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Journal article
The contribution of enzymes and process chemicals to the life cycle of ethanol
Environmental research letters, v 4(1), pp 014001-014001 (10)
01 Jan 2009
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Most life cycle studies of biofuels have not examined the impact of process chemicals and enzymes, both necessary inputs to biochemical production and which vary depending upon the technology platform (feedstock, pretreatment and hydrolysis system). We examine whether this omission is warranted for sugar-platform technologies. We develop life cycle ('well-to-tank') case studies for a corn dry-mill and for one 'mature' and two near-term lignocellulosic ethanol technologies. Process chemical and enzyme inputs contribute only 3% of fossil energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for corn ethanol. Assuming considerable improvement compared to current enzyme performance, the inputs for the near-term lignocellulosic technologies studied are found to be responsible for 30%-40% of fossil energy use and 30%-35% of GHG emissions, not an insignificant fraction given that these models represent technology developers' nth plant performance. Mature technologies which assume lower chemical and enzyme loadings, high enzyme specific activity and on-site production utilizing renewable energy would significantly improve performance. Although the lignocellulosic technologies modeled offer benefits over today's corn ethanol through reducing life cycle fossil energy demand and GHG emissions by factors of three and six, achieving those performance levels requires continued research into and development of the manufacture of low dose, high specific activity enzyme systems. Realizing the benefits of low carbon fuels through biological conversion will otherwise not be possible. Tracking the technological performance of process conversion materials remains an important step in measuring the life cycle performance of biofuels.
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Details
- Title
- The contribution of enzymes and process chemicals to the life cycle of ethanol
- Creators
- Heather L. MacLean - University of TorontoSabrina Spatari - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Environmental research letters, v 4(1), pp 014001-014001 (10)
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Government of Ontario Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (Canada); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) AUTO21 Network Centre of Excellence
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000265878500001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-66749118861
- Other Identifier
- 991019167621904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences