Green chemicals from biorefineries with glycerol as feedstock: a life cycle assessment

Transcription

1 ifeu Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg, Germany Green chemicals from biorefineries with glycerol as feedstock: a life cycle assessment Dr Guido Reinhardt, S Gärtner, Dr H Keller, M Krüger, Dr M Müller-Lindenlauf, N Rettenmaier, Dr A Schorb 8th Intern Conf on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Toulouse, 4 6 June, 2012

2 Glycerol market / t glycerol t glycerol World glycerol production World glycerol price 2

3 Background Simplified chemical reaction mechanism to transesterify vegetable oil into biodiesel Vegetable oil R 1 CO O CH 2 Biodiesel R 1 CO O CH 3 Bioglycerol HO CH 2 R 2 CO O CH 3 CH 3 OH R 2 CO O CH 3 + HO CH R 3 CO O CH 2 R 3 CO O CH 3 HO CH 2 3

4 Background Conventional glycerol use: In chemistry, pharmaceutical products, in cosmetic products, in food and feed industry etc Glycerol use: quo vadis? Conversion towards green chemicals? Bioenergy such as biogas or direct combustion? 4

5 Innovative uses for glycerol Ethanol - use: for chemistry, biofuel CH 3 CH 2 OH Glycerol CH 2 CH CH 2 OH OH OH Butanol - use: for chemistry CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH PDO (1,3-propanediol) - use: for bioplastics CH 2 CH 2 OH CH 2 OH 5

6 Ethanol from glycerol Crude glycerol Glycerol processing Additives 1 Fermentation Post fermentation broth Filtration Solid biomass Fermentation broth Process energy Distillation Residual ferment. broth (organic compounds) Anaerobic digestion Biogas Digestate Ethanol 1 needs to be clarified 6

7 7 Butanol from glycerol

8 8 1,3 propanediol (PDO) from glycerol

9 Glycerol use scenarios Conventional use Direct material use Direct use for energy Biogas Crude glycerol Innovative use Ethanol Conversion Butanol (+PDO) PDO Concerning environmental benefits: which pathway is best? 9

10 EU FP7 project: GLYFINERY Sustainable and integrated production of liquid biofuels, green chemicals and bioenergy from glycerol in biorefineries Duration: Total budget: 4.97 M Partners: Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark BioGasol Aps, Ballerup, Denmark A&A Biotechnology, Gdynia, Poland Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, IFEU, Heidelberg, Germany MEROCO, Leopoldov, Slovakia ProChimia Surface, Sopot, Poland 10

11 Life cycle assessment (LCA) ISO & Goal and scope definition Inventory analysis Interpretation Impact assessment 11

12 LCA: Life cycle comparison Fossil fuel Biofuel Fertiliser Credits Fuel Pesticides Resource extraction Raw material production Agriculture Fallow maintenance Transport Processing Co-products Equivalent products Utilisation 12

13 Life cycle assessment (LCA) ISO & Goal and scope definition Inventory analysis Interpretation Impact assessment 13

14 LCA: Inventory analysis Inputs Outputs e.g.: - natural gas - crude oil - brown coal - hard coal - uranium - water Fossil fuel Resource extraction Raw material production Transport Processing Utilisation Biofuel Fertiliser Fuel Pesticides Agriculture e.g.: - CO 2 - SO 2 - CH 4 - NO X - NH 3 - N 2 O - HCl - CO - C 6 H 6 - VOC 14

15 15 Example: PDO from glycerol

16 Glycerol use scenarios Conventional use Conventional products Direct material use Convent. chemical Direct use for energy Convent. heat / power Biogas Convent. heat / power Crude glycerol Innovative use Ethanol Fossil ethanol or gasoline Product Process Reference system Conversion Butanol (+PDO) PDO Fossil butanol PDO (fossil or made of starch) PDO (fossil or made of starch) same usefulness 16

