Method handbook material flow-oriented assessment of greenhouse gas effects: Methods for determination of technology indicators, levelized costs of energy and greenhouse gas effects of projects in the funding programme “Biomass energy use”

This method handbook tries to provide such a compromise: it gives guidance for diverse projects of the programme 'Biomass energy use' and as such improves the connectivity of the evaluation fi ndings. The suggested method documentations are based on the current state of scientifi c knowledge and range from qualitative descriptions of methods to detailed calculation methods. They are limited to selected questions and provide no complete evaluation of sustainability. It is the result of a four-year discussion process, enriched by the project partners of the funding programme. Valuable contribution were generated in working groups and at various workshops. Here the dedication of the working groups 'Biomass Potentials', 'Life-cycle Assessment', 'Thermochemical Gasifi cation' and 'Reference Systems' should be particularly mentioned. This version of the method handbook is now established and through its coordinated reference systems it forms a bridge for the overall classifi cation of the research projects and the funding programme in the framework of the German climate protection discourse. Without doubt, the approaches and calculation procedures listed here only represent a starting point; on which further developments can be based upon, both scientifi cally and in practical applications. Future constructive and fruitful collaborations within the programme are essential for this and other challenges surrounding the harmonisation of methods. All this is still driven by the need and the goal to further optimise, little by little, the use of biomass in energy production

A Regional Socio-Economic Life Cycle Assessment of a Bioeconomy Value Chain

A bioeconomy tackles sustainable development at both the global and regional levels, as it relies on the optimized use of renewable bio-based resources for the provisioning of food, materials, and energy to meet societal demands. The effects of the bioeconomy can be best observed at a regional level, as it supports regional development and affects the social dimension of sustainability. In order to assess the social impacts of wood-based production chains with regional differentiation, the social life cycle assessment framework “RESPONSA” was established in 2018. We present an initial study, in which this method is applied to an exemplary production chain in a case study of laminated veneer lumber produced in central Germany. The results show a relatively better social performance compared to the reference economic sector, reflecting a relatively low rate of female employees as a major social hotspot. Several social opportunities are identified, in terms of health and safety, equal opportunities, and adequate remuneration, for the organization taking part in the value chain. Finally, considering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global normative framework, a number of additional indicators for RESPONSA, as well as further developments and recommendations regarding its application in other regions and the upcoming social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) guidelines, are identified

Bioenergy governance between market and government failures: A new institutional economics perspective

Bioenergy can play an important part in managing the transition towards a lowcarbon energy system. However, in many countries its rapid expansion increases pressures on agricultural land use and natural ecosystems, resulting in conflicts with conservation aims and food security. Establishing an effective governance framework for bioenergy, to safeguard against sustainability risks and promote the efficient use of scarce biomass resources, is of the utmost importance, but is complicated by the existence of multiple objectives, multiple market failures and the variety of possible value chains. In this situation, policy recommendations based on neoclassical assumptions prove too abstract to be of practical relevance. Using the case of European bioenergy policy, this paper explores how economic bioenergy policy recommendations could be improved by using a new institutional economics (NIE) perspective. Moving along the value chain, we discuss what implications the consideration of transaction costs, incomplete information, path dependencies, and political feasibility has for finding solutions to the governance challenges of bioenergy. We conclude that policy implications derived from NIE differ clearly both from neoclassical recommendations and current EU bioenergy policy, and that a NIE framework for the analysis of bioenergy governance, which takes not only market failures, but also the risks of government failures into account, could make a useful contribution to the development of realistic, second-best solutions to the allocative problems of bioenergy use

German Energy and Decarbonization Scenarios: “Blind Spots” With Respect to Biomass-Based Carbon Removal Options

In 2019, the German government agreed on a Climate Protection Program intended to deliver its 2030 climate targets. Concrete measures, such as a carbon price, will be put in place as early as 2021. But how to plan beyond 2030? Scenarios can be powerful tools to envision the world in 20, 30, or 50 years, to describe pathways toward different visions of the future, and ultimately to investigate technology portfolios and policy options against their performance toward the achievement of a decarbonized future. This is why scenarios are especially popular with energy and climate scholars. In particular, scenarios with biomass-based carbon removal options (BCO2) can help to highlight how we may reach a net negative emission world. Hence, in this study, 66 energy and decarbonization scenario studies are systematically reviewed for Germany from the years 2002 to 2019 to assess how inclusive they are with regard to BCO2 concepts. The portfolio of BCO2 concepts within those scenarios is studied over time and a qualitative analysis of the scenario documentation is performed to identify the rationales for their inclusion or exclusion. The results indicate “blind spots” of the scenarios with regard to bioeconomy aspects, as biomass for material use is only sparsely covered. Likewise, only about 10% of the studies provide a framework for land use changes and corresponding emission accounting to adequately represent biomass-based negative emission technologies (NETs) in their assessments. The analysis for carbon capture and storage (CCS) further reveals the necessity of revisiting the public acceptance argument which has previously served so far for many studies as the ultimate, though not well-grounded deal-breaker. Based on the detected gaps and shortcomings in the current German scenario landscape, recommendations for a more transparent and holistic representation of BCO2 in the scenario framework are given

Greenhouse Gas Abatement Potentials and Economics of Selected Biochemicals in Germany

