Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6766596 | Renewable Energy | 2016 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
The environmental benefits and energy savings of the production of Jatropha fuels and operation in a typical LPV in India were examined. A baseline scenario and alternative optimised routes were assessed, considering different pathways of energy recovery from Jatropha coproducts. The following impact categories were assessed: Non-Renewable Energy (NRE) consumption, Global Warming Potential (GWP), Terrestrial Acidification Potential (TAP) and Respiratory Inorganic Effects (RIE). At present, the life cycle impact of Jatropha production and use is competitive with conventional diesel in terms of NRE and GHG emissions; however it results in higher local environmental impacts (RIE and TAP categories). Under optimised farming and processing practices and recovery of Jatropha coproducts either via co-generation, gasification or FT-diesel synthesis routes, Jatropha fuels reduce the impact of NRE, GHG, and RIE. The energy recovery paths to generate surplus electricity through generation and gasification routes show a better performance than FT-diesel synthesis routes in terms of NRE and GWP impacts. Nevertheless, in terms of local air pollution indicators, the FT-diesel synthesis route reveals the lowest emissions.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Authors
Joana Portugal-Pereira, Jun Nakatani, Kiyo Kurisu, Keisuke Hanaki,