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Greenhouse gas emissions from sugar cane ethanol: Estimate considering current different production scenarios in Minas Gerais, Brazil

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  • Claros Garcia, Juan Carlos
  • Von Sperling, Eduardo

Abstract

The studies of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of sugarcane ethanol production show few scenarios or, in most cases, a single representative scenario of the most common practices for ethanol production. However, the combination of the diverse sugarcane agricultural and industrialization practices lead to a wide variety of production scenarios. Current studies do not show the GHG emissions balance for all these scenarios. This issue is the aim of this study, which presents a GHG emissions balance of ethanol production considering 120 different scenarios related to current sugarcane agricultural and industrial practices in Brazil, with data of Minas Gerais. In order to obtain the ethanol production scenarios, different types of cultivation, fertilization, harvesting and different sugarcane crop cycles were combined. The scenarios were classified by groups, according to their GHG emission levels. The main characteristics of each group were analyzed in order to identify the factors that influence the performance of GHG emissions. The results show GHG emission levels ranging from 2489.38kg CO2eq∙ha−1∙yr−1 to 3289.95kg CO2eq∙ha−1∙yr−1, depending on the regime of agricultural practices present in each scenario. The factors that most favor the increase of GHG emission levels are: short sugarcane crop cycle combined with fertigation with stillage. These two factors were present in production scenarios that presented the highest levels of GHG emissions in this study. The factors that most favor the decrease of GHG emissions are: long sugarcane crop cycle, fertilization without stillage on ratoon and mechanical harvesting without sugarcane burning. All these factors were present in scenarios that presented the lowest GHG emissions. On the other hand, in certain agricultural conditions, the mechanical harvesting of green cane showed to be as polluting as manual harvesting of burnt cane. The differences between the types of cultivation showed no significant influence on the final balance of GHG emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Claros Garcia, Juan Carlos & Von Sperling, Eduardo, 2017. "Greenhouse gas emissions from sugar cane ethanol: Estimate considering current different production scenarios in Minas Gerais, Brazil," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1033-1049.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:72:y:2017:i:c:p:1033-1049
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.01.046
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wang, Lei & Quiceno, Raul & Price, Catherine & Malpas, Rick & Woods, Jeremy, 2014. "Economic and GHG emissions analyses for sugarcane ethanol in Brazil: Looking forward," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 571-582.
    2. Turdera, Mirko V., 2013. "Energy balance, forecasting of bioelectricity generation and greenhouse gas emission balance in the ethanol production at sugarcane mills in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 582-588.
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    1. 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).
    2. Amanda Silva‐Parra & Juan Manuel Trujillo‐González & Eric C. Brevik, 2021. "Greenhouse gas balance and mitigation potential of agricultural systems in Colombia: A systematic analysis," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 11(3), pages 554-572, June.
    3. Milão, Raquel de Freitas D. & Araújo, Ofélia de Queiroz F. & de Medeiros, José Luiz, 2021. "Second Law analysis of large-scale sugarcane-ethanol biorefineries with alternative distillation schemes: Bioenergy carbon capture scenario," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
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