Life Cycle Assessment Comparing the Use of Jatropha Biodiesel in the Indian Road and Rail Sectors
This life cycle assessment of Jatropha biodiesel production and use evaluates the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission (not considering land-use change), net energy value (NEV), and net petroleum consumption impacts of substituting Jatropha biodiesel for conventional petroleum diesel in India. Several blends of biodiesel with petroleum diesel are evaluated for the rail freight, rail passenger, road freight, and road-passenger transport sectors that currently rely heavily on petroleum diesel. For the base case, Jatropha cultivation, processing, and use conditions that were analyzed, the use of B20 results in a net reduction in GHG emissions and petroleum consumption of 14% and 17%, respectively, and a NEV increase of 58% compared with the use of 100% petroleum diesel. While the road-passenger transport sector provides the greatest sustainability benefits per 1000 gross tonne kilometers, the road freight sector eventually provides the greatest absolute benefits owing to substantially higher projected utilization by year 2020. Nevertheless, introduction of biodiesel to the rail sector might present the fewest logistic and capital expenditure challenges in the near term. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the sustainability benefits are maintained under multiple plausible cultivation, processing, and distribution scenarios. However, the sustainability of any individual Jatropha plantation will depend on site-specific conditions.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 979832
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP-6A2-47462; AEK-9-99274-01
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BASES
BIODIESEL
CAPITAL
CARGO
CULTIVATION
DISTRIBUTION
EMISSION
EXPENDITURES
Energy Analysis
GREENHOUSES
INDIA
JATROPHA
JATROPHA BIODIESEL
JATROPHA CULTIVATION
JATROPHA PRODUCTION
LAND USE
LCA
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
NET ENERGY
NET ENERGY VALUE (NEV)
NET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
NET PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DIESEL
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
REDUCTION
ROADS
SENSITIVITY
SENSITIVITY ANALYSES
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT SECTORS
TRANSPORTATION
USES