Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4.3.1. Results and interpretation
The final quantities of products produced are reported in Table 6 (upper part), where the
results of the biorefinery and fossil reference systems are also shown. The biorefinery releases
about 36.8 kt CO
2
-eq./a and requires 10858 TJ/a of primary energy, of which 208 TJ/a fossil
energy. On the other hand, the fossil reference system releases 336 kt CO
2
-eq./a and requires
4772 TJ/a, of which 4736 TJ/a fossil energy.
Table 6. Quantities of final products, GHG emissions and primary energy demand
of biorefinery system and fossil reference system.
Bire finery System
Fossil Reference System
Product /servic e:
Product/service:
Transportation (bioethanol)
1,082
Mio km
Transportation (gasoline)
1,204
Mio km
Transportati on (MTHF)
122
Mio km
Furan resins
2.91
kt
Ep oxy resins (from fossil)
2.91
kt
FUMA
3.34
kt
FUMA (from fossil)
3.34
kt
Electr icity
333
TJ
Electricity (from natural gas)
333
TJ
He at
224
TJ
Heat (from oil)
224
TJ
Biomethane
261
TJ
Natural gas
261
TJ
H2
13.7
TJ
H
2
(from natural gas)
13.7
TJ
O
2
7.07
kt
O
2
(conventional, from air)
7.07
kt
Fertilizer (no benefit)
36.9
kt
dry
Environmental impacts:
Environmental impacts (including heat):
Tot al GHG e missi ons
36.8
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Total GHG emissions
336
kt CO
2
-eq./a
CO
2
27.0
kt CO
2
-eq./a
CO
2
322
kt CO
2
-eq./a
N
2
O
9.22
kt CO
2
-eq./a
N
2
O
7.27
kt CO
2
-eq./a
CH
4
0.61
kt CO
2
-eq./a
CH
4
7.69
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Primary energy demand
10,858
TJ/a
Primary energy demand
4,772
TJ/a
Fossil
208
TJ/a
Fossil
4,736
TJ/a
Renewable (biomass)
10,495
TJ/a
Renewable
7
TJ/a
Others
16
TJ/a
Others
25
TJ/a
GHG and energ y savings
With heat cred its
Environmental impacts (excluding heat):
GHG emissions saved
300
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Total GHG emissions
313
kt CO
2
-eq./a
0.66
t CO
2
-eq./t
drywo od
CO
2
299
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Fossil energy saved
4,527
TJ/a
N
2
O
6.76
kt CO
2
-eq./a
10.05
GJ/t
drywood
CH
4
7.15
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Excluding heat credits
GHG emissions saved
276
kt CO
2
-eq./a
Primary energy demand
4,474
TJ/a
0.61
t CO
2
-eq./t
drywo o d
Fossil
4,440
TJ/a
Fossil energy saved
4,231
TJ/a
Renewable
6
TJ/a
9.39
GJ/t
drywood
Others
24
TJ/a
This means that the biorefinery system is able to save 89% of GHG emission and 95.6%
of fossil energy in respect with its fossil reference system, providing the same quantities of
products and services. In Figure 17, the GHG emissions of the biorefinery and fossil reference
system are compared.
Biorefinery shows a relevant decrease of total GHG, CO
2
and CH
4
emissions, while it has
a slight increase in N
2
O emissions, because of the biomass (lignin, residues, biofuels)
combustion steps.
