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Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy / Volume 1 / Issue 3 / REGULAR ARTICLES

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J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 033111 (2009); doi:10.1063/1.3139803 (21 pages)

Biofuel contribution to mitigate fossil fuel CO2 emissions: Comparing sugar cane ethanol in Brazil with corn ethanol and discussing land use for food production and deforestation

Luiz Pinguelli Rosa, Christiano Pires de Campos, and Maria Silvia Muylaert de Araujo

COPPE/UFRJ, Cidade Universitária Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco G, sala 101 Ilha do Fundão, CP 68501, 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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(Received 8 October 2008; accepted 30 April 2009; published online 30 June 2009)

This paper compares the use of sugar cane and corn for the production of ethanol, with a focus on global warming and the current international debate about land use competition for food and biofuel production. The indicators used to compare the products are CO2 emissions, energy consumption, sugar cane coproducts, and deforestation. The life cycle emission inventory as a methodological tool is taken into account. The sustainability of socioeconomic development and the developing countries’ need to overcome barriers form the background against which the Brazilian government energy plans are analyzed.

© 2009 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. WORLD CO2 EMISSIONS FROM FOSSIL FUELS
  3. ENERGY USES AND GHG EMISSIONS IN BRAZIL
  4. BIOFUELS IN BRAZIL AND AUTOMOTIVE ETHANOL
  5. LIFE CYCLE CO2 AVOIDED WITH THE USE OF ETHANOL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR GASOLINE
    1. Net avoided GHG emissions: Comparing sugar cane ethanol with corn ethanol
    2. Numerical results from field research data on sugar cane ethanol
    3. Potential of energy efficiency and harvest mechanization for avoiding GHG
      1. Potential to improve the energy gain from ethanol, bagasse, and trash
      2. Scenario for energy per ton of sugar cane and avoided GHG by mechanization
  6. DISCUSSION ABOUT LAND USE, ETHANOL COMPETITION WITH FOOD, AND DEFORESTATION
    1. Land uses and deforestation
    2. Potential sugar cane expansion and the external market
  7. FINAL COMMENTS

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

biofuel, environmental factors, government policies

PACS

ARTICLE DATA

Permalink
http://link.aip.org/link/doi/10.1063/1.3139803

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:

1941-7012 (print)  
1941-7012 (online)

Publisher:

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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Figures (8) Tables (11)

Figures (click on thumbnails to view enlargements)

FIG.1
Energy per capita (E/population = E/GDP×GDP/population) Data are from 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. Source: Calculated from Ref. 13.

FIG.1 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.2
CO2 Emissions per capita from energy (CO2/population = E/population×CO2/E) Data are from 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. Source: Calculated from Ref. 13.

FIG.2 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.3
Renewable and fossil fuel energy. Source: Ref. 17.

FIG.3 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.4
Energy flows from source to consumption: fossil and renewable energy in Brazil.

FIG.4 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.5
Evolution of ethanol consumption in Brazil (×109 l/year). Source: Ref. 17.

FIG.5 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.6
Sales of gasoline, alcohol, and flex-fuel cars in Brazil. Source: Ref. 21.

FIG.6 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.7
GHG emissions from corn ethanol production and avoided CO2 emissions.

FIG.7 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.8
GHG emissions from sugar cane ethanol production and avoided CO2 emissions.

FIG.8 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

Tables

Table I. EC in transport (Brazil, 2007). Source: Ref. 17.

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Table II. Uses of bioenergy in Brazil.

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Table III. GHG emissions in sugar cane ethanol production (percentages of CO2 equivalent). Based on data from Ref. 26.

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Table IV. Energy gain, GHG emissions, and percentage of CO2 that is avoided by the ethanol industry in Brazil. Based on data extracted from Ref. 26.

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Table V. Sugar cane and ethanol production and productivity. Source: Ref. 33.

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Table VI. Energy from 1 Mton of sugar cane considering heat values. Source: Ref. 24.

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Table VII. Energy from 1 Mton of sugar cane.

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Table VIII. Corn in the US×Sugar cane in Brazil. Source: Refs. 16,32,38.

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Table IX. Ethanol production in Brazil per region. Source: Ref. 39.

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Table X. Ethanol in 2006. Source: Ref. 40.

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Table XI. A comparison of sugar cane ethanol with corn ethanol. Source: Refs. 21,41.

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