Research on Life Cycle Assessment and Performance Comparison of Bioethanol Production from Various Biomass Feedstocks

Abstract

Bioethanol, as a renewable energy source, has been widely used in the energy sector, particularly in replacing traditional petroleum energy, and holds great potential. This study involves a whole life cycle assessment of bioethanol production and the co-production of high-value by-products—xylose, lignin, and steam—using three types of waste biomass: corn cobs, corn straw, and wheat straw as feedstocks by chopping, pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation methods. Secondly, the benefits of three raw materials are compared for preparing bioethanol, and their impact on the environment and energy production is analyzed. The comparison indicates that corn cobs offer the best overall benefits, with a net energy balance (NEB) of 6902 MJ/Mg of ethanol and a net energy ratio (NER) of 1.30. The global warming potential (GWP) is 1.75 × 10−2, acidification potential (AP) is 1.02 × 10−2, eutrophication potential (EP) is 2.63 × 10−4, photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) is 3.19 × 10−8, and human toxicity potential (HTP) is 1.52 × 10−4. This paper can provide a theoretical reference and data supporting the green refining of bioethanol and the high-value utilization of by-products, and broaden its application prospects.