LCA-Based Environmental Evaluation of Biorefinery Projects

Book chapter, 2012

Continuing fossil-based energy consumption is leading to increased depletion of fossil resources and consequently increased greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions [1]. It has been observed that GHG emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) are upsetting the Earth’s climate due to fossil fuel combustion and land-use change as a result of human activities [2]. Using new technologies that will guarantee economic growth and environmental sustainability in the long term can overcome these issues. As a potential solution, over the past decades, attention has been paid to using renewable sources for providing energy and chemicals. Although heat and power can be produced by several renewable resource alternatives (wind, solar, hydro, biomass, etc.), biomass is the only alternative that by use of biorenery technologies can be converted into fuels and chemicals [2]. To prove.