Sustainability assessment of large-scale ethanol production from sugarcane |
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| Authors: | Consuelo LF Pereira Enrique Ortega |
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| Institution: | 1. Ecocert Brasil, R. Osni Ortiga 949, CEP 88062-450, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil;2. School of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, CP 6121 CEP 13083-862, Campinas, SP, Brazil;1. Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo (ICT/UNIFESP), Avenida Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes, 1201, Parque Tecnológico, Eugênio de Mello, 12247-014, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil;2. Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE/CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6170, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil;3. University of Campinas, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Product and Process Development, Laboratory of Optimization Design and Advanced Process Control (LOPCA/FEQ – UNICAMP) – Division of Bioenergy, Av. Albert Einstein, no 500, 13083-852, Campinas, SP, Brazil;1. Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol – CTBE/CNPEM, Caixa Postal 6170, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil;2. Faculdade de Engenharia Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Albert Einstein, n° 500, 13083-852 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil;1. Universidade Paulista (UNIP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia de Produção, Brazil;2. Faculta de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Peru;1. Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands;2. Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE), Centro National Research Center for Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP, Brazil;3. Energy Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands;1. The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut''s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Prachauthit, Bangmod, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand;2. Center of Excellence on Energy Technology and Environment, PERDO, Bangkok, Thailand |
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| Abstract: | The present study assesses the sustainability of ethanol produced from sugarcane and examines the environmental feasibility of a large-scale production through the use of: fossil fuel embodied energy and Emergy Assessment including farm and industrial production phases. The study indicates that about 1.82 kg of topsoil eroded, 18.4 l of water and 1.52 m2 of land are needed to produce 1 l of ethanol from sugarcane. Also, 0.28 kg of CO2 is released per liter of ethanol produced. The energy content of ethanol is 8.2 times greater than the fossil-based energy required to produce it. The transformity of ethanol is about the same as those calculated for fossil fuels. The Renewability of ethanol is 30%, a very low value; other emergy indices indicate important environmental impacts as well as natural resources consumption. The results obtained indicate that sugarcane and ethanol production present low renewability when a large-scale system is adopted. |
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