IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v131y2020ics1364032120303038.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Well-to-wheel greenhouse gas implications of mid-level ethanol blend deployment in Canada's light-duty fleet

Author

Listed:
  • Milovanoff, Alexandre
  • Posen, I. Daniel
  • Saville, Bradley A.
  • MacLean, Heather L.

Abstract

Replacing conventional gasoline with mid-level ethanol blends (15–30% ethanol by volume) can reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but require vehicle compatibility. This study quantifies the changes in fuel volumes and well-to-wheel (WTW) GHG emissions associated with potential mid-level ethanol blend deployment in Canada's light-duty vehicle fleet from 2018 to 2030. We develop a Canadian fleet model that projects the number of vehicles by vehicle technology and production year from 2015 to 2030, their fuel blend compatibilities, and their annual fuel use, considering the potential effects of ethanol blend level on vehicle fuel consumption and associated GHG emissions. The results show that the deployment of low and mid-level ethanol blends, such as E10, E15 or E25, could reduce petroleum gasoline use by 12% in 2030, while tripling ethanol use, from 2.6 to 7.2 billion liters annually. Incorporating emission factors from the GHGenius model suggests that mid-level blends can reduce fleet WTW GHG emissions in 2030 by 7.2% assuming the use of corn and wheat ethanol, and by up to 13.4% assuming cellulosic ethanol. The octane enhancing effect of ethanol is responsible for up to 30% of the reductions. Achieving the above reductions would require coordination among vehicle manufacturers, refiners and policymakers. Overall, mid-level blends can materially reduce GHG emissions of the Canadian light-duty fleet, but represent less than 1/5 of the reductions required for the light-duty fleet to achieve emissions that are 30% below 2005 levels (Canada's pledge under the Paris Agreement).

