Fuel cell vehicles (FCV) have been proclaimed as a zero-tailpipe emissions alternative for passenger transportation; however, their overall environmental performance must be evaluated on a per-case basis. Although the environmental impacts (EI) of FCV have been already described in the literature, there is no evidence of comprehensive life cycle assessment studies analyzing the Brazilian case and its unique features, such as, the availability of biogenic feedstocks for hydrogen production via steam reform, high share of renewables in the electricity mix and the a novel powertrain technology based on solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) which could run on bioethanol. The purpose of this study was to quantify the EIs of polymer-electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) vehicles when hydrogen is produced in Brazilian conditions for a current and a 2030 scenario.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of renewable jet fuels (RJFs) is an option for meeting the greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction targets of the aviation sector. Therefore, most of the studies have focused on climate change indicators, but other environmental impacts have been disregarded. In this paper, an attributional life cycle assessment is performed for ten RJF pathways in Brazil, considering the environmental trade-offs between climate change and seven other categories, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
December 2014
This study evaluated the life cycle GHG emissions of a renewable jet fuel produced from sugar cane in Brazil under a consequential approach. The analysis included the direct and indirect emissions associated with sugar cane production and fuel processing, distribution, and use for a projected 2020 scenario. The CA-GREET model was used as the basic analytical tool, while Land Use Change (LUC) emissions were estimated employing the GTAP-BIO-ADV and AEZ-EF models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis work assessed the environmental impacts of the production and use of 1 MJ of hydrous ethanol (E100) in Brazil in prospective scenarios (2020-2030), considering the deployment of technologies currently under development and better agricultural practices. The life cycle assessment technique was employed using the CML method for the life cycle impact assessment and the Monte Carlo method for the uncertainty analysis. Abiotic depletion, global warming, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, acidification, and eutrophication were the environmental impacts categories analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF