96 Introduction to Renewable Biomaterials
wind-generated electricity. All these compounds, however, are composed of carbon and
as such can have much higher applicability for the economy than electricity does. All of
them can be stored, transported over long distances and after processing used as liquid
fuels on demand. Moreover, all these compounds can be further used as feedstocks for a
number of downstream processes to functionalise them into consumer products, wind
electricity cannot. It is therefore essential to examine EROI parameters of processes
that are comparable. Second, EROI does not discriminate the processes on the basis
of their environmental impacts. For example, processes of extraction of shale oil may
have similar EROI to the process of ethanol production. What the EROI analysis does
not take into consideration is that extraction of hydrocarbons require significant inputs
of freshwater, results in the production of greenhouse gasses and has generally a much
bigger environmental footprint than traditional oil production processes. Production
of ethanol from sugarcane on the other hand results in the production of renewable
fuel (bio-ethanol), heat and power as well as valuable co product (sugar). Moreover
sugarcane is a perennial crop that requires low input and is capable to sequester
significant content of carbon in the soil if the plantations are established and managed
properly. Therefore, although these two processes may look similar from the EROI
point of view, more detailed analysis of the two shows clear differences. Therefore,
sometimes additional metrics need to be taken into consideration.
3.5.2 LCA – Sustainability Determinant
Sustainable production of bioenergy and biomaterials is a complex task that needs to
take into consideration a number of issues such as resource availability, local climate,
technology, policy and economy. All these issues are very often region specific. Right
combination of these factors can result in the production of sustainable alternatives to
fossil-derived products. Sustainable production of energy and materials from biomass
supports the development of rural areas, provides more balanced global economy and
counteracts global climate change. On the other hand, inappropriate combination of
resources, technology, management and policies can result in exacerbating food versus
fuel dilemma, result in the degradation of unique ecosystems and worsening the effects
of climate change. In between these two extreme cases is a multidimensional array of
possibilities that result from implementations of a particular approach [41]. Therefore to
implement bioenergy and biomaterial technologies on a large scale, an unprecedented
in the development of any new industry scrutiny needs to be implemented [42]. This
requirement resulted in the development of methods to assess environmental impacts
and sustainability of a particular process called life-cycle analysis. Life-cycle assessment
(LCA) is a systematic, cradle-to-grave process that evaluates the environmental impacts
of products, processes and services. It is an important decision-support tool for policy
makers, business analysts and researchers from public and private sectors. According
to the ISO 14040.2 standard,life cycleis defined as ‘consecutive and interlinked stages
of a product or service system, from the extraction of natural resources to the final
disposal’. LCA is therefore defined as ‘a systematic set of procedures for compiling
and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated
environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service
system throughout its life cycle’ [43].
All products impact the environment to certain degree, and these impacts can vary
significantly depending on raw materials, energy sources and waste disposal methods
