Master’s Thesis

Svetlana Obydenkova

Supervisors: dr. Michael Boot (TU/e)

dr inż. Artur Wyrwa (AGH)

Krakow, 2016

Content

1. GHG emissions from the US transportation

2. Biofuels: types & sustainability concerns

3. Lignin-derived cyclic oxygenates as biofuels

4. Market survey of lignin availability

5. Current and proposed pathways for use of lignin, the US regulations

6. LCA: scenarios tree, goal and scope definition, results

7. Economics: annualized cost of production of lignin-derived biofuels

8. Conclusions & Recommendations

2

Research Goal

Exploring sustainability features related to the conversion of lignin residue

obtained in cellulosic biorefineries into value added products, such as biofuels.

GHG emissions from transport sector in the US

3

The world overall and U.S. CO2 emissions

from transport sector

(Source: World Bank, 2016a)

CO2 emissions from the US transport

sector in 2008

(Source: Greene et al., 2011)

Types of biofuels

4

Based on data from EPA, 2010a; Menten et al., 2013; Passell et al., 2013; UNCTAD, 2016

Lignin-derived cyclic oxygenates as biofuels

5

Optional lignin-derived

oxygenates used for

transportation

(Source: Zhou et al., 2014)

Market Survey of Lignin Availability

6

663 kT/year (on a dry basis)

Sulfur-free lignin residue obtained from cellulosic bio-

refineries (on a dry basis)

over 1,600 kT/year (on a dry basis)

Current and proposed pathways for lignin use

7

LCA – scenarios tree

8

LCA boundaries for the Reference scenarios

9

LCA boundaries of new pathways for lignin-derived

biofuels production

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LCA Results - WTW GHG Emissions

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Energy Use in WTP

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Lignin Pyrolysis Oil – GHG Emissions Breakdown

13

Lignin-derived Automotive Qualified Biofuel –

GHG Emissions Breakdown

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Lignin Pyrolysis Oil – Annualized Cost of Production

vs. Fossil Based Equivalent

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Lignin residue is displaced by natural gas Lignin residue is displaced by corn stover

Lignin-Derived Automotive Qualified Biofuel – Annualized Cost

of Production vs. Fossil Based Equivalent

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Lignin residue is displaced by natural gas Lignin residue is displaced by corn stover

Conclusions & Recommendations

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The choice of an allocation procedure plays a pivotal role for interpretation of LCA results allowing to qualify obtained biofuels as those that meet or do not meet the required level of GHG emission reduction.

Basically, the displacement of lignin residue in a cellulosic biorefinery by natural gas does not allow to qualify the biofuels sustainable.

Under allocation of emissions to ethanol (that is the current EPA position), when lignin in a cellulosic biorefinery is displaced by biomass, altogether lignin pyrolysis oil, lignin-derived automotive qualified biofuel and ethanol are eligible to be used in transportation.

Under allocation of emissions between ethanol and lignin where lignin is displaced by corn stover only lignin pyrolysis oil and ethanol are eligible to enter the market.

A moderate profit of about 1.7 $US per 1 GJ for such eligible lignin pyrolysis oil can be obtained if the oil displaces low sulfur marine gasoil.

Additional environmental benefit is delivered by the pyrolysis oil, since this fuel contains almost zero amount of sulfur.

Further analysis of alternative ways for lignin to lignin-derived cyclic oxygenates conversion, allowing to decrease the production cost and lifecycle GHG emissions, can be recommended.

Thank you for your attention!

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