Journal article
Life cycle evaluation of emerging lignocellulosic ethanol conversion technologies
Bioresource technology, v 101(2), pp 654-667
Jan 2010
PMID: 19762231
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Lignocellulosic ethanol holds promise for addressing climate change and energy security issues associated with personal transportation through lowering the fuel mixes' carbon intensity and petroleum demand. We compare the technological features and life cycle environmental impacts of near- and mid-term ethanol bioconversion technologies in the United States. Key uncertainties in the major processes: pre-treatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation are evaluated. The potential to reduce fossil energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions varies among bioconversion processes, although all options studied are considerably more attractive than gasoline. Anticipated future performance is found to be considerably more attractive than that published in the literature as being achieved to date. Electricity co-product credits are important in characterizing the GHG impacts of different ethanol production pathways; however, in the absence of near-term liquid transportation fuel alternatives to gasoline, optimizing ethanol facilities to produce ethanol (as opposed to co-products) is important for reducing the carbon intensity of the road transportation sector and for energy security.
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Details
- Title
- Life cycle evaluation of emerging lignocellulosic ethanol conversion technologies
- Creators
- Sabrina Spatari - Drexel University, Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. spatari@drexel.eduDavid M BagleyHeather L MacLean
- Publication Details
- Bioresource technology, v 101(2), pp 654-667
- Publisher
- Elsevier; England
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000271165700030
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-70349566385
- Other Identifier
- 991014878046304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Agricultural Engineering
- Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
- Energy & Fuels