Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Life Cycle Assessments of Waste-Based Biorefineries—A Critical Review

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems and Sustainable Energy Technologies

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

In recent years advanced biorefineries based on organic residues and waste have gained increased attention for their potential to obviate first-generation biorefineries environmental burdens. During the conceptual design phase of an advanced biorefinery the role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for providing information on its environmental performances, better solutions, preferable process setup, more suitable feedstock, trade-off, and so on. This review focuses on advanced biorefineries LCAs in order to accomplish a synthesis of the state of the art from the methodological point of view. Some main methodological issues have been analyzed and discussed on 24 LCAs. Attention has been drawn to functional units, system boundaries, inventory data collection, allocation methods and multifunctionality management approach. Results show different approaches and solutions to the analyzed aspects but some clear addresses can be pointed out. It has been observed that LCA of biorefineries can be classified in three different types in base on focal aim, and then functional units are consequentially defined. A large variability has been observed regarding system boundaries even if “cradle-to-gate” appears the most common. Inventories are mainly based on secondary data due to the very innovative features of the analyzed technologies. No general consensus has been observed concerning allocation of environmental impact between co-products.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahlgren S, Björklund A, Ekman A et al (2015) Review of methodological choices in LCA of biorefinery systems: key issues and recommendations. Biofuel Bioprod Bior 9:606–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ardente F, Cellura M (2012) Economic allocation in life cycle assessment. The state of the art and discussion of examples. J Ind Eco 16:387–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • British Petroleum (2017) BP statistical review of world energy. https://www.bp.com. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • Cherubini F, Bird N, Cowie A et al (2009a) Energy- and greenhouse gas-based LCA of biofuel and bioenergy systems: key issues, ranges and recommendations. Resour Conserv Recycl 53:434–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherubini F, Jungmeier G, Wellisch M et al (2009b) Toward a common classification approach for biorefinery systems. Biofuel Bioprod Bior 3:534–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherubini F, Ulgiati S (2010) Crop residues as raw materials for biorefinery systems—a LCA case study. Appl Energy 87:47–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daful AG, Görgens JF (2017) Techno-economic analysis and environmental impact assessment of lignocellulosic lactic acid production. Chem Eng Sci 162:53–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman A, Börjesson P (2011) Environmental assessment of propionic acid produced in an agricultural biomass-based biorefinery system. J Clean Prod 19:1257–1265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman A, Campos M, Lindahl S et al (2013) Bioresource utilisation by sustainable technologies in new value added biorefinery concepts e two case studies from food and forest industry. J Clean Prod 57:46–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekvall G, Assefa A, Bjorklund O et al (2007) What life-cycle assessment does and does not do in assessments of waste management. Waste Manag 27:989–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekvall T, Weidema B (2004) System boundaries and input data in consequential life cycle inventory analysis. Int J Life Cycle Ass 9:161–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falano F, Jeswani HK, Azapagic A (2014) Assessing the environmental sustainability of ethanol from integrated biorefineries. Biotechnol J 9:753–765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farzad S, Mandegari MA, Guo M et al (2017) Multi-product biorefineries from lignocelluloses: a pathway to revitalisation of the sugar industry? Biotechnol Biofuels 10:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilani B, Stuart PR (2015) Life cycle assessment of an integrated forest biorefinery: hot water extraction process case study. Biofuel Bioprod Bior 9:677–695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Gullón B, Rivas S et al (2016a) Environmental performance of biomass refining into high-added value compounds. J Clean Prod 120:170–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Hospido A, Agnemo R et al (2011) Environmental life cycle assessment of a Swedish dissolving pulp mill integrated biorefinery. J Ind Ecol 15:568–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-García S, Lacoste C, Aicher T et al (2016b) Environmental sustainability of bark valorisation into biofoam and syngas. J Clean Prod 125:33–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IEA (International Energy Agency) (2009) Biorefineries: adding value to the sustainable utilisation of biomass. http://www.ieabioenergy.com. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • IEA (International Energy Agency) (2015) Energy and climate change. World energy outlook special report. http://www.iea.org. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • IEA (International Energy Agency) (2016) World energy outlook special report. Executive summary. https://www.iea.org. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • IEA (International Energy Agency) (2017) Biorefining in a future BioEconomy. http://www.ieabioenergy.com. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • Jeswani HK, Falano T, Azapagic A (2015) Life cycle environmental sustainability of lignocellulosic ethanol produced in integrated thermo-chemical biorefi neries. Biofuel Bioprod Bior 9:661–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson H, Börjesson P, Hansson PA et al (2014) Ethanol production in biorefineries using lignocellulosic feedstock—GHG performance, energy balance and implications of life cycle calculation methodology. J Clean Prod 83:420–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Dale B (2004) Global potential bioethanol production from wasted crops and crop residues. Biomass Bioenergy 26:361–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurian JK, Nair GR, Hussain A et al (2013) Feedstocks, logistics and pre-treatment processes for sustainable lignocellulosic biorefineries: a comprehensive review. Renew Sust Energy Rev 25:205–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (2005) World crop residues production and implications of its use as a biofuel. Environ Int 31:575–584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Shonnard DR (2014) Life cycle carbon footprint of ethanol and potassium acetate produced from a forest product wastewater stream by a co-located biorefinery. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 2:1951–1958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandegari MA, Farzad S, van Rensburg E (2017) Multi-criteria analysis of a biorefinery for co-production of lactic acid and ethanol from sugarcane lignocellulose. Biofuel Bioprod Bior. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morales M, Pielhop T, Saliba P et al (2017) Sustainability assessment of glucose production technologies from highly recalcitrant softwood including scavengers. Biofuel Bioprod Bior 11:441–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mu D, Seager T, Rao PS (2010) Comparative life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic ethanol production: biochemical versus thermochemical conversion. Environ Manage 46:565–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muench S, Guenther E (2013) A systematic review of bioenergy life cycle assessments. Appl Energ 112:257–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nascimento DM, Dias AF, Araújo Junior CDP et al (2016) A comprehensive approach for obtaining cellulose nanocrystal from coconut fiber. Part II: Environmental assessment of technological pathways. Ind Crop Prod 93:58–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2009) OECD and green growth. http://www.oecd.org. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • OECD/IEA/NEA/ITF (2015) Aligning policies for a low-carbon economy. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://www.oecd.org. Accessed 28 Feb 2018

