LCA of the South African sugar industry |
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| Authors: | Livison Mashoko Charles Mbohwa Valerie M. Thomas |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Logistics and Quantitative Methods, CSIR: Built Environment , #A159-Bld 2, Meiring-Naude Avenue, Brummeria, PO Box 395, Pretoria , 0001 , South Africa;2. Department of Quality and Operations Management , University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus , PO Box 524, Auckland Park , 2006 , Johannesburg , South Africa;3. School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology , 765 Ferst Drive, Atlanta , Georgia , USA |
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| Abstract: | A life cycle assessment of sugar produced in South Africa evaluates the environmental impacts and energy consumption of the different life cycle phases of sugar production. The system studied includes sugar cane farming, fertiliser and herbicide manufacture, cane burning, sugar cane transportation and sugar manufacture. Inventory and impact assessment results show that non-renewable energy consumption is 5350 MJ per tonne of raw sugar produced and 40% of this is from fertiliser and herbicide manufacture. Reduction in the use or impact of fertiliser for cane farming could bring considerable savings in terms of fossil energy consumption and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. |
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| Keywords: | sugar energy farming greenhouse gas environmental |
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