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Last update : 28.10.2010

This report assesses the life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts of the following three soybean-derived fuels by expanding, updating, and using Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model: (1) biodiesel produced from soy oil transesterification, (2) renewable diesel produced from hydrogenation of soy oil by using two processes (renewable diesel I and II), and (3) renewable gasoline produced from catalytic cracking of soy oil. We used four allocation approaches to address the co-products: a displacement approach; two allocation methods, one based on energy value and one based on market value; and a hybrid approach that integrates both the displacement and allocation methods. Each of the four allocation approaches generates different results. The displacement method shows a 6–25% reduction in total energy use for the soybean-based fuels compared with petroleum fuels, except for renewable diesel II. The allocation and hybrid approaches show a 13–31% increase in total energy use. All soybean-derived fuels achieve a significant reduction (52–107%) in fossil energy use and in petroleum use (more than 85%). With the displacement approach, all four soybean-based fuels achieve modest to significant reductions (64–174%) in well-to-wheels GHG emissions. With the allocation and hybrid approaches, the fuels achieve a modest reduction in GHG emissions (57–74%). These results demonstrate the importance of the methods that are used in dealing with coproduct issues for these renewable fuels.

Added on 19 May 2010
Technology :: Research :: Environment :: Biodiesel :: Climate :: United States & Canada

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