Biofuels and fossil fuels: Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) optimisation through productive resources maximisation

Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) are used to compare biofuels to fossil fuels. These analyses are made according to the ISO 14040-43 standards, which using a defined unit compare mass and energy balances for two or more comparison objects. In Spain, the Spanish government Centro de Investigaciones Energéti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Renewable & sustainable energy reviews 2011-08, Vol.15 (6), p.2621-2628
Main Authors: Sobrino, Fernando Hernández, Monroy, Carlos Rodríguez, Pérez, José Luís Hernández
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution caused by fuel industries
Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, etc
Alternative fuels. Production and utilization
Applied sciences
Biodiesel
Biofuel
Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis LCA Ethanol Biodiesel
carbon dioxide
Combustion. Flame
emissions
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Ethanol
Ethyl alcohol
Exact sciences and technology
Fossil fuels
fuel oils
Fuels
gasoline
LCA
Life Cycle Analysis
Life cycle assessment
Life cycle engineering
Metering. Control
Miscellaneous
Optimization
primary energy
Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering
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Summary:Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) are used to compare biofuels to fossil fuels. These analyses are made according to the ISO 14040-43 standards, which using a defined unit compare mass and energy balances for two or more comparison objects. In Spain, the Spanish government Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, CIEMAT, has performed two LCA's in order to compare ethanol and ethanol mixtures with unleaded gasoline and biodiesel and biodiesel mixtures with fuel-oil according to these standards. Both LCA's conclude that biofuels require less primary energy than fossil fuels to be processed and that CO 2 emissions are lower when using biofuels instead of fossil fuels. However, these LCA's have been strongly criticized for several reasons. This report presents a new LCA model which allows the comparison of biofuels and fossil fuels based on the maximisation and optimisation of production resources avoiding the disadvantages of the traditional LCA model based on the ISO 14040-43 standards.
ISSN:1364-0321
1879-0690
DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2011.03.010