Life-cycle assessment of biodiesel versus petroleum diesel fuel

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:435620

Sheehan, J J ^[1]; Duffield, J A ^[2]; Coulon, R B; Camobreco, V J ^[3]

---

1. National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
2. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Energy
3. Ecobalance, Rockville, MD (United States)

The US Department of Energy`s Office of Transportation Technologies, DOE`s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the US Department of Agriculture`s Office of Energy and Ecobalance are carrying out a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of soy-based diesel fuel (biodiesel) to quantify the environmental aspects f the cradle-to-grave production and use of biodiesel. The purpose of the project (initiated in November 1995) is to produce an analytical tool and database for use by industry and government decision makers involved in alternative fuel use and production. The study also includes a parallel effort to develop a life cycle model for petroleum diesel fuel. The two models are used to compare the life cycle energy and environmental implications of petroleum diesel and biodiesel derived from soybean. Several scenarios are studied, analyzing the influence of transportation distances, agricultural practice and allocation rules used. The results of an LCA such as this are strongly influenced by decisions made at the study outset, related to scoping, modeling, and methodology. Objectivity as well as acceptable of the results depend upon careful definition and consideration of such issues. This paper communicates the project scoping decisions which have been made in response to a series of stakeholder peer reviews. At the submission stage of this paper, no intermediate results were available for publication. They will be presented during the conference.

• OSTI ID: 435620
• Report Number(s): CONF-960805--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
09 BIOMASS FUELS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
DIESEL FUELS
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SOYBEANS
SYNTHETIC FUELS