life cycle assessment of the use of solid biomass for electricity (h

123 October 2013Horst Fehrenbach

Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Institute for Energy and Environmental Research

HeidelbergGermany

JRC Enlargement & Integration Programme

Life Cycle Assessment of the use of solid biomass for electricity

Horst Fehrenbach

Workshop by JRC and the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”

Moscow, 22 - 23 October 2013



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile

2. Important aspects of LCA on solid biomass

3. The LCA methodology

4. Some LCA results

5. Helpful tools to support LC greenhouse gas calculations

6. Summary

Overview



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview



HeidelbergGermany

Who we are – what we do

IFEU Profile1

IFEU since 1978

• Independent scientific research institute

• Organised as a private non profit company with currently about 60 employees

• Research / consulting on environmental aspects of

- Energy (including Renewable Energy)- Transport- Waste Management- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)- Environmental Impact Assessment- Renewable Resources- Environmental Education



HeidelbergGermany

Who we are – what we do

IFEU Profile1

IFEU focuses regarding the topic of biomass

• Research / consulting on environmental aspects of- transport biofuels

- biomass-based electricity and heat- biorefinery systems- biobased materials- agricultural goods and food

• Potentials and future scenarios

• Sustainability assessment (development of criteria + methods)

• Standardized GHG models



HeidelbergGermany

Overview

IFEU - Recent and on-going projects1

Several Studies for Vattenfall in the field of:

Sustainable procurement of woody biomass forelectricity production in Berlin.

Wood Cascades - Regional strategies for an extension of the use of wood for energy - on behalf of German Fed. Min. of Environment

Meilensteine 2030 (Milestones 2030) - Elements and milestones of a sustainable bioenergy strategy- on behalf of German Fed. Min. of Environment

BioGrace II - funded by the European IEE



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview

2



HeidelbergGermany

Aspects about the energy use of solid biomass

Important aspects of LCA on solid biomass2

Wood is the “mother of all fuels”

Wood is still the most prevalent type of bioenergy

There are many types of solid biomass and how to gain it

The Economist

What type of energy production will be replaced by solid biomass?

traditional

fuel wood

78%

Electricity from

biomass - 8%

Heat from biomass - 8%

transport biofuels - 6%



HeidelbergGermany

There are many types of solid biomass:�� different issues


Wood from forestry: �� carbon cycle balanced?is there a carbon debt?Sustainable forest management?

Wood from Short rotation forestry/coppices:�� is there a land use change?

Residues and waste: �� is there an alternative use in place?

The Economist



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What type of energy production will be replaced by solid biomass?


• Co-firing? �� direct substitution of standard fuel

• Mono-combustion in dedicated biomass-fired • power plants• Heating plants• CHP plants

�� What is substituted? Average mix/ marginal mix



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview

2



HeidelbergGermany

The LCA approach

the LCA methodology3

Inventory analysis

Impact assessment

Interpretation

ISO 14040 & 14044 for Life Cycle Assessment

Goal and scope definition



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Functional unit


“Quantified performance of a product system for use as a reference unit” (ISO 14040).

According to solid biomass the functional unit maybe:

• 1 MJ of fuel (lower heating value)• 1 MJ (kWh) of electricity• 1 ha of area required for biomass production• …

Must be in line with the goal of the LCA



HeidelbergGermany

LCA –System boundary


bioenergyFossil fuel reference system lime

Fuel Pesticides

forestry

Co-products

or system expansion � equivalent

products (added

to reference

system)

Raw material

production

Utilisation

Transport

Processing

Resource extraction

either

allocation



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Impact assessment categories


Impact category indicator Substances (LCI)

Energy demand Sum of depletable primary energy carriers

Crude oil, natural gas, coal, Uranium, …

Greenhouse effect CO2 equivalents Carbon dioxide, dinitrogen monoxide, methane,

different CFCs, methyl bromide, …

Acidification SO2 equivalents Sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxides,

ammonia, …

Eutrophication PO4 equivalents Nitrogen oxides, ammonia, phosphate, nitrate

Human toxicity Fine particulate

matter

Dust (<PM10), precursors: Sulphur dioxide, hydrogen

chloride, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, hydrocarbons

Photosmog Ethen equivalents Hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide,

chlorinated hydrocarbons, …

Ozone depletion ´CFC11 equivalents CFC, halone, methyl bromide, …



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Normalization and ranking


• NormalizationSpecific contribution of environmental impacts:

Expressing the LCA results in Person Average

Values (PAV) corresponding to current average

per-capita emission and consumption in Europe.