Suggested Citation

  • Milovanoff, Alexandre & Posen, I. Daniel & Saville, Bradley A. & MacLean, Heather L., 2020. "Well-to-wheel greenhouse gas implications of mid-level ethanol blend deployment in Canada's light-duty fleet," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:131:y:2020:i:c:s1364032120303038
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032120303038
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110012?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wadud, Zia & MacKenzie, Don & Leiby, Paul, 2016. "Help or hindrance? The travel, energy and carbon impacts of highly automated vehicles," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-18.
    2. Gabriel E Lade & C-Y Cynthia Lin Lawell & Aaron Smith, 2018. "Designing Climate Policy: Lessons from the Renewable Fuel Standard and the Blend Wall," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(2), pages 585-599.
    3. Wang, Chongming & Zeraati-Rezaei, Soheil & Xiang, Liming & Xu, Hongming, 2017. "Ethanol blends in spark ignition engines: RON, octane-added value, cooling effect, compression ratio, and potential engine efficiency gain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 603-619.
    4. Borrion, Aiduan Li & McManus, Marcelle C. & Hammond, Geoffrey P., 2012. "Environmental life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4638-4650.
    5. Hoekman, S. Kent & Broch, Amber, 2018. "Environmental implications of higher ethanol production and use in the U.S.: A literature review. Part II – Biodiversity, land use change, GHG emissions, and sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 3159-3177.
    6. Pereira, L.G. & Cavalett, O. & Bonomi, A. & Zhang, Y. & Warner, E. & Chum, H.L., 2019. "Comparison of biofuel life-cycle GHG emissions assessment tools: The case studies of ethanol produced from sugarcane, corn, and wheat," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 1-12.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Huang, Caoxing & Jiang, Xiao & Shen, Xiaojun & Hu, Jinguang & Tang, Wei & Wu, Xinxing & Ragauskas, Arthur & Jameel, Hasan & Meng, Xianzhi & Yong, Qiang, 2022. "Lignin-enzyme interaction: A roadblock for efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Mendiburu, Andrés Z. & Lauermann, Carlos H. & Hayashi, Thamy C. & Mariños, Diego J. & Rodrigues da Costa, Roberto Berlini & Coronado, Christian J.R. & Roberts, Justo J. & de Carvalho, João A., 2022. "Ethanol as a renewable biofuel: Combustion characteristics and application in engines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert Czubaszek & Agnieszka Wysocka-Czubaszek & Piotr Banaszuk, 2020. "GHG Emissions and Efficiency of Energy Generation through Anaerobic Fermentation of Wetland Biomass," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Escobar, Neus & Laibach, Natalie, 2021. "Sustainability check for bio-based technologies: A review of process-based and life cycle approaches," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    3. Sibel Osman & Olga Valerica Sapunaru & Ancaelena Eliza Sterpu & Timur Vasile Chis & Claudia I.Koncsag, 2023. "Impact of Adding Bioethanol and Dimethyl Carbonate on Gasoline Properties," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Canabarro, N.I. & Silva-Ortiz, P. & Nogueira, L.A.H. & Cantarella, H. & Maciel-Filho, R. & Souza, G.M., 2023. "Sustainability assessment of ethanol and biodiesel production in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    5. Danilo Arcentales-Bastidas & Carla Silva & Angel D. Ramirez, 2022. "The Environmental Profile of Ethanol Derived from Sugarcane in Ecuador: A Life Cycle Assessment Including the Effect of Cogeneration of Electricity in a Sugar Industrial Complex," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-24, July.
    6. Kolarova, Viktoriya & Steck, Felix & Bahamonde-Birke, Francisco J., 2019. "Assessing the effect of autonomous driving on value of travel time savings: A comparison between current and future preferences," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 155-169.
    7. Eckert, Jony Javorski & Silva, Fabrício L. & da Silva, Samuel Filgueira & Bueno, André Valente & de Oliveira, Mona Lisa Moura & Silva, Ludmila C.A., 2022. "Optimal design and power management control of hybrid biofuel–electric powertrain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).
    8. Qian, Lixian & Yin, Juelin & Huang, Youlin & Liang, Ya, 2023. "The role of values and ethics in influencing consumers’ intention to use autonomous vehicle hailing services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    9. Tiziano Gomiero, 2015. "Are Biofuels an Effective and Viable Energy Strategy for Industrialized Societies? A Reasoned Overview of Potentials and Limits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-31, June.
    10. Johansson, R. & Meyer, S. & Whistance, J. & Thompson, W. & Debnath, D., 2020. "Greenhouse gas emission reduction and cost from the United States biofuels mandate," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    11. Bergthorson, Jeffrey M. & Thomson, Murray J., 2015. "A review of the combustion and emissions properties of advanced transportation biofuels and their impact on existing and future engines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1393-1417.
    12. Shiraki, Hiroto & Matsumoto, Ken'ichi & Shigetomi, Yosuke & Ehara, Tomoki & Ochi, Yuki & Ogawa, Yuki, 2020. "Factors affecting CO2 emissions from private automobiles in Japan: The impact of vehicle occupancy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    13. Xu Kuang & Fuquan Zhao & Han Hao & Zongwei Liu, 2019. "Assessing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Intelligent Connected Vehicles in China: A Cost–Benefit Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-28, June.
    14. Dubey, Subodh & Sharma, Ishant & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Cats, Oded & Bansal, Prateek, 2022. "A General Framework to Forecast the Adoption of Novel Products: A Case of Autonomous Vehicles," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 63-95.
    15. Dulebenets, Maxim A. & Ozguven, Eren Erman & Moses, Ren, 2018. "The Highway Beautification Act: Towards improving efficiency of the Federal Outdoor Advertising Control Program," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 88-106.
    16. Palacios-Bereche, M.C. & Palacios-Bereche, R. & Ensinas, A.V. & Gallego, A. Garrido & Modesto, Marcelo & Nebra, S.A., 2022. "Brazilian sugar cane industry – A survey on future improvements in the process energy management," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    17. Zhang, Yijun & Li, Xiaoping & Song, Yi & Jiang, Feitao, 2021. "Can green industrial policy improve total factor productivity? Firm-level evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 51-62.
    18. Jia Guo & Yusak Susilo & Constantinos Antoniou & Anna Pernestål Brenden, 2020. "Influence of Individual Perceptions on the Decision to Adopt Automated Bus Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-13, August.
    19. Yuche Chen & Ruixiao Sun & Xuanke Wu, 2021. "Estimating Bounds of Aerodynamic, Mass, and Auxiliary Load Impacts on Autonomous Vehicles: A Powertrain Simulation Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-13, November.
    20. Li, Dun & Huang, Youlin & Qian, Lixian, 2022. "Potential adoption of robotaxi service: The roles of perceived benefits to multiple stakeholders and environmental awareness," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 120-135.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:131:y:2020:i:c:s1364032120303038. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.