Chalmers Conferences, LCM 2013

LIFE CYCLE GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT OF SEAWEED-BASED BIOETHANOL
Kyung A. Jung, Seong-Rin Lim, Jong Moon Park

Last modified: 2014-09-11

Abstract


Bioethanol produced from a brown seaweed, Laminaria japonica, could be more sustainable and societally ethical than those for terrestrial biomass in response to increasing demands of biofuels and a requirement for biorefinery with low carbon emission. To achieve sustainable bioethanol production systems based on seaweed, we assessed global warming potentials (GWPs) of seaweed-to-biofuel process by using life cycle assessment (LCA). Bioethanol-producing processes using the seaweed and their GWPs were significantly different from the other land biomasses such as corn grain, corn stover, and switchgrass. This study can provide valuable R&D target information needed to effectively reduce the GWP of seaweed-based bioethanol and develop more sustainable bioenergy.

Keywords


bioethanol; global warming potential; macroalgae; LCA; seaweed

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