77 research outputs found
What will fuel transport systems of the future?
This paper seeks to decry the notion of a single solution or âsilver bulletâ to replace petroleum products with renewable transport fuel. At different times, different technological developments have been in vogue as the panacea for future transport needs: for quite some time hydrogen has been perceived as a transport fuel that would be all encompassing when the technology was mature. Liquid biofuels have gone from exalted to unsustainable in the last ten years. The present flavor of the month is the electric vehicle. This paper examines renewable transport fuels through a review of the literature and attempts to place an analytical perspective on a number of technologies
Characteristics of Coastal and Estuarine Sediment in the Upper Gulf of Thailand
Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv
Numerical prediction of the chemical composition of gas products at biomass combustion and co-combustion in a domestic boiler
The effect of feedstock cost on biofuel cost as exemplified by biomethane production from grass silage
The potential variance in feedstock costs can have significant implications for the cost of a biofuel and the financial viability of a biofuel facility. This paper employs the Grange Feed Costing Model to assess the cost of on-farm biomethane production using grass silages produced under a range of management scenarios. These costs were compared with the cost of wheat grain and sugarbeet roots for ethanol production at an industrial scale.Of the three feedstocks examined, grass silage represents the cheapest feedstock per GJ of biofuel produced. At a production cost of âŹ27/tonne (t) feedstock (or âŹ150/t volatile solids (VS)), the feedstock production cost of grass silage per gigajoule (GJ) of biofuel (âŹ12.27) is lower than that of sugarbeet (âŹ16.82) and wheat grain (âŹ18.61). Grass biomethane is also the cheapest biofuel when grass silage is costed at the bottom quartile purchase price of silage of âŹ19/t (âŹ93/t VS). However, when considering the production costs (full-costing) of the three feedstocks, the total cost of grass biomethane (âŹ32.37/GJ of biofuel; intensive 2-cut system) from a small on-farm facility ranks between that of sugarbeet (âŹ29.62) and wheat grain ethanol (âŹ34.31) produced in large industrial facilities.The feedstock costs for the above three biofuels represent 0.38, 0.57, and 0.54 of the total biofuel cost. The importance of feedstock cost on biofuel cost is further highlighted by the 0.43 increase in the cost of biomethane when grass silage is priced at the top quartile (âŹ46/t or âŹ232/t VS) compared to the bottom quartile purchase price. <br/
Beyond carbon and energy: The challenge in setting guidelines for life cycle assessment of biofuel systems
LCA applied to perennial cropping systems: a review focused on the farm stage
International audienc
The environmental impacts of palm oil in context
Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires balancing demands on land between agriculture (SDG 2) and biodiversity (SDG 15). The production of vegetable oils, and in particular palm oil, illustrates these competing demands and trade-offs. Palm oil accounts for 40% of the current global annual demand for vegetable oil as food, animal feed, and fuel (210 million tons (Mt)), but planted oil palm covers less than 5-5.5% of total global oil crop area (ca. 425 Mha), due to oil palmâs relatively high yields5. Recent oil palm expansion in forested regions of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula, where >90% of global palm oil is produced, has led to substantial concern around oil palmâs role in deforestation. Oil palm expansionâs direct contribution to regional tropical deforestation varies widely, ranging from 3% in West Africa to 47% in Malaysia. Oil palm is also implicated in peatland draining and burning in Southeast Asia. Documented negative environmental impacts from such expansion include biodiversity declines, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. However, oil palm generally produces more oil per area than other oil crops, is often economically viable in sites unsuitable for most other crops, and generates considerable wealth for at least some actors. Global demand for vegetable oils is projected to increase by 46% by 20509. Meeting this demand through additional expansion of oil palm versus other vegetable oil crops will lead to substantial differential effects on biodiversity, food security, climate change, land degradation, and livelihoods. Our review highlights that, although substantial gaps remain in our understanding of the relationship between the environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts of oil palm, and the scope, stringency and effectiveness of initiatives to address these, there has been little research into the impacts and trade-offs of other vegetable oil crops.
65 Greater research attention needs to be given to investigating the impacts of palm oil production
66 compared to alternatives for the trade-offs to be assessed at a global scale
What will fuel transport systems of the future?
This paper seeks to decry the notion of a single solution or âsilver bulletâ to replace petroleum products with renewable transport fuel. At different times, different technological developments have been in vogue as the panacea for future transport needs: for quite some time hydrogen has been perceived as a transport fuel that would be all encompassing when the technology was mature. Liquid biofuels have gone from exalted to unsustainable in the last ten years. The present flavor of the month is the electric vehicle. This paper examines renewable transport fuels through a review of the literature and attempts to place an analytical perspective on a number of technologies
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