64
6.3.2.1 Definition of System Boundaries and Reference System
The evaluation included both the WTT stage that encompasses the sugarcane farming, ethanol refining processes, and intermediary transportation stages (collection of
sugarcane and distribution of ethanol) and the TTW stage, which reflects the utilization of ethanol blended fuel in the E25, FFV, and E100 vehicles. The designed
sugarcane ethanol scenarios have been compared with the equivalence reference
system. Once ethanol is potentially substituting conventional gasoline, the reference
system chosen is the production of gasoline and its use in conventional Otto-cycle
light passenger vehicles. Figure 6.7 presents the system boundaries of sugarcane
ethanol scenarios and the reference systems.
6.3.2.2 Functional Unit
Two different FUs were selected for this study: (i) a product-based unit, i.e., 1 vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT), which considers the efficiency of the ethanol blended
fuel combustion in the E25, FFV, and E100 vehicles, and (ii) a feedstock-related
unit, 1 ton of sugarcane harvested, which reflects solely the production of sugarcane
and is independent from the ethanol processing and operation stages.
1. Goal and Scope Definition
Spatial and technical scope: Evaluation of ethanol
production in South-Central areas of Brazil and its
operation in the national LPV fleet
System Boundaries and Reference flows:
sugarcane ethanol WWT and TTW stages and its
comparison with the conventional gasoline fuel lifecycle
Functional Unit: 1 tonne of sugarcane produced and
1 vehicle kilometer travelled (VKT)
2. Inventory Analysis
Data collection and estimation: EcoInvent
database and other relevant literature sources that
describe practices conducted in Brazil
Data validation: mass and energy balances
Allocation procedures: energy allocation and
system expansion
3. Impact Assessment
Characterisation: integration of inventory flows (CO 2 ,
CH 4 and N 2 O) into GWP category impact and NRE
consumption
4. Interpretation
Consistency and
completeness check
Contributional analysis
Identification of significant
issues
Sensitivity analysis
Scenario comparison
Reporting
Recommendations to policy
makers
Fig. 6.6 Theoretical framework applied in this study
K. Hanaki and J. Portugal-Pereira
6.3.2.1 Definition of System Boundaries and Reference System
The evaluation included both the WTT stage that encompasses the sugarcane farming, ethanol refining processes, and intermediary transportation stages (collection of
sugarcane and distribution of ethanol) and the TTW stage, which reflects the utilization of ethanol blended fuel in the E25, FFV, and E100 vehicles. The designed
sugarcane ethanol scenarios have been compared with the equivalence reference
system. Once ethanol is potentially substituting conventional gasoline, the reference
system chosen is the production of gasoline and its use in conventional Otto-cycle
light passenger vehicles. Figure 6.7 presents the system boundaries of sugarcane
ethanol scenarios and the reference systems.
6.3.2.2 Functional Unit
Two different FUs were selected for this study: (i) a product-based unit, i.e., 1 vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT), which considers the efficiency of the ethanol blended
fuel combustion in the E25, FFV, and E100 vehicles, and (ii) a feedstock-related
unit, 1 ton of sugarcane harvested, which reflects solely the production of sugarcane
and is independent from the ethanol processing and operation stages.
1. Goal and Scope Definition
Spatial and technical scope: Evaluation of ethanol
production in South-Central areas of Brazil and its
operation in the national LPV fleet
System Boundaries and Reference flows:
sugarcane ethanol WWT and TTW stages and its
comparison with the conventional gasoline fuel lifecycle
Functional Unit: 1 tonne of sugarcane produced and
1 vehicle kilometer travelled (VKT)
2. Inventory Analysis
Data collection and estimation: EcoInvent
database and other relevant literature sources that
describe practices conducted in Brazil
Data validation: mass and energy balances
Allocation procedures: energy allocation and
system expansion
3. Impact Assessment
Characterisation: integration of inventory flows (CO 2 ,
CH 4 and N 2 O) into GWP category impact and NRE
consumption
4. Interpretation
Consistency and
completeness check
Contributional analysis
Identification of significant
issues
Sensitivity analysis
Scenario comparison
Reporting
Recommendations to policy
makers
Fig. 6.6 Theoretical framework applied in this study
K. Hanaki and J. Portugal-Pereira