17 Example: PDO from glycerol vs. fossil PDO Greenhouse gas emissions Credits Expenditures Net total Advantages Disadvantages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol Transport glycerol Fermentation energy Solvent for extraction Biogas from residues: Expenditures Biogas from residues: Credit heat savings Transport product Net total Fermentation material input Centrifugation and filtration Distillation energy Biogas from residues: Credit power savings Biogas from residues: Credit fertilizer savings Credit savings of equivalent product 17 Source: IFEU 2012

18 Results for greenhouse gas savings PDO from glycerol vs. fossil PDO Credits Expenditures Advantages Disadvantages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Butanol from glycerol vs. fossil butanol Credits Advantages Expenditures Disadvantages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Ethanol from glycerol vs. fossil ethanol Credits Advantages Expenditures Disadvantages ,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Bio-ethanol emits more greenhouse t CO 2 gases eq. / t glycerol than t CO 2 eq / t glycerol fossil based ethanol Source: IFEU 2012

19 Results for greenhouse gas savings PDO from glycerol vs. fossil PDO Credits Advantages Expenditures Disadvantages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Butanol from glycerol vs. fossil butanol Credits Advantages Expenditures Disadvantages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Ethanol from glycerol vs. fossil ethanol Credits Advantages Expenditures Disadvantages 19 Credits for equivalent product and distillation t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol energy are most important life cycle stages -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 Source: IFEU 2012

20 Glycerol use scenarios Conventional use Conventional products Direct material use Convent. chemical Direct use for energy Convent. heat / power Biogas Convent. heat / power Crude glycerol Innovative use Ethanol Fossil ethanol or gasoline Product Process Reference system Conversion Butanol (+PDO) PDO Fossil butanol PDO (fossil or made of starch) PDO (fossil or made of starch) 20 same usefulness Two different conventional PDO production schemes

21 Influence of equivalent products Credits Expenditures PDO: fossil PDO: starch -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol Transport glycerol Fermentation energy Solvent for extraction Biogas from residues: Expenditures Biogas from residues: Credit heat savings Transport product Net total Fermentation material input Centrifugation and filtration Distillation energy Biogas from residues: Credit power savings Biogas from residues: Credit fertilizer savings Credit savings of equivalent product 21 Source: IFEU 2012

22 Influence of equivalent products Credits Expenditures PDO: fossil PDO: starch Ethanol: fossil -2-1,5-1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol Ethanol: gasoline Transport glycerol Fermentation material input Fermentation energy Centrifugation and filtration Solvent for extraction Distillation energy Biogas from residues: Expenditures Biogas from residues: Credit power savings Biogas from residues: Credit heat savings Biogas from residues: Credit fertilizer savings -2-1,5 Transport product -1-0,5 0 0,5 1 Credit savings of equivalent product 1,5 Net total t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol Source: IFEU

23 Bandwidths PDO from glycerol vs fossil PDO: greenhouse gas balance Advantages Disadvantages High yield Typical scenario with Low yield High distillation energy Low distillation energy Low fossil credit best case t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol worst case Total bandwidth -2,0-1,5-1,0-0,5 0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 There is not just one single result of a LCA of PDO from glycerol but many, depending on the biorefinery layout, equivalent conventional products, and other system boundaries such as transport. 23 Source: IFEU 2012

24 Results: innovative glycerol use options Advantages Disadvantages PDO Butanol Ethanol -2,0-1,5-1,0-0,5 0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 Greenhouse gas emissions in t CO 2 eq / t glycerol PDO and butanol from glycerol have higher environmental potentials compared to ethanol from glycerol 24 Source: IFEU 2012

25 Glycerol use scenarios Conventional use Conventional products Direct material use Convent. chemical Direct use for energy Convent. heat / power Biogas Convent. heat / power Crude glycerol Innovative use Ethanol Fossil ethanol or gasoline Product Process Reference system Conversion Butanol (+PDO) PDO Fossil butanol PDO (fossil or made of starch) PDO (fossil or made of starch) same usefulness 25

