Life cycle water consumption of bio-oil fermentation for bio-ethanol production based on a distributed-centralized model

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) 2023-02, Vol.264, p.126298, Article 126298
• Main Authors: Zheng, Ji-Lu, Zhu, Ya-Hong, Dong, Yan-Yan, Zhu, Ming-Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-oil fermentation; bioethanol; coproducts; Distributed-centralized model; energy; Ethanol; ethanol production; Fast pyrolysis; fermentation; Life cycle assessment; uncertainty analysis; Water consumption
• ISSN: 0360-5442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.126298

Life cycle water consumption of bio-ethanol production via bio-oil direct fermentation or indirect fermentation based on a distributed-centralized model was investigated. The life cycle water consumption results separately are 202 and 888 L water per GJ bio-ethanol for bio-oil indirect fermentation, and 206 and 2200 L water per GJ bio-ethanol for bio-oil direct fermentation when the economic value-based allocation method and the process purpose-based method are separately used. 32 different parameters related to material use, energy consumption, waste emission, and product yields were varied in a sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis shows bio-ethanol yield and co-product yield have the greatest impact on the life cycle water consumption results. According to an uncertainty analysis, the maximum and minimum water consumption results separately are 1225 (the process purpose-based method) and 156 L water per GJ bio-ethanol (the economic value-based allocation method) for bio-oil indirect fermentation. A contribution analysis shows that the distributed-centralized model can really contribute to a slight reduction in water consumption in comparison with the non-distributed model. Overall, bio-ethanol production via bio-oil indirect fermentation based on the distributed-centralized model is green and clean from the standpoint of water resource consumption. [Display omitted] •Water consumption of bio-oil direct and indirect fermentation for ethanol is evaluated.•Ethanol production via bio-oil indirect fermentation has low water consumption.•An increase in product yields contributes to the reduction in water consumption.•A life cycle perspective was used to investigate the water consumption.