Holistic sustainability assessment of biomethane systems

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dc.contributor.advisorMurphy, Jeremiah D.G.en
dc.contributor.advisorLeahy, Paulen
dc.contributor.authorCzyrnek-Delêtre, Magdalena M.
dc.contributor.funderScience Foundation Irelanden
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-22T10:02:41Z
dc.date.available2018-01-22T10:02:41Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017
dc.description.abstractEuropean states, including Ireland must ensure that an increasing portion of energy from renewable sources. This is a particular issue for transport, which in comparison to electricity and heat has very low levels of renewable penetration. Electric vehicles (EVs), liquid and gaseous biofuels are the most likely sources for future energy in transport. However, renewable does not automatically mean sustainable. For example the sustainability of biofuels sourced from food crops has been queried in the context of land use change emissions. This thesis has an ambition of assessing sustainable options for advanced biomethane production in Ireland, a country with a temperate oceanic climate, using various methodologies (life cycle assessment, energy system modelling and cost analysis). Biomethane is a versatile gaseous biofuel that is considered advanced when produced from second and third generation feedstocks such as wastes, residues, grasses, and seaweed, but a simplified and unified framework for biofuels LCA is required to compare different options. Under a low-level land use change emissions scenario, biomethane from grass could play a major role in the Irish energy system for transport in 2050, requiring only 5-11% of Ireland’s agricultural land. With high land use emissions, however, the model would suggest using hydrogen, residues-based biodiesel, and EVs. Biomethane from seaweed could be deemed unsustainable if the system is not optimised. However in an optimal configuration it could achieve 70% greenhouse gases (GHG) savings as compared to gasoline. Such reductions in GHG emissions can be achieved in an optimal system: integrating seaweed cultivation with fish farming; using innovative growing techniques; ensuring optimal seaweed composition; reusing digestate; and using renewable electricity to power plant operations. Biomethane from landfill gas was shown to require a subsidy to allow financial sustainability. Thus in conclusion, biomethane can be a sustainable transport biofuel, but requires system optimisation and state subsidies.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Version
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationCzyrnek-Deletre, M. 2017. Holistic sustainability assessment of biomethane systems. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.en
dc.identifier.endpage163en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/5303
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.relation.projectinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/SFI/SFI Research Centres/12/RC/2302/IE/Marine Renewable Energy Ireland (MaREI) - The SFI Centre for Marine Renewable Energy Research/en
dc.rights© 2017, Magdalena Czyrnek-Deletre.en
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/en
dc.subjectBiomethaneen
dc.subjectLife cycle assessmenten
dc.subjectEnergy system modellingen
dc.subjectLand use change emissionsen
dc.subjectSeaweed biomethaneen
dc.subjectLandfill gasen
dc.subjectBiofuels sustainabilityen
dc.subjectCircular economyen
dc.thesis.opt-outfalse
dc.titleHolistic sustainability assessment of biomethane systemsen
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral Degree (Structured)en
dc.type.qualificationnamePHD (Engineering)en
ucc.workflow.supervisorjerry.murphy@ucc.ie
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