Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were applied to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of utilizing multiple biomass feedstocks for bioenergy products under three different technological pathways with consideration of uncertainties. Three cases were...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6277 |
| _version_ | 1827701237904048128 |
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| author | Yuxi Wang Jingxin Wang Xufeng Zhang Shawn Grushecky |
| author_facet | Yuxi Wang Jingxin Wang Xufeng Zhang Shawn Grushecky |
| author_sort | Yuxi Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were applied to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of utilizing multiple biomass feedstocks for bioenergy products under three different technological pathways with consideration of uncertainties. Three cases were studied for the production of pellets, biomass-based electricity, and pyrolysis bio-oil. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to examine the uncertainties of fossil energy consumption, bioenergy conversion efficiency, stochastic production rate, etc. The cradle-to-gate LCA results showed that pellet production had the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and fossil fuels consumption (8.29 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq (equivalent), 0.46 kg, and 105.42 MJ, respectively). The conversion process presented a greater environmental impact for all three bioenergy products. When producing 46,929 Mg of pellets, 223,380 MWh of electricity, and 78,000 barrels of pyrolysis oil, the net present values (NPV) indicated that only pellet and electricity production were profitable with NPVs of $1.20 million for pellets, and $5.59 million for biopower. Uncertainty analysis indicated that pellet production showed the highest uncertainty in GHG emission, and bio-oil production had the least uncertainty in GHG emission but had risks producing greater-than-normal amounts of GHG. Biopower production had the highest probability to be a profitable investment with 85.23%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:28:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14ce66114e2042fc9d1b68b478985436 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:28:50Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-14ce66114e2042fc9d1b68b4789854362023-11-20T22:44:09ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-11-011323627710.3390/en13236277Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case StudiesYuxi Wang0Jingxin Wang1Xufeng Zhang2Shawn Grushecky3Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADivision of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADivision of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADivision of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USALife-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were applied to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of utilizing multiple biomass feedstocks for bioenergy products under three different technological pathways with consideration of uncertainties. Three cases were studied for the production of pellets, biomass-based electricity, and pyrolysis bio-oil. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to examine the uncertainties of fossil energy consumption, bioenergy conversion efficiency, stochastic production rate, etc. The cradle-to-gate LCA results showed that pellet production had the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and fossil fuels consumption (8.29 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq (equivalent), 0.46 kg, and 105.42 MJ, respectively). The conversion process presented a greater environmental impact for all three bioenergy products. When producing 46,929 Mg of pellets, 223,380 MWh of electricity, and 78,000 barrels of pyrolysis oil, the net present values (NPV) indicated that only pellet and electricity production were profitable with NPVs of $1.20 million for pellets, and $5.59 million for biopower. Uncertainty analysis indicated that pellet production showed the highest uncertainty in GHG emission, and bio-oil production had the least uncertainty in GHG emission but had risks producing greater-than-normal amounts of GHG. Biopower production had the highest probability to be a profitable investment with 85.23%.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6277bioenergybiomass utilizationlife cycle assessmenttechno-economic analysisuncertaintybioeconomy |
| spellingShingle | Yuxi Wang Jingxin Wang Xufeng Zhang Shawn Grushecky Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies Energies bioenergy biomass utilization life cycle assessment techno-economic analysis uncertainty bioeconomy |
| title | Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies |
| title_full | Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies |
| title_fullStr | Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies |
| title_short | Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies |
| title_sort | environmental and economic assessments and uncertainties of multiple lignocellulosic biomass utilization for bioenergy products case studies |
| topic | bioenergy biomass utilization life cycle assessment techno-economic analysis uncertainty bioeconomy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6277 |
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