Greenhouse gas emissions and non-renewable energy use profiles of bio-based succinic acid from Arundo donax L. lignocellulosic feedstock

• Published in: Clean technologies and environmental policy Vol. 19; no. 8; pp. 2129 - 2143
• Main Authors: Zucaro, Amalia, Forte, Annachiara, Fierro, Angelo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-10-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Adipic acid; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sources; Chemicals; Climate change; Earth and Environmental Science; Emissions; Energy consumption; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental performance; Environmental policy; Fermentation; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Life cycle engineering; Life cycles; Lignin; Lignocellulose; Maleic acid; Organic matter; Organic soils; Original Paper; Petrochemicals; Profiles; Raw materials; Renewable energy; Renewable resources; Soil organic matter; Starch; Succinic acid; Supply chains; Sustainable Development; Life cycle assessment; Bio-succinic acid; Fossil energy footprint; Giant reed; Second-generation conversion technologies; Carbon footprint
• ISSN: 1618-954X; 1618-9558
• DOI: 10.1007/s10098-017-1401-6

The European Union recognizes the priority of new bio-based industrial pathways, such as bio-based succinic acid (bio-SA). This study has investigated, through a life cycle method, the cradle-to-factory gate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU) of bio-SA from lignocellulosic giant reed (GR) feedstock grown on marginal lands in Southern Italy (GR bio-SA). The aims were to: (1) evaluate the environmental performance of the GR bio-SA and (2) discuss the GR bio-SA profile with respect to its fossil counterparts and alternative bio-SA routes. For 1 kg of GR bio-SA, the gross GHG emissions amounted to 3.9 kg CO
2
eq, while through the inclusion of the biogenic C potentially stored in SA molecule (1.47 kg CO
2
eq) and soil organic matter (0.44 kg CO
2
eq), the final net global warming potential would be nearly halved. Similarly to current starch-based SA supply chains, the GR bio-SA showed: (1) better gross GHG profile compared to the fossil adipic acid (GHG emissions reduced by 55%) and (2) comparable net GHG emissions in comparison with petrochemicals SA and maleic acid. The total NREU for 1 kg of GR bio-SA amounted to 26.6 MJ, with reduced energy consumption by about 55–79% relative to fossil counterparts, thanks to the on-site energetic valorization of lignin and holocellulose residues with relatively high heating values. The soy protein concentrate and the inorganic chemicals used in the co-fermentation showed up the prevailing contributions to the GHG and NREU profiles of the GR bio-SA, suggesting the need to optimize nitrogen and carbon sources of the growth medium.