Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Products Leveraging Low Carbon, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Options

Prospective energy scenarios usually rely on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. CDR technologies aim at removing CO2 from the atmosphere in a permanent way. However, the implementation of CDR technologies typically comes along with unintended environmental side-effects such as land transformation or water consumption. These need to be quantified before large-scale implementation of any CDR option by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) is considered to be among the CDR technologies closest to large-scale implementation, since first pilot and demonstration units have been installed and interactions with the environment are less complex than for biomass related CDR options. However, only very few LCA studies - with limited scope - have been conducted so far to determine the overall life-cycle environmental performance of DACCS. We provide a comprehensive LCA of different low temperature DACCS configurations - pertaining to solid sorbent-based technology - including a global and prospective analysis.

Download Full-text

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF HEAT PRODUCTION FROM WILLOW CHIPS OF SALIX VIMINALIS L. IN UKRAINE

Industrial Heat Engineering ◽

10.31472/ihe.2.2018.08 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 56-64

Author(s):

O.V. Tryboi

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Heat Production ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Energy Output ◽

Salix Viminalis ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Transportation Distance

The results of the life cycle assessment of heat production from willow chips of Salix Viminalis L. are presented. Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction are estimated. The influence of the most significant parameters is analyzed and optimal relationships are determined to ensure maximum energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. The purpose of the paper is to define the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of bioenergy value chain for heat production from willow chips of Salix Viminalis in Ukraine. The methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used, according to which, the scope of the product system includes the feedstock cycle of willow Salix Viminalis L. cultivation and harvest, and the subsystem of willow chips conversion to heat in a 500 kW biomass boiler. Cumulative energy demand and energy yield coefficient were chosen as energy efficiency indicators. The product system was compared with the similar one using natural gas. Non- renewable energy yield coefficient was used to define how many times the energy output was bigger than input of non- renewable energy. An acceptable value for renewable energy installations and systems is to receive twice as much energy output as was spent of non-renewable energy, however the recommended value assumed in the work is to receive a 5 times more energy output compared to non-renewable energy input. As an environmental sustainability indicator, a reduction of GHG emissions was used. The acceptable level of GHG emissions reduction was chosen at a level of 60% for the whole life cycle from cultivation-to-heat, compared to traditional heat production in gas boilers. Results of the assessment identified that the most significant parameter affecting energy efficiency and environmental sustainability is transportation distance. The growing of willow Salix Viminalis L. in Ukraine for the subsequent production of biofuel in the form of chips and its combustion in biofuel boilers is environmentally sustainable with a maximum transportation distance of 390 km and energy efficient with a maximum transportation distance of 180 km.

Download Full-text

Life Cycle Assessment of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage with Low-Carbon Energy Sources

10.26434/chemrxiv.14346182.v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Terlouw ◽

Karin Treyer ◽

christian bauer ◽

Marco Mazzotti

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Carbon Capture ◽

Large Scale ◽

Carbon Capture And Storage ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Solid Sorbent ◽

Low Carbon Energy ◽

And Storage ◽

Limited Scope

Prospective energy scenarios usually rely on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. CDR technologies aim at removing CO2 from the atmosphere in a permanent way. However, the implementation of CDR technologies typically comes along with unintended environmental side-effects such as land transformation or water consumption. These need to be quantified before large-scale implementation of any CDR option by means of life cycle assessment (LCA). Direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) is considered to be among the CDR technologies closest to large-scale implementation, since first pilot and demonstration units have been installed and interactions with the environment are less complex than for biomass related CDR options. However, only very few LCA studies - with limited scope - have been conducted so far to determine the overall life-cycle environmental performance of DACCS. We provide a comprehensive LCA of different low temperature DACCS configurations - pertaining to solid sorbent-based technology - including a global and prospective analysis.

Download Full-text

Life Cycle Assessment of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage with Low-Carbon Energy Sources

10.26434/chemrxiv.14346182.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Terlouw ◽

Karin Treyer ◽

christian bauer ◽

Marco Mazzotti

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Carbon Capture ◽

Large Scale ◽

Carbon Capture And Storage ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Solid Sorbent ◽

Low Carbon Energy ◽

And Storage ◽

Limited Scope

Prospective energy scenarios usually rely on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. CDR technologies aim at removing CO2 from the atmosphere in a permanent way. However, the implementation of CDR technologies typically comes along with unintended environmental side-effects such as land transformation or water consumption. These need to be quantified before large-scale implementation of any CDR option by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) is considered to be among the CDR technologies closest to large-scale implementation, since first pilot and demonstration units have been installed and interactions with the environment are less complex than for biomass related CDR options. However, only very few LCA studies - with limited scope - have been conducted so far to determine the overall life-cycle environmental performance of DACCS. We provide a comprehensive LCA of different low temperature DACCS configurations - pertaining to solid sorbent-based technology - including a global and prospective analysis.

Download Full-text