(305e) Effect of Biomass Feedstock On the Sustainability Metrics of Fischer-Tropsch Fuels

The use of biomass as feedstock for the manufacture of Fischer-Tropsch fuels has significant effects on their sustainability metrics. A number of studies have looked at this biomass use [1,2], with an emphasis on techno-economic results. Some of the studies incorporate limited life-cycle analyses [1,2,3], especially considering green-house gas emissions. Our study is a complete Well-To-Wheels Life Cycle Analysis of biomass-fed Fischer-Tropsch liquid fuels (gasoline, diesel, and jet-fuel) performed using our GREET(Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) Model developed at Argonne national laboratory under DOE sponsorship. The presented LCA has a particular focus on the effects of several design and operational parameters:

• Biomass characteristics: forestry and agricultural residues, humidity level, relative amount (when not used as only feedstock), etc.
• Gasification characteristics: biomass co-gasification with coal, mix of biomass-derived syngas with other (e.g. coal- and natural gas-derived syngas), gasifier technologies, etc.
• Process characteristics: CO₂ capture and sequestration (CCS) degree, process integration, FT synthesis characteristics and catalyst type, etc.

The LCA includes an encompassing sensitivity analysis of the effects of all these parameters on major sustainability metrics. The considered metrics include energy use (total, fossil, etc), green-house gas emissions (CO₂e GHG), and emissions of other criteria pollutants (NO_x, PM10, PM2.5, SO_x, VOC, CO)

[1] Liu, G.; Larson, E.D.; Williams, R.H.; Kreutz, T.G.; Guo, X. Making Fischer-Tropsch Fuels and Electricity from Coal and Biomass: Performance and Cost Analysis. Energy Fuels, 2011, 25, 415-437

[2] NETL/DOE (National Energy Technology Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy), Affordable, Low-Carbon Diesel Fuel from Domestic Coal and Biomass, January 2009.

[3] Xie, X.; Wang, M.; Han, J. Assessment of Fuel-Cycle Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Fischer-Tropsch Diesel from Coal and Cellulosic Biomass. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45, 3047-3053.