Life Cycle Analysis of Bioenergy Systems within the Bioeconomy

Dear Colleagues,

Research and previous studies have shown that the risk of fossil fuel energy depletion constrains human socio-economic development globally. The discrepancy between energy consumption and production varies geographically, which can increase the difficulty of responding to the risk. Biomass energy, also referred to as bioenergy, has the potential to supply part of the solution to the global demand for carbon based energy. Bioenergy may be defined as the energy harnessed from plants and their derivatives (e.g., wood, food crops, residues from agriculture or forestry, oil-rich algae, and the organic component of municipal/industrial wastes). Research and development into bio-based chemicals has become a significant priority in many countries due to the greater availability of a range of feedstocks and the potential for independence in the supply of raw ingredients for subsequent fuel, fiber, or green chemical production. These bio-based products have the potential to have a lower Greenhouse Gas emissions profile compared with petrochemicals. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that can be used to assess the environmental impacts and energy requirements of both fossil based and bioenergy systems and innovations in these systems from a holistic perspective. LCA allows the evaluation of a product or system over its entire life cycle, from raw material production through processing, to consumption and disposal. The holistic nature of LCA allows the identification of points in the system of critical contributions to key environmental impacts.

This Special Issue provides a forum for multiple aspects of the application of LCA to biobased renewable energy systems with relevance to the global development of the bioeconomy We would welcome submissions relating to the specific environmental aspects involving biobased RES usage, especially in the following fields: (1) analysis and impact of the global life cycle for biobased renewable energy systems, (2) LCA of emerging biobased renewable energy systems, and (3) LCA of cascading scenarios for biomass in the bioeconomy for biobased product and bioenergy generation.

Prof. Dr. Kevin McDonnell
Dr. Fionnuala Murphy
Guest Editors

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• greenhouse gas balances
• sustainable Energy systems
• carbon balances
• life cycle assessment applications
• bioeconomy
• cascading