Life Cycle Assessment of the use of solid biomass for electricity

Transcription

1 JRC Enlargement & Integration Programme Life Cycle Assessment of the use of solid biomass for electricity Workshop by JRC and the National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute Moscow, 22-1

2 Overview 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 2

3 Overview 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 3

4 1 IFEU Profile Who we are what we do 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 4

5 1 IFEU Profile Who we are what we do 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 5

6 1 IFEU - Recent and on-going projects Overview Several Studies for Vattenfall in the field of: Sustainable procurement of woody biomass for electricity 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 6

7 2 Overview 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 7

8 2 Important aspects of LCA on solid biomass Aspects about the energy use of solid biomass Wood is the mother of all fuels The Economist What type of energy production will be replaced by solid biomass? Wood is still the most prevalent type of bioenergy transport biofuels - 6% Heat from biomass - 8% Electricity from biomass - 8% traditional fuel wood 78% There are many types of solid biomass and how to gain it 8

9 2 Important aspects of LCA on solid biomass 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: The Economist is there a land use change? Residues and waste: is there an alternative use in place? 9

10 2 Important aspects of LCA on solid biomass 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 10

11 2 Overview 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 11

12 3 the LCA methodology The LCA approach ISO & for Life Cycle Assessment Goal and scope definition Inventory analysis Interpretation Impact assessment 12

13 3 the LCA methodology 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 13

14 3 the LCA methodology LCA System boundary Fossil fuel reference system bioenergy lime Fuel Pesticides Resource extraction Raw material production forestry Transport Processing Utilisation Coproducts either allocation or system expansion equivalent products (added to reference system) 14

15 3 the LCA methodology Impact assessment categories Impact category indicator Substances (LCI) Energy demand Sum of depletable primary energy carriers Crude oil, natural gas, coal, Uranium, Greenhouse effect CO 2 equivalents Carbon dioxide, dinitrogen monoxide, methane, different CFCs, methyl bromide, Acidification SO 2 equivalents Sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, Eutrophication PO 4 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, 15

16 3 the LCA methodology Normalization and ranking Normalization Specific contribution of environmental impacts: Expressing the LCA results in Person Average Values (PAV) corresponding to current average per-capita emission and consumption in Europe. Ranking Environmental relevance: What is the meaning of individual criteria in relation to the scientific state of the art, public awareness, and the political situation? 16

17 4 Overview 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 17

18 4 LCA results Some options of using fuel wood CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating Credits Cumulated energy demand Global warming Acidification Expenditures Expenditure feedstock procurement Expenditure combustion Expenditure / credit electricity Credit heat CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating Fine particulate matter PAV per tonne of wood Source: IFEU 2012 (Gärtner et al.) 18

19 4 LCA results Some options how to use fuel wood CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating Credits Cumulated energy demand Global warming Acidification Expenditures medium very high high Environmental relevance CHP plant power plant boiler Pellet heating Fine particulate matter high Net results: Expenditures minus credits PAV per tonne of wood Source: IFEU 2012 (Gärtner et al.) 19

20 4 LCA results Some options of fuel wood and other biofuels Credits Expenditures 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 Cumulated energy demand Global warming Acidification Eutrophication -Disadvantage of PAV per hectare and year in favour of wood use wood use Source: IFEU 2012 (Gärtner et al.) 20

21 4 LCA results Conclusions 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 Source: IFEU

22 5 Overview 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 22

23 5 Helpful tools GHG calculation The way from LCA to Sustainability Assessment 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. Source: IFEU

24 5 Helpful tools GHG calculation 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. Source: IFEU

25 5 Helpful tools GHG calculation 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. Source: IFEU

26 6 Overview 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 27

27 6 Summary 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). 28

28 Thanks Thank you for your attention! большо е спаси бо! IFEU experts for biomass 29