California ARB biofuel carbon intensity data for LCFS highlights diversity of ethanol pathways
28 May 2011
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Current reported CI for ethanol plants. Gasoline baseline of 95.86 g CO2e/MJ highlighted in red for comparison. Data: California ARB. Click to enlarge. |
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff has updated carbon intensities (CIs) and other information about registered biorefineries, and posted the information at the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) biorefinery-registration webpage. (Earlier post.) The vast majority of the data is for ethanol, produced via different pathways.
The current CI values highlight the ranges of outcomes from these pathways, with CI values as high as 120.99 g CO2e/MJ for Midwest corn ethanol in a wet mill using coal to 56.56 g CO2e/MJ for a Midwest dry mill using 25% wheat, slurry, sorghum and corn, with natural gas and wet DGS.
The LCFS requires the reduction of the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by an average of 10% by the year 2020. Carbon intensity is a measure of the GHG emissions associated with the combination of all of the steps in the lifecycle of a transportation fuel. While carbon intensity (CI) standards are not applicable in 2010 (the first year of the regulation), compliance with the reporting and record keeping requirements is required for all years, including 2010.
The baseline CI value for gasoline is 95.86 g CO2e/MJ; for diesel fuel, it is 94.71 g CO2e/MJ (using the lookup tables).
The biorefinery tables contain information about biofuel production facilities which was submitted voluntarily by the registrants through ARB’s Biofuel Producer Registration Form. All posted information, including the fuel CI values and fuel pathway descriptions, is identified by the facility, not assigned by ARB. ARB staff reviews applications for completeness and consistency, but assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the posted information. It is the registrants’ responsibility to provide accurate information.
The data is organized in three tables:
Biofuel Producer Registration Information for Facilities with Complete Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Registration. This includes facilities that have completed the registration process, including Physical Pathway information, Fuel Pathway Description, and CI Value identification.
Biofuel Registration Information for Facilities with Physical Pathway Pending. This table identifies biofuel production facilities that have submitted their registration to ARB but have an incomplete physical pathway demonstration to show the route of the fuels from the point of production to California.
Either: 1) The facility has not yet provided all physical pathway information to ARB; and/or 2) The facility has provided some or all required documentation identifying the expected future physical pathway but needs to demonstrate sale and delivery of fuel to California.
Biofuel Registration Information for Facilities with Carbon Intensity (CI) and Fuel Pathway Description Pending. This table identifies biofuel production facilities that have obtained ARB approval of the physical pathway demonstration but produce biofuel using a fuel pathway that is not identified in the LCFS Lookup Table. These facilities need to consult with ARB staff to establish a new fuel pathway using Method 2A or Method 2B, as appropriate, and to determine the CI Value for that pathway.
"Carbon intensity is a measure of the GHG emissions associated with the combination of all of the steps in the lifecycle of a transportation fuel."
How will this metric be applied to li-ion battery manufacturing?
Posted by: Reel$$ | 29 May 2011 at 11:44 AM
How is this related to oil and gasoline with all the exploring, drilling, pumping, shipping, refining and trucking?
Posted by: SJC | 29 May 2011 at 01:55 PM
Developing energy takes energy, that is why fossil should be used for renewable. Whether mining, trucking, crushing, refining, growing, harvesting or gasifying, it all takes energy. Maybe some of that energy comes from the sun, like solar gasification or distillation, maybe some comes from the wind to make H2 and O2, either way it takes energy to make and install the wind turbines and so on.
Posted by: SJC | 30 May 2011 at 01:33 PM