Chapter 6
Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuels
from Microalgae
Mariany Costa Deprá, Eduardo Jacob-Lopes
and Leila Queiroz Zepka
Abstract Recently, the use of mathematical tools, such as the life cycle assessment
(LCA) methodology for ecologically sound processes, with the purpose of establishing a process designer involving the limits of “cradle to grave” in an efficient
and flexible way with less subjectivity, has become an ambitious challenge to be
won. Therefore, to generate biofuels with low atmospheric emissions and minimal
energy requirements has become crucial to commercial competitiveness. Thus, the
objective of this chapter is to approach the current situation of the different scenarios of microalgal biofuels production by an evaluation of them via a life cycle
assessment. The chapter is based on three main topics: (1) fundamentals for
structuring a life cycle assessment, (2) biofuels data set reported in the literature,
and (3) application of LCA in microalgae biofuels.
Keywords Microalgal Á Biofuel Á Biodiesel Á Life cycle analysis
1 Introduction
The emergence of ever larger global issues, such as the energy dilemma, the
warming of the climate, and the scarcity of water resources, has boosted the search
for tools capable of ensuring the reliability of the results published by the industries,
becoming the focus of environmental sustainability (Blanchard et al. 2017).
To this end, the application of the life cycle assessment (LCA) assumes the character
of ensuring better internal management in order to promote cleaner production,
M. C. Deprá Á E. Jacob-Lopes (&) Á L. Q. Zepka
Food Science and Technology Department, Federal University
of Santa Maria, UFSM, Roraima Avenue 1000, Santa Maria,
RS 97105-900, Brazil
e-mail: jacoblopes@pq.cnpq.br
L. Q. Zepka
e-mail: lqz@pq.cnpq.br
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Energy from Microalgae, Green Energy
and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69093-3_6
141
Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuels
from Microalgae
Mariany Costa Deprá, Eduardo Jacob-Lopes
and Leila Queiroz Zepka
Abstract Recently, the use of mathematical tools, such as the life cycle assessment
(LCA) methodology for ecologically sound processes, with the purpose of establishing a process designer involving the limits of “cradle to grave” in an efficient
and flexible way with less subjectivity, has become an ambitious challenge to be
won. Therefore, to generate biofuels with low atmospheric emissions and minimal
energy requirements has become crucial to commercial competitiveness. Thus, the
objective of this chapter is to approach the current situation of the different scenarios of microalgal biofuels production by an evaluation of them via a life cycle
assessment. The chapter is based on three main topics: (1) fundamentals for
structuring a life cycle assessment, (2) biofuels data set reported in the literature,
and (3) application of LCA in microalgae biofuels.
Keywords Microalgal Á Biofuel Á Biodiesel Á Life cycle analysis
1 Introduction
The emergence of ever larger global issues, such as the energy dilemma, the
warming of the climate, and the scarcity of water resources, has boosted the search
for tools capable of ensuring the reliability of the results published by the industries,
becoming the focus of environmental sustainability (Blanchard et al. 2017).
To this end, the application of the life cycle assessment (LCA) assumes the character
of ensuring better internal management in order to promote cleaner production,
M. C. Deprá Á E. Jacob-Lopes (&) Á L. Q. Zepka
Food Science and Technology Department, Federal University
of Santa Maria, UFSM, Roraima Avenue 1000, Santa Maria,
RS 97105-900, Brazil
e-mail: jacoblopes@pq.cnpq.br
L. Q. Zepka
e-mail: lqz@pq.cnpq.br
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Energy from Microalgae, Green Energy
and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69093-3_6
141