A comprehensive review of life cycle assessment (LCA) of microalgal and lignocellulosic bioenergy products from thermochemical processes

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2019-11, Vol.291, p.121837-121837, Article 121837
• Main Authors: Ubando, Aristotle T., Rivera, Diana Rose T., Chen, Wei-Hsin, Culaba, Alvin B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Life cycle assessment (LCA); Lignocellulosic biomass; Liquefaction and gasification; Microalgae; Thermochemical conversion; Torrefaction and pyrolysis
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121837

[Display omitted] •Life cycle assessment of thermochemical processes of biomass was reviewed in this study.•Conversion of microalgal and lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels was considered.•Thermochemical conversion includes torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification.•Life cycle assessment accounted for the environmental impacts of products.•Challenges and future works on thermochemical processes were identified. Microalgal biomass is a renewable energy source and is considered as a crucial solution in the increasing energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Through various thermochemical conversion processes such as torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, and gasification, biomass can be converted to different bioenergy products. However, the production of these bioenergy products through the aforesaid thermochemical processes entails raw material consumption, energy consumption, and environmental impact. A multitude of studies has been conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of bioenergy products for specific thermochemical processes on a specific biomass feedstock using life cycle assessment. This study aims to comprehensively review the life cycle assessment of bioenergy products from microalgal biomass together with lignocellulosic biomass and through different thermochemical processes. The study identifies the current challenges and potential future works of bioenergy production from different thermochemical processes in the perspective of a life cycle assessment framework.