Life cycle assessment (LCA) of crops for energy production.

Abstract

The replacement of fossil fuels by biomass in the power generation process is an important strategy promoted by the European Union (EU). This is aimed at reducing the effects of climate change along with increased security of supply and diversification of energy sources. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an increasingly popular method for research due to the difficulties associated with environmental impact assessment. This technique is aimed at analysing and evaluating the environmental impact of materials, products or services through the entire cycle of production. The paper presents the application of an LCA study to assess the impact of energy crops on the environment. The aim of the study was to compare the environmental impact of various crops used for biofuel production. We have estimated the potential global warming, acidification and eutrophication for crops from the lignocelluloses group (willow, Miscanthus) and traditional plants for Polish agriculture (wheat, rapeseed, potato).