Energy balance and global warming potential of biogas-based fuels from a life cycle perspective

Elham Ahmadi Moghaddam; Serina Ahlgren; Christian Hulteberg; Åke Nordberg

doi:10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014

Energy balance and global warming potential of biogas-based fuels from a life cycle perspective

Elham Ahmadi Moghaddam, Serina Ahlgren, Christian Hulteberg, Åke Nordberg

Division of Chemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Biogas is a multifunctional energy carrier currently used for co-generation or compressed biomethane as vehicle fuel. Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology enables conversion of biogas into other energy carriers with higher energy density, facilitating fuel distribution.

The energy efficiency and global warming potential (GWP) for conversion of biogas to compressed biogas (CBG), liquefied biogas (LBG), Fischer–Tropsch diesel (FTD), methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) were studied in a life cycle perspective covering the technical system from raw biogas to use in city buses.

CBG, methanol and DME showed the best specific fuel productivity. However, when fuel distribution distances were longer, DME, LBG and methanol showed the best energy balance. Methanol, FTD and DME emitted half the GWP of LBG and CBG. Choice of electricity mix had a large impact on GWP performance. Overall, taking into account the different impact categories, combustion properties and fuel yield from raw biogas, DME showed the best performance of the fuel conversion scenarios assessed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	74-82
Journal	Fuel Processing Technology
Volume	132
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014
Publication status	Published - 2015

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Chemical Engineering

Free keywords

Energy performance
Global warming potential
GTL fuels
Biogas
LCA

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382014005311

Cite this

@article{7b4ba0b41eef40aeaf91dc167d383c49,

title = "Energy balance and global warming potential of biogas-based fuels from a life cycle perspective",

abstract = "Biogas is a multifunctional energy carrier currently used for co-generation or compressed biomethane as vehicle fuel. Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology enables conversion of biogas into other energy carriers with higher energy density, facilitating fuel distribution. The energy efficiency and global warming potential (GWP) for conversion of biogas to compressed biogas (CBG), liquefied biogas (LBG), Fischer–Tropsch diesel (FTD), methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) were studied in a life cycle perspective covering the technical system from raw biogas to use in city buses. CBG, methanol and DME showed the best specific fuel productivity. However, when fuel distribution distances were longer, DME, LBG and methanol showed the best energy balance. Methanol, FTD and DME emitted half the GWP of LBG and CBG. Choice of electricity mix had a large impact on GWP performance. Overall, taking into account the different impact categories, combustion properties and fuel yield from raw biogas, DME showed the best performance of the fuel conversion scenarios assessed.",

keywords = "Energy performance, Global warming potential, GTL fuels, Biogas, LCA",

author = "Moghaddam, {Elham Ahmadi} and Serina Ahlgren and Christian Hulteberg and {\AA}ke Nordberg",

year = "2015",

doi = "10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014",

language = "English",

volume = "132",

pages = "74--82",

journal = "Fuel Processing Technology",

issn = "0378-3820",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Energy balance and global warming potential of biogas-based fuels from a life cycle perspective

AU - Moghaddam, Elham Ahmadi

AU - Ahlgren, Serina

AU - Hulteberg, Christian

AU - Nordberg, Åke

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Biogas is a multifunctional energy carrier currently used for co-generation or compressed biomethane as vehicle fuel. Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology enables conversion of biogas into other energy carriers with higher energy density, facilitating fuel distribution. The energy efficiency and global warming potential (GWP) for conversion of biogas to compressed biogas (CBG), liquefied biogas (LBG), Fischer–Tropsch diesel (FTD), methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) were studied in a life cycle perspective covering the technical system from raw biogas to use in city buses. CBG, methanol and DME showed the best specific fuel productivity. However, when fuel distribution distances were longer, DME, LBG and methanol showed the best energy balance. Methanol, FTD and DME emitted half the GWP of LBG and CBG. Choice of electricity mix had a large impact on GWP performance. Overall, taking into account the different impact categories, combustion properties and fuel yield from raw biogas, DME showed the best performance of the fuel conversion scenarios assessed.

AB - Biogas is a multifunctional energy carrier currently used for co-generation or compressed biomethane as vehicle fuel. Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology enables conversion of biogas into other energy carriers with higher energy density, facilitating fuel distribution. The energy efficiency and global warming potential (GWP) for conversion of biogas to compressed biogas (CBG), liquefied biogas (LBG), Fischer–Tropsch diesel (FTD), methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) were studied in a life cycle perspective covering the technical system from raw biogas to use in city buses. CBG, methanol and DME showed the best specific fuel productivity. However, when fuel distribution distances were longer, DME, LBG and methanol showed the best energy balance. Methanol, FTD and DME emitted half the GWP of LBG and CBG. Choice of electricity mix had a large impact on GWP performance. Overall, taking into account the different impact categories, combustion properties and fuel yield from raw biogas, DME showed the best performance of the fuel conversion scenarios assessed.

KW - Energy performance

KW - Global warming potential

KW - GTL fuels

KW - Biogas

KW - LCA

U2 - 10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014

DO - 10.1016/j.fuproc.2014.12.014

M3 - Article

SN - 0378-3820

VL - 132

SP - 74

EP - 82

JO - Fuel Processing Technology

JF - Fuel Processing Technology

ER -

Energy balance and global warming potential of biogas-based fuels from a life cycle perspective

Abstract

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Free keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this