)

  • Jungbluth N, Chudacoff M, Dauriat A, Dinkel F, Doka G, Faist Emmenegger M, Gnansounou E, Kljun N, Schleiss K, Spielmann M, Stettler C, Sutter J (2007) Life cycle inventories of bioenergy. Ecoinvent report No. 17. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • Kellenberger D, Althaus HJ, Jungbluth N, Künniger T, Lehmann M, Thalmann P (2007) Life cycle inventories of building products. Ecoinvent report no. 7, v2.0 EMPA. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • Lechón Y, Cabal H, de la Rúa C, Lago C, Izquierdo L, Sáez R (2007) Life cycle environmental aspects of biofuel goals in Spain. Scenarios 2010. 15th European biomass conference and exhibition—from research to market deployment. Berlin (Germany), 7-11 May

  • Luo L, van der Voet E, Huppes G (2009a) Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing of bioethanol from sugarcane in Brazil. Renew Sust Energ Rev 13:1613–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo L, van der Voet E, Huppes G (2009b) An energy analysis of ethanol from cellulosic feedstock-corn stover. Renew Sust Energ Rev 13:2003–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luque R, Herrero-Davila L, Campelo JM, Clark JH, Hidalgo JM, Luna D, Marinas JM, Romero AA (2008) Biofuels: a technological perspective. Energy Environ Sci 1:542–564

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luque R, Lovett JC, Datta B, Clancy J, Campelo JM, Romero AA (2010) Biodiesel as feasible petrol fuel replacement: a multidisciplinary overview. Energy Environ Sci 3:1706–1721

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mata TM, Martins AA, Sikdar SK, Costa CAV (2011) Sustainability considerations of biodiesel on supply chain analysis. Clean Techn Environ Policy 13:655–671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nemecek T, Käggi T (2007) Life cycle inventories of agricultural production systems. Final report ecoinvent v2.0 No. 15a. Agroscope FAL Reckenholz and FAT Taenikon, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Panichelli L, Dauriat A, Gnansounou E (2009) Life cycle assessment of soybean-based biodiesel in Argentina for export. Int J Life Cycle Assess 14:144–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • PRé Consultants (2011) http://www.pre.nl [accessed April 01, 2011]

  • Sander K, Murthy GS (2010) Life cycle analysis of algae biodiesel. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15:704–714

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shirvani T, Yan X, Inderwildi OR, Edwards PP, King DA (2011) Life cycle energy and greenhouse gas analysis for algae-derived biodiesel. Energy Environ Sci 4:3773–3778

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh A, Pant D, Korres NE, Nizami AS, Prasad S, Murphy JD (2010) Key issues in life cycle assessment of ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass: chanllenges and perspectives. Bioresour Technol 101:5003–5012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spielmann M, Bauer C, Dones R, Tuchschmid M (2007) Transport services. Ecoinvent report No. 14. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf

    Google Scholar 

  • Stromberg PM, Gasparatos A, Lee JSH, Garcia-Ulloa J, Koh LP, Takeuchi K (2010) UNU-IAS policy report. Impacts of liquid biofuels on ecosystem services and biodiversity. United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, Nishi-ku

    Google Scholar 

  • Talens Peiró L, Villalba Méndez G, Sciubba E, Gabarrell i Durany X (2010) Extended exergy accounting applied to biodiesel production. Energy 35:2861–2869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan KT, Lee KT, Mohamed AR (2008) Role of energy policy in renewable energy accomplishment: the case of second-generation bioethanol. Energ Pol 36:3360–3365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas G (2011) Overview of storage development. DOE Hydrogen Program. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/pdfs/storage.pdf [accessed October 07, 2011]

  • Yan X, Inderwildi OR, King DA (2010) Biofuels and synthetic fuels in the US and China: a review of well-to-wheel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions with the impact of land-use change. Energy Environ Sci 3:190–197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yee KF, Tan KT, Abdullah AZ, Lee KT (2009) Life cycle assessment of palm biodiesel: revealing facts and benefits for sustainability. Appl Energ 86:S189–96

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Dr. S. González-García would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Education for financial support (grant reference: EX2009-0740) for a postdoctoral research fellowship taken at Imperial College London (UK), during which this paper was prepared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Sara González-García

  2. Division of Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College of London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    Sara González-García

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Daniel García-Rey & Almudena Hospido

Authors
  1. Sara González-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel García-Rey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Almudena Hospido
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sara González-García.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Marzia Traverso

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

González-García, S., García-Rey, D. & Hospido, A. Environmental life cycle assessment for rapeseed-derived biodiesel. Int J Life Cycle Assess 18, 61–76 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-012-0444-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-012-0444-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation