Brazil’s biofuel programmes viewed <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>WEL</strong>-nexus perspectiveFigure 4.8 presents a comparison between energy balances of <strong>the</strong> production of ethanol <strong>from</strong>different raw materials, reaffirming <strong>the</strong> advantage of using sugar cane to produce ethanol.Figure 4.8 Energy balances of <strong>the</strong> production of ethanol <strong>from</strong> different feedstocksSource: Coelho et al., 2006.There seems to be a consensus among researchers that ethanol has a very positive directinfluence on mitigating GHG emissions (Goldenberg and Guardabassi, 2009; Hira andOliveira, 2009; Macedo et al., 2008; Pacca and Moreira, 2009; Abdullah et al., 2009). Themitigation occurs through using ethanol as a substitute for gasoline in <strong>the</strong> transportationsector, as well as through <strong>the</strong> generation of electricity using sugar cane bagasse that replacesfossil-fuel power generation. Bagasse is burned to produce steam and electric/mechanicalenergy to fuel <strong>the</strong> process (co-generation process). There is significant potential to generatesurplus electricity. After meeting <strong>the</strong> steam and electricity needs of <strong>the</strong> process, up to 80 kWhof electricity per ton of cane can be sold to <strong>the</strong> grid if existing low-pressure boilers (22 bar,which yield 20 kWh/t of cane) are replaced by high-pressure ones (up to 80 bar). Outputs of120 kWh/t can be reached with better technology and recovery of by-products. Gasificationtechnology under development is expected to reach 300 kWh/t of cane.The exact figures for GHG emissions mitigation vary depending on <strong>the</strong> assumptions used tocalculate <strong>the</strong>m (e.g. % of ethanol in gasoline, final consumer use of ethanol in FFV vehicles,technologies applied, among o<strong>the</strong>rs).According to Macedo et al. (2008), for anhydrous ethanol production <strong>the</strong> total GHG emissionwas 436 kg CO 2 eq/m 3 ethanol for 2005/2006, decreasing to 345 kg CO 2 eq/m 3 in <strong>the</strong> 2020scenario. Avoided emissions depend on <strong>the</strong> final use: for E100 use in Brazil <strong>the</strong>y were (in2005/2006) 2181 kg CO 2 eq /m 3 ethanol, and for E25 <strong>the</strong>y were 2323 kg CO 2 eq /m 3 ethanol(anhydrous). Both values would increase about 26% for <strong>the</strong> conditions assumed for 2020, duemostly to <strong>the</strong> large increase in sales of electricity surpluses. For <strong>the</strong>se calculations <strong>the</strong> ‘seedto-factory-gate’approach was adopted, which encompasses <strong>the</strong> sugar cane production andprocessing through to fuel ethanol at <strong>the</strong> mill gate (ibid.).Although <strong>the</strong> use of ethanol as a fuel in Brazil was not <strong>the</strong> result of a long-term concern for <strong>the</strong>environment, it is widely accepted and documented that <strong>the</strong> overall positive environmentalaspects of Proalcool far outweigh its potential damage (Rosillo-Calle and Cortez, 1997). From<strong>the</strong> LCA results found by Luo et al. (2009) it can be concluded that in terms of abioticdepletion, GHG emissions, ozone-layer depletion and photochemical oxidation, ethanol fuelsare better than gasoline. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, gasoline is a better fuel in terms of humantoxicity, eco-toxicity, acidification and eutrophication (ibid.)36
Brazil’s biofuel programmes viewed <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>WEL</strong>-nexus perspectiveWhile <strong>the</strong> energy balance of ethanol has been widely studied, <strong>the</strong>re appears to be no reliablecomprehensive study using <strong>the</strong> same methodology to address <strong>the</strong> energy balance for bio-dieselusing different feedstocks. There are more than 100 native plants species identified withpotential of <strong>the</strong> production of bio-diesel, but <strong>the</strong> present study focuses on <strong>the</strong> energy balanceusing LCA of bio-diesel <strong>from</strong> soybeans, which was developed by Gazzoni et al. (2006) andrecently updated by Rathmann et al. (2010). This choice is based on <strong>the</strong> fact that soybeansrepresented 84% of <strong>the</strong> raw material for <strong>the</strong> production of bio-diesel in Brazil in 2010 (ANP,2011b).Rathmann et al. (2010) show that <strong>the</strong> total amount of fossil energy needed to produce 810 kgof soy-based bio-diesel is 18,197 MJ. Hence, <strong>the</strong> final energy balance is positive for soy at74,192 MJ ha -1 . This means that in growing soybeans, for each unit of fossil energy that enters<strong>the</strong> system, 5.1 units of energy are produced (ibid.). The data used in this study are presentedin Table 4.7.Table 4.7 Inputs and outputs in producing bio-diesel <strong>from</strong> soybeans in BrazilEnergy inputs and outputs for growing soybeansFactor Quantity MJLabour 6.3 hours 1,056Machinery 20 kg 1,508Fuel 66 litre 2,765Phosphorous 20 kg 348Potash 20 kg 264Lime 2,000 kg 2,355Boron 1 kg 17Seeds 50 kg 1,676Herbicides 0.47 litres 197Insecticides 2.1 litres 880Transport 252 285Soybean yield 4,500 kg -Total inputs - 11,351Output - 30,545Energy inputs to produce 810 kg of bio-diesel <strong>from</strong> soybeansFactor Quantity MJElectricity 139,46 kWh 582Steam 697,384 kcal 2,920Cleaning water 82,562 kcal 348Internal heat 78,519 kcal 331Direct heat 227,296 kcal 951Losses 134,724 kcal 566Stainless steel 6.1 kg 365Steel 12 kg 553Cement 29 kg 230Total - 6,846Energy outputs in <strong>the</strong> production systemOutputs Quantity MJOil 810 kg 30,545Steam 3,690 kg 61,844Total Outputs 4500 kg 92,389Inputs Agricultural 11,690Industrial 6,846Total inputs - 18,197Overall balance(Outputs – inputs)- 74,192 (1: 5.1)Source: Rathmann et al., 2010.37