Carbon balance impacts of land use changes related to the life cycle of Malaysian palm oil-derived biodiesel

• Published in: The international journal of life cycle assessment 2014-03, Vol.19 (3), p.558-566
• Main Authors: Hansen, Sune Balle, Olsen, Stig Irving, Ujang, Zaini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biodiesel; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Carbon; Carbon cycle; Carbon sequestration; carbon sinks; Diesel; Earth and Environmental Science; Elaeis guineensis; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Economics; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Euterpe oleracea; forest reserves; Forests; greenhouse gas emissions; Greenhouse gases; Land degradation; Land use; land use change; Lca for Agriculture; life cycle assessment; Life cycles; Oils & fats; Palm oil; palm oils; Peat; Peat soils; Plantations; Rubber; Sensitivity analysis
• ISSN: 0948-3349; 1614-7502
• DOI: 10.1007/s11367-013-0672-3

PURPOSE: The area of oil palm plantations in Malaysia is expanding by approximately 0.14 million hectare per year, and with the increasing demand for palm oil worldwide, there is no sign of the expansions slowing down. This study aims to identify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with land conversion to oil palm, in a life cycle perspective. METHODS: LCA methodology is applied to existing land use change data. The assessment includes the issue of temporary carbon storage in the plantations. Through quantification of emissions from state forest reserve and rubber plantation conversions, the average Malaysian palm oil-related land use changes are calculated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results show that there are high emissions associated with the conversion of Malaysian state forest reserve to oil palm, whereas the conversion of rubber leaves a less significant carbon debt when indirect land use change is not included. Looking at the average Malaysian land use changes associated with oil palm shows that land use change emissions are responsible for approximately half of the total conventional biodiesel production emissions. The sensitivity analysis shows that the results could be significantly influenced by data variations in indirect land use changes, peat soils, and state forest reserve carbon stock. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively extensive conversions of the state forest reserve must be reversed and preferably with a shift toward conversion of degraded land in order for the average Malaysian land use changes to have less impact on the production life cycle of palm oil and biodiesel.