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Life Cycle Assessment of Bioenergy Production Using Wood Pellets: A Case Study of Remote Communities in Canada

Author

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  • Saghar Sadaghiani

    (Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Fereshteh Mafakheri

    (Ecole Nationale D’administration Publique (ENAP), Université du Québec, Montréal, QC H2T 2C8, Canada)

  • Zhi Chen

    (Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

Abstract

In remote communities of Canada, diesel is the primary source of electricity and heat. Promoting sustainable and diverse means of heat and power generation is essential to providing reliable and less carbon-intensive energy supply to remote communities. Among renewable energy sources in Canada, biomass is a major source of energy, with wood pellets being a notable contributor. In this study, using wood pellets in a remote community of Canada is investigated using life cycle analysis (LCA). Furthermore, wood pellet combustion is compared with diesel combustion, the most common fossil fuel in these regions. SimaPro (version 8.4.0.0) was used with Ecoinvent 3 as the primary library because of the nature of the feedstock. Harvesting, transportation, sawmill operation, pelletization, and combustion stages are considered in LCA. In doing so, first, life cycle data related to each of these stages are collected with respect to eight impact categories of global warming, ozone depletion, carcinogenic, non-carcinogenic, smog, respiratory effects, acidification, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion. The results indicate that pelletization and combustion stages have the greatest environmental impact, specifically in terms of non-carcinogenic effects from pelletization and respiratory effects from pellet combustion. Additionally, when comparing wood pellets to diesel, wood pellet combustion exhibits superior performance across various impact categories, particularly in non-carcinogenic effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Saghar Sadaghiani & Fereshteh Mafakheri & Zhi Chen, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of Bioenergy Production Using Wood Pellets: A Case Study of Remote Communities in Canada," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:15:p:5697-:d:1206407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. McKechnie, Jon & Saville, Brad & MacLean, Heather L., 2016. "Steam-treated wood pellets: Environmental and financial implications relative to fossil fuels and conventional pellets for electricity generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 637-649.
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    4. Laschi, Andrea & Marchi, Enrico & González-García, Sara, 2016. "Environmental performance of wood pellets' production through life cycle analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 469-480.
    5. Cambero, Claudia & Hans Alexandre, Mariane & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2015. "Life cycle greenhouse gas analysis of bioenergy generation alternatives using forest and wood residues in remote locations: A case study in British Columbia, Canada," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PA), pages 59-72.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kenji Koido & Daichi Konno & Michio Sato, 2024. "Life Cycle CO 2 Emissions and Techno-Economic Analysis of Wood Pellet Production and CHP with Different Plant Scales and Sawdust Drying Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Jezerska, Lucie & Sassmanova, Veronika & Prokes, Rostislav & Gelnar, Daniel & Peikertova, Pavlina, 2025. "Spent tea leaves and tea bags - Promising biofuels?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    4. Rita Petlickaitė & Algirdas Jasinskas & Kęstutis Venslauskas & Kęstutis Navickas & Marius Praspaliauskas & Egidijus Lemanas, 2024. "Evaluation of Multi-Crop Biofuel Pellet Properties and the Life Cycle Assessment," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Jelena Topić Božič & Urška Fric & Ante Čikić & Simon Muhič, 2024. "Life Cycle Assessment of Using Firewood and Wood Pellets in Slovenia as Two Primary Wood-Based Heating Systems and Their Environmental Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Egor Selivanov & Pavel Cudlín, 2025. "Life cycle assessment of residential heat production from wood pellet combustion in the Northwest region of Russia," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 71(4), pages 182-194.
    7. Penka Zlateva & Angel Terziev & Nevena Milcheva Mileva, 2024. "Sustainable Solutions for Energy Production from Biomass Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, September.
    8. Zygmunt Stanula & Marek Wieruszewski & Adam Zydroń & Krzysztof Adamowicz, 2023. "Optimizing Forest-Biomass-Distribution Logistics from a Multi-Level Perspective—Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.

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