26 Comparison to other options Advantages Disadvantages Biogas Chemical Conv. Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Monofermentation, CHP Cofermentation, CHP 26 t CO 2 eq. / t glycerol In general: all use options for glycerol compare similarly except conversion to ethanol (worse) or direct use (better) Specifically: results for PDO, butanol, biogas & combustion depend on specific conditions Source: IFEU 2012

27 Life cycle assessment (LCA) ISO & Goal and scope definition Inventory analysis Interpretation Impact assessment 27

28 Impact assessment categories Impact category Parameter 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 Photosmog Ethen equivalents Hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, chlorinated hydrocarbons, Ozone depletion CFC11 equivalents CFC, halone, methyl bromide, 28

29 Acidification Conv. options Innovative options Direct material use Direct combustion PDO: reference fossil PDO: reference starch Butanol: reference fossil Ethanol: reference fossil Ethanol: reference gasoline kg SO 2 eq. / t glycerol Credits Expenditures PDO: reference fossil PDO: reference starch Butanol: reference fossil Ethanol: reference fossil Ethanol: reference gasoline kg SO 2 eq. / t glycerol Transport glycerol Fermentation material input Fermentation energy Centrifugation and filtration Solvent for extraction Distillation energy Biogas from residues: Expenditures Biogas from residues: Credit power savings Biogas from residues: Credit heat savings Biogas from residues: Credit fertiliser savings Transport product Credit savings of equivalent product Source: IFEU 2012

30 Other environmental impacts Climate change Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. Advantages Disadvantages Energy demand Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. Acidification Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. 30 IE / 1000 t glycerol Source: IFEU 2012

31 Other environmental impacts Eutrophication Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. Advantages Disadvantages Photosmog Ozone depletion Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. Direct material use Direct combustion PDO Butanol Ethanol Biogas (CHP), monoferm. Biogas (CHP), coferm. 31 IE / 1000 t glycerol Source: IFEU 2012

32 Summary Glycerol based chemicals: Environmental impacts: High bandwidths PDO and butanol better than ethanol Important: - Energy demand of product purification - Yields Best way of using glycerol: In the near future: direct material use May change if biodiesel production increases massively Highest environmental potential: PDO, butanol, biogas via cofermentation & direct combustion 32

33 Summary Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a suitable tool to Analyse the environmental impacts of both, existing technologies and products as well as future ones Identify environmental potentials to optimise environmental benefits and minimise environmental burdens Give advice to decision makers about environmental potentials and priorities for optimisations 33

34 Conclusions & recommendations A realisation of innovative glycerol use options is only recommended if the biodiesel production increases substantially. Ethanol production from glycerol is not recommendable from environmental perspective. Proceed to optimise glycerol conversion to PDO and butanol especially towards more efficient product purification and yield increase. Alternative glycerol use options besides the investigated ones should also be evaluated. 34

35 Results presented here are reported in detail in following publication: Outlook 1 Download available on: or 35

36 Outlook 2 Environmental Assessment Results presented here Economic Assessment Technological Assessment Integrated Sustainability Assessment Sustainable and integrated production of liquid biofuels, green chemicals and bioenergy from glycerol in biorefinieries: Integrated assessment Results will be presented at the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, Milano, Italy, June Final report Deliverable 7.8 Integrated assessment: Final report of the EC funded GLYFINERY project GA no See you there, or give contact details to send a copy to you. Heidelberg,

37 Thank you for your attention! Dr Maria Müller-Lindenlauf Nils Rettenmaier Dr Achim Schorb Sven Gärtner Dr Heiko Keller Dr Guido Reinhardt Martina Krüger Contact: / - 31 Downloads: Acknowledgement The work presented was supported by the European Commission through the FP7 project Sustainable and integrated production of liquid biofuels, green chemicals and bioenergy from glycerol in biorefineries ( GLYFINERY, GA no ).