  • Parajuli R, Knudsen MT, Birkved M (2017) Environmental impacts of producing bioethanol and biobased lactic acid from standalone and integrated biorefineries using a consequential and an attributional life cycle assessment approach. Sci Total Environ 598:497–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piemonte V (2012) Wood residues as raw material for biorefinery systems: LCA case study on bioethanol and electricity production. J Polym Environ 20:299–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pourbafrani M, McKechnie J, MacLean HL et al (2013) Life cycle greenhouse gas impacts of ethanol, biomethane and limonene production from citrus waste. Environ Res Lett 8:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ree van R, Jungmeier G (2015) The role of biorefining in the bioeconomy. Parallel Workshop organised by IEA Bioenergy Task42 Biorefining. Global Bioeconomy Summit, 25–26 November, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Saraiva AB (2017) System boundary setting in life cycle assessment of biorefineries: a review. Int J Environ Sci Technol 14:435–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scarlet N, Dallemand JF, Monforti-Ferrario F et al (2015) The role of biomass and bioenergy in a future bioeconomy: policies and facts. Environ Dev 15:3–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spatari S, Bagley MD, MacLean HL (2010) Life cycle evaluation of emerging lignocellulosic ethanol conversion technologies. Bioresour Technol 101:654–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tonini D, Hamelin L, Astrup T (2016) Environmental implications of the use of agro-industrial residues for biorefineries: application of a deterministic model for indirect land-use changes. GCB Bioenergy 8:690–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uihlein A, Schebek L (2009) Environmental impacts of a lignocellulose feedstock biorefinery system: an assessment. Biomass Bioenergy 33:793–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (2015) Adoption of the Paris Agreement, 21st Conference of the Parties. United Nations, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaskan P, Pachón ER, Gnansounou E (2017) Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of biorefineries based on palm empty fruit bunches in Brazil. J Clean Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.218

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Serena Righi

Authors
  1. Serena Righi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Serena Righi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Riccardo Basosi

  2. Department of Energy, Information Engineering and Mathematical Models, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Maurizio Cellura

  3. Department of Energy, Information Engineering and Mathematical Models, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Sonia Longo

  4. Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Maria Laura Parisi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Righi, S. (2019). Life Cycle Assessments of Waste-Based Biorefineries—A Critical Review. In: Basosi, R., Cellura, M., Longo, S., Parisi, M. (eds) Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems and Sustainable Energy Technologies. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93740-3_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93740-3_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-93739-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-93740-3

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation