Carbon life cycle assessment evidence analysis
An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of past bioenergy life cycle assessment data sources, a set of carbon balance calculations for UK relevant biomass feedstocks, and identification of key knowledge gaps around available data
- The ETI invested £178,000 in a seven month Carbon Life Cycle Assessment Evidence Analysis project in its Bioenergy Programme
- The project reviewed existing life cycles assessment studies to compile reliable data sources for assessments upon UK relevant bioenergy feedstocks
- Renewable and sustainable energy consultancy North Energy Associates (NEA) led the project, working with Forest Research and the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC)
The ETI appointed North Energy Associates (NEA) to lead a new Carbon Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Evidence Analysis project in its Bioenergy Programme.
Sheffield based NEA were a low carbon energy consultancy who specialise in conducting LCAs, particularly relating to bioenergy, biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. They worked with partners Forest Research and the NNFCC on the seven month project which saw the ETI invest £178,000.
LCAs were used to understand the greenhouse gas emissions associated with bioenergy from across the supply chain, from feedstock production to energy production. Several different methodologies can be used in LCAs and this ETI project assessed the strengths and weaknesses associated with applying these methodologies to bioenergy value chains.
It also reviewed sources of data for LCAs and produced a compendium of the best and most reliable data across different UK-relevant bioenergy feedstocks and value chains. This compendium formed the basis of a series of carbon balance calculations across a range of bioenergy value chains so that emissions from different feedstocks could be compared.
