Assessing the sustainability of biofuel production from camelina in Spain, results of the ITAKA project – analysis of GHG emissions

Purpose With the rapid growth and increased consumption of biofuels worldwide, and the multitude of policy decisions supporting this expansion, growing concerns about the biofuels sustainability have arisen. Therefore, the European project “ITAKA”, aiming at supporting the development of aviation bi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aircraft engineering 2018-11, Vol.90 (7), p.1027-1032
Main Authors: Guittet, Mélanie, Capezzali, Massimiliano, Hernando, Gonzalo, Herreras, Yuri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aviation
Biodiesel fuels
Biofuels
Biomass
Biomaterials
Biomedical materials
Distillation
Emissions
Emissions control
Ethanol
Fossil fuels
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Jet engine fuels
Life cycle assessment
Mathematical analysis
Raw materials
Renewable energy
Sustainability
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Summary:Purpose With the rapid growth and increased consumption of biofuels worldwide, and the multitude of policy decisions supporting this expansion, growing concerns about the biofuels sustainability have arisen. Therefore, the European project “ITAKA”, aiming at supporting the development of aviation biofuels in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner, has devoted considerable effort to take sustainability into account, in a quantitative and qualitative manner. This paper aims to calculate a robust assessment of a life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) for the entire ITAKA value chain. Design/methodology/approach The calculation for the produced bio jet fuel has been set up using the roundtable on sustainable biomaterials (RSB) European Union (EU) renewable energy directive (RED) methodology, through the online RSB tool. This pathway includes feedstock production, feedstock processing, biofuel production, biofuel distillation and all transport steps involved. Findings A significant reduction in GHG emissions has been demonstrated, up to 66 per cent emission reduction if one considers a mature pathway for the entire ITAKA biofuel chain. Practical implications The camelina oil produced can be sustainable according to RSB and RSB EU RED schemes if the practices defined in the project are applied. Originality/value Application of different frameworks (actual vs theoretical) to the ITAKA value chain has aimed at testing and demonstrating the commercial application of the sustainability standards in Europe and the readiness of biofuels in Europe as a major means to decrease GHG emissions in aviation.
ISSN:1748-8842
1758-4213
DOI:10.1108/AEAT-12-2016-0248