Life Cycle Assessment of Gasoline and Diesel Produced via Fast Pyrolysis and Hydroprocessing

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1009274· OSTI ID:1009274

Hsu, D D

In this work, a life cycle assessment (LCA) estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and net energy value (NEV) of the production of gasoline and diesel from forest residues via fast pyrolysis and hydroprocessing, from production of the feedstock to end use of the fuel in a vehicle, is performed. The fast pyrolysis and hydrotreating and hydrocracking processes are based on a Pacific NorthwestNational Laboratory (PNNL) design report. The LCA results show GHG emissions of 0.142 kg CO2-equiv. per km traveled and NEV of 1.00 MJ per km traveled for a process using grid electricity. Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis shows a range of results, with all values better than those of conventional gasoline in 2005. Results for GHG emissions and NEV of gasoline and diesel from pyrolysis are alsoreported on a per MJ fuel basis for comparison with ethanol produced via gasification. Although pyrolysis-derived gasoline and diesel have lower GHG emissions and higher NEV than conventional gasoline does in 2005, they underperform ethanol produced via gasification from the same feedstock. GHG emissions for pyrolysis could be lowered further if electricity and hydrogen are produced from biomassinstead of from fossil sources.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1009274
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-6A20-49341; TRN: US201107%%725
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
02 PETROLEUM
BIOMASS
DESIGN
ELECTRICITY
ETHANOL
FORESTS
GASIFICATION
GASOLINE
GREENHOUSE GASES
HYDROCRACKING
HYDROGEN
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
NET ENERGY
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
RESIDUES
SAFETY REPORTS
pyrolysis
biomass
biofuels
life-cycle assessment
LCA
hydroprocessing
thermochemical
greenhouse gas emissions
net energy value