• RankingEnvironmental relevance:

What is the meaning of individual criteria in

relation to the scientific state of the art, public

awareness, and the political situation?



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview

4



HeidelbergGermany

Source: IFEU 2012 (Gärtner et al.)

Some options of using fuel wood

LCA results4

Credits Expenditures �

Expenditure / credit

electricity

Expenditure combustion

Credit heat

Expenditure feedstock

procurementCHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

Cumulated energy demand

Global warming

Acidification

Fine particulate matter

PAV per tonne of wood



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Some options how to use fuel wood

LCA results4

Credits Expenditures �

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating

CHP plant

power plant

boiler

Pellet heating


Global warming

Acidification

Fine particulate matter

PAV per tonne of wood

Net results: Expenditures minus credits

Environmental relevance

medium

very high

high

high



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LCA results4

Some options of fuel wood and other biofuels Credits Expenditures �


Global warming

Acidification

Eutrophication

-Disadvantage of PAV per hectare and year in favour of ��wood use wood use

SRF poplar

SRF willow

SRF robinia

Wheat � Ethanol

maize � biogas

SRF poplar

SRF willow

SRF robinia

Wheat � Ethanol

maize � biogas

SRF poplar

SRF willow

SRF robinia

Wheat � Ethanol

maize � biogas

SRF poplar

SRF willow

SRF robinia

Wheat � Ethanol

maize � biogas



HeidelbergGermany

Source: IFEU 2012

Conclusions

LCA results4

Energy use of woody biomass compared to reference system:

significant advantages in relevant impact categories (in particular global warming)

also disadvantages in categories of medium relevance (e.g. acidification)

Overall a good environmental performance

Energy use of woody biomass compared to other biofuels:

Significant advantages in all categories compared to bioethanol or biogas



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview

5



HeidelbergGermany

Source: IFEU 2012

The way from LCA to Sustainability Assessment

Helpful tools GHG calculation5

The key issue:

Life cycle assessment (LCA):is an expert tool, complicated to implement into

legal process with mandatory requirements.

The Discussion triggering the European “RED Way”

Addressing the Life Cycle by 1 indicator (GHG emission)

Setting strict methodical rules for the GHG calculation

Including further environmental and social themes which not covered or hard to cover by a standard LCA.



HeidelbergGermany

Source: IFEU 2012

GHG calculation – standardized models


RED rules:

Covering the complete life cycle

land use change.

allocation according to lower heating value of co-products

Defined comparator

Still leaves methodical issues open, does not determine background data

� BioGrace project: to frame the calculation by

� constituting “standard values”

� providing a XLS-tool in line with the default values

� and enabling the calculation of actual values.



HeidelbergGermany

Source: IFEU 2012

BioGrace


I: biofuels and other bioliquids

II: solid and gaseous biomass for electricity/heat/cooling:

• Spreadsheets in line with RED rules; recognition by

the EU Commission forthcoming.

• Spreadsheets cover the pathways corresponding with

the default values.

• Spreeadsheets can be adapted to actual situations

also for advanced techniques and for biochemicals.



HeidelbergGermany

1. IFEU profile



4. Some LCA results


6. Summary

Overview

6



HeidelbergGermany

Summary

6

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a suitable tool to

� Identify environmental potentials to optimise environmental

benefits and minimise environmental burdens

� Give advice to decision makers about environmental potentials

and priorities for optimisations

The results show overall advantages of solid biomass for

electricity and heat production compared to fossil

reference systems as well as to other biofuels.

As long as forest carbon stocks are preserved by

sustainable forest management (carbon accounting).



HeidelbergGermanyThanks

Thank you for your attention!

большо ́е спаси ́бо!

IFEU experts for biomass

life cycle assessment of the use of solid biomass for electricity (h

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