Environmental sustainability assessment of bio-ethanol production in Thailand

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Publication Details

Author list: Silalertruksa T., Gheewala S.H.

Publisher: Elsevier

Publication year: 2009

Journal: Energy (0360-5442)

Volume number: 34

Issue number: 11

Start page: 1933

End page: 1946

Number of pages: 14

ISSN: 0360-5442

URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77949542510&doi=10.1016%2fj.energy.2009.08.002&partnerID=40&md5=729db70f9921e54a0ffb6174ad14afa5

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Bio-ethanol is playing an important role in renewable energy for transport according to Thai government policy. This study aims to evaluate the energy efficiency and renewability of bio-ethanol system and identify the current significant environmental risks and availability of feedstocks in Thailand. Four of the seven existing ethanol plants contributing 53% of the total ethanol fuel production in Thailand have been assessed by the net energy balance method and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A renewability and net energy ratio portfolio has been used to indicate whether existing bio-ethanol production systems have net energy gain and could help reduce dependency on fossil energy. In addition, LCA has been conducted to identify and evaluate the environmental hotspots of 'cradle to gate' bio-ethanol production. The results show that there are significant differences of energy and environmental performance among the four existing production systems even for the same feedstock. The differences are dependent on many factors such as farming practices, feedstock transportion, fuel used in ethanol plants, operation practices and technology of ethanol conversion and waste management practices. Recommendations for improving the overall energy and environmental performance of the bio-ethanol system are suggested in order to direct the bio-ethanol industry in Thailand towards environmental sustainability. ฉ 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Renewability, Net energy balance