Assessment of the Environmental Performance and

1,21
MB Sustainability of Biodiesel in Canada

215
stron

6490
ID Environment Canada

2005
rok

Table of Contents

Foreword . i

Executive Summary i

Introduction. i

Specific New/Revised Analyses and Updated Data within this Report. iii

Baseline Diesel Characteristics and their Impact on GHG Emission Estimates . iv

Principal Conclusions iv

Biodiesel Use Significantly Reduces Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. v

System Expansion versus Mass Allocation vii

Nitrous Oxide Emissions x

Agricultural Inputs and Practices. xi

Oilseed Crushing Operations xii

Biodiesel Production. xii

Biodiesel Combustion and Efficiency in Transport Vehicles. xii

Table of Contents xiv

List of Figures xvii

List of Tables . xix

1. Life Cycle Analysis Considerations for Biodiesel. 1

1.1 Purpose of the LCA 1

1.2 The Functional Unit and Scope-related Issues. 1

1.3 System Expansion versus Allocation. 2

1.4 Detailed Analysis of System Boundary Expansion to Account for Co-Products 3

1.4 Detailed Analysis of System Boundary Expansion to Account for Co-Products 4

1.5 System Expansion Approach for the Technologically Whole System (TWS) for Biodiesel . 8

1.6 Values of the Constants to be used in the System Expansion of this Study. 11

2 Diesel Oil Life Cycle Analysis for Canada. 13

2 Diesel Oil Life Cycle Analysis for Canada. 13

2.1 Diesel LCI Estimates from the Genius Model 13

2.2 Exhaust Emission Discussion . 17

2.3 Comparison with other data 18

3. Upstream Analysis of Soybean and Canola - Agricultural Production. 20

3.1Highlights of Agricultural Analysis Updating Findings of NREL and Levelton 20

3.1.1Yield 20

3.1.2 Fertilizer and Inoculants 21

3.1.3Herbicide-resistant Seed and Herbicide Use. 21

3.1.4 Cultivation Practices and Farm Energy Use 22

3.2 Detailed Agricultural Analyses 22

3.2.1 Soybean Yield In Canada. 22

3.2.2 Soybean Fertilizer and Inoculant Use 24

3.3 Upstream Canola Analyses 27

3.3.1 Canadian Canola Yield 27

3.3.2 Canola Fertilization 28

3.4 Field Energy Requirements . 29

3.4.1 Background 29

3.4.1 Estimates for Field Energy Requirements . 31

3.5 Upstream Fertilizer Life Cycle Inventory 32

3.6 Herbicide-resistant Soybean and Herbicide Use 40

3.7 Canola Herbicides and Herbicide-Resistant Varieties 44

3.8 Nitrous Oxide Emissions 45

3.9 Life Cycle Analysis of the Agricultural Production of Canola and Soybean 49

4. Oilseed Crushing Operations 55

4.1 Canadian Canola Crushing Characteristics. 57

4.2 Soybean Crushing Operations. 58

4.3 Life Cycle Inventory of Canola and Soybean Crushing Operations 60

5. Analyses of Other Biodiesel Feedstocks 62

6. Biodiesel Production 68

6.1 BIOX Process Summary. 68

6.2 The Lurgi Process . 71

6.3 LCI Results for Biodiesel Production . 72

7. Downstream Emissions of Diesel and Biodiesel. 78

7.1 The Challenge of Data Accuracy. 79

7.2 The LCA Framework for Exhaust Emission Analysis 79

7.3 Integration of EPA relative emission data for biodiesel blends into framework 82

7.4 Preliminary Analysis of Parameters Likely to Affect Exhaust Emissions. 82

7.5 Chemical Differences between Biodiesel and Diesel no.2 and their Impact on Emissions . 83

7.5.1 Biodiesel as a Methyl Ester 83

7.5.2 Biodiesel’s Straight Hydrocarbon Chains, their Unsaturated Bonds and their Relationship to

Combustion Characteristics. 85

7.5 The EPA Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions as Interpreted in

the light of this Report’s Preliminary Analysis 94

7.6 Interpretation of Biobus Emissions Data from Different Sources of Biodiesel 100

7.6.1 Biobus NOX Emissions . 101

7.6.2 Biobus Polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Emissions 101

7.6.3 Biobus Other Exhaust Emissions. 102

7.7 Specific Life Cycle Analysis Parameters to be Used in this Study . 102

7.7.1 Biodiesel’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Biological Origin 103

7.8 Biodiesel Exhaust Emissions 104

8. Life Cycle Analysis of Entire Biodiesel Cycle. 108

8.1 Biodiesel System Expansion Results 112

8.1.1 Biodiesel System Expansion from Feedstock where Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

(BSE) is a Significant Risk Factor . 113

8.2 The Role of Biodiesel in the Deadstock and Rendering Industry. 115

8.3 Summary Conclusion of the Life Cycle Analysis. 116

9. References 117

Appendices. 125

Appendix A1 Comparison of Upstream Emissions for Canadian and USA Diesel 125

Appendix A2 Opportunity for Refining Agricultural Fieldwork Data for Life Cycle Analyses of

Soybean and Canola Production in Canada 130

A2.2 The F4E2 Model 131

A2.3 Needs for New Surveys and Analyses . 132

A2.4 Recommendations 133

References for A2. 134

Appendix A3 Data from other sources for vegetable oil extraction and refining136

Appendix A4 Towards a Better Estimation Methodology for Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Nitrogen-

Fixing Crops 138

The IPCC Methodology for Nitrogen-Fixing Crops and its Inconsistencies 138

The Equation for Nitrogen in Crop Residues Returned to the Soil. 139

The Equation for Estimating the Nitrogen Fixed from the Air . 142

Nitrogen fixation and its Potential to Enhance Nitrous Oxide Emissions 144

Analysis of Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soybean Crops . 147