Life-Cycle Assessment of agricultural feedstock for biorefineries

Abstract

Chapitre 3The supply of biomass feedstock to biorefineries plays a key role in the overall environmental performance of biobased products. This chapter reviews the main challenges associated with the application of life-cycle assessment to biomass supply chains from agricultural residues, arable crops, or perennial lignocellulosic grasses and addresses them through state-of-the-art approaches involving spatially explicit feedstock modeling. These challenges include the variability in crop yields and field emissions, the effects of land-use changes (whether direct or indirect) and the handling of coproducts, especially for first-generation biofuels. Examples from recent research projects at the regional scale in France illustrate how the proposed modeling can tackle these issues and be used for decision-making purposes when designing feedstock production systems and supply chains. Avenues for progress include an optimal selection or mixture of feedstocks, the use of fertilizer recommendation systems for arable crops, and targeting those land parcels that have the lowest GHG emissions and best potential to store soil carbon overall