In this paper, biochemicals with the potential to substitute fossil reference chemicals in Germany were identified using technological readiness and substitution potential criteria. Their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were quantified by using life cycle assessments (LCA) and their economic viabilities were determined by comparing their minimum selling prices with fossil references’ market prices. A bottom up mathematical optimization model, BioENergy OPTimization (BENOPT) was used to investigate the GHG abatement potential and the corresponding abatement costs for the biochemicals up to 2050. BENOPT determines the optimal biomass allocation pathways based on maximizing GHG abatement under resource, capacity, and demand constraints. The identified biochemicals were bioethylene, succinic acid, polylactic acid (PLA), and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Results show that only succinic acid is economically competitive. Bioethylene which is the least performing in terms of economics breaks even at a carbon price of 420 euros per ton carbon dioxide equivalent (€/tCO2eq). With full tax waivers, a carbon price of 134 €/tCO2eq is necessary. This would result in positive margins for PHA and PLA of 12% and 16%, respectively. From the available agricultural land, modeling results show high sensitivity to assumptions of carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in biochemicals and integrated biochemicals production. GHG abatement for scenarios where these assumptions were disregarded and where they were collectively taken into account increased by 370% resulting in a 75% reduction in the corresponding GHG abatement costs

An Integrated Assessment of GIS-MCA with Logistics Analysis for an Assessment of a Potential Decentralized Bioethanol Production System Using Distributed Agricultural Residues in Thailand

Crop residues derived from post-harvesting process have been problematic due to an on-field incineration, which caused air pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An appropriate utilization of those biomasses can improve the environmental situation and provide a substitute for fossil fuels. Therefore, this study intends to analyze how left-over agricultural residues should be valorized in the decentralized bioethanol production configuration. With integrated techniques of geographical information system and multi-criteria analysis (GIS-MCA), we identify suitable locations for exhibiting decentralized sites matching the geographical backgrounds in each region. Under the precondition of a complete utilization of the agricultural residues, we found optimal installation numbers 71 units of decentralized production in total through suitability analysis. Conducting the location–allocation model, it is possible to determine production scales from the collectable spatially distributed biomass and transportation distances. Under the presumed conditions of installing 1 to 25 units, the logistics cost and total capital investment can reach USD 1.17–2.46 L−1 and USD 1.17–6.93 L−1, respectively. The results from examining the technical potential and economic feasibility aspects are key to designing decentralized bioethanol production facilities and maximizing the utilization of agricultural residues in Thailand

Consequential LCA and LCC using linear programming: an illustrative example of biorefineries

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Towards a Holistic and Integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of the Bioeconomy - Background on Concepts, Visions and Measurements

Current economic and social systems transgress several ecological planetary boundaries by far but without sufficiently fulfilling human needs and this in a globally unequal way, posing enormous challenges to political strategies and economic structures. To tackle these challenges, under a bioeconomy, a variety of industrial metabolisms, strategies and visions on substituting fossil resources by renewables and hereto associated societal transformations is formulated. Social, ecological and economic (holistic) sustainability, however, is not an intrinsic character of bioeconomy but rather a possible potential which has to be assessed. Life Cycle Assessments and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments provide promising frameworks and methods for such holistic sustainability assessments, but face major challenges in regard to underlying sustainability concepts and implementation. First, we discuss and analyze the status quo of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment especially in regard to underlying sustainability and economic concept and identify their strengths, weaknesses and research gaps. Secondly, we characterize the current bioeconomy discourse and propose a transdisciplinary, holistic and integrated framework for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment. Based on this discussion and the proposed framework, holistic and integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment can provide a transdisciplinary understanding and specific information on the absolute and relative holistic sustainability of provisioning systems to allow efficient and effective governance

RELCA: a REgional Life Cycle inventory for Assessing bioenergy systems within a region

Background: The last decade has seen major development and adoption of bioenergy, particularly in Germany. This has resulted in a scattering of decentralised bioenergy plants across the landscape, due to their dependency on spatially diffuse biomass resources. Regional conditions (e.g., soils, climate, management) influence the environmental burdens resulting from biomass production and thus, also effect the environmental performance of bioenergy production. Therefore, more regionally focused life cycle approaches are required for assessing these bioenergy systems. The aim of this paper is to outline such an approach. “RELCA”, is a regional life cycle inventory for assessing the regional and spatial variation in the environmental performance of bioenergy production within a region. Methods: Five modelling steps are combined to form the RELCA approach in order to determine: (1) regional crop allocation, (2) regional biomass management, (3) representative bioenergy plant models, (4) bioenergy plant catchments, and (5) indirect upstream emissions (non-regional) associated with regional bioenergy production. The challenges and options for each of these five modelling steps are outlined. Additionally, a simple example is provided using greenhouse gases emissions (GHG) to show how RELCA can be used to identify the potential regional distribution of environmental burdens associated with the production of a bioenergy product (e.g. biodiesel) within a region. Results: An approach for combining regionally distributed inventory for biomass production with regionally distributed inventory for bioenergy technologies, through the use of catchment delineation was developed. This enabled the introduction of greater regional details within the life cycle approach. As a first “proof of concept,” GHG emissions were estimated for a simple example, illustrating how RELCA can identify the potential regional distribution of environmental burdens (direct and indirect) associated with producing a bioenergy product. Conclusions: RELCA (v1.0) is a powerful scoping approach, which is the first to investigate the regional and spatial variation in the environmental performance of bioenergy production within a region through the use of catchment delineation. RELCA (v1.0) is not without its limitations. Despite these, it still provides a good starting point for further discussion, improvements, and modelling developments for assessing the regional and spatial environmental implications of bioenergy production (e.g., such as impacts to soil, water, and biodiversity) for a within regional context