Page 93 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Life-Cycle Assessment of Biomethane
from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Abdul-Sattar Nizami and Iqbal Mohammed Ismail

Abstract This chapter evaluates the life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of
biomethane produced from lignocellulosic biomass as a biofuel and it is released
into the environment in comparison with other bioenergy systems. A case study of
grass biomethane that is produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of grass silage and
used as a transport fuel is described. The production of biomethane from AD is a
well-known technological procedure that fulfills the requirements imposed by the
environment, agronomy, and legislation in developing rural economies and sus-
tainable biofuel production. All across Europe, the biomethane yield from various
-1
3
lignocellulosic biomass ranges from 10 to 1,150 m h . The LCA studies have
been gaining importance over the past few years to analyze biofuel sources from
cradle to grave in determining optimal biofuel strategies. Included in these, LCA
studies is the indirect input of biofuel production processes, related emissions and
waste as well as the fate of downstream products. Eighty-nine percent of green-
house gas (GHG) emission savings are achieved by AD of grass silage to produce
biomethane as a transport fuel.

A.-S. Nizami (&) I. M. Ismail
Center of Excellent in Enviromental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz Universty (KAU),
PO Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
e-mail: nizami_pk@yahoo.com
I. M. Ismail
e-mail: iqbal30@hotmail.com

A. Singh et al. (eds.), Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources, 79
Green Energy and Technology, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-5364-1_4,
Ó Springer-Verlag London 2013