Comparison of different gasoline-sugarcane-based ethanol blends using a Life Cycle Assessment approach

GAROLERA DE NUCCI, PATRICIA L.; MELE, FERNANDO DANIEL; NISHIHARA HUN, ANDREA L.; CÁRDENAS, GERÓNIMO J.

Lima

Conferencia; Sixth International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment (CILCA 2015); 2015

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

This study presents a comparison of the environmental impacts of using gasoline and gasoline-ethanol blends as proposed by Argentina?s National Act 26093. As a suitable tool, the methodology known as Life-Cycle Analysis or Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) was chosen for this comparison. This is intended as a contribution to an area that needs further development, namely environmental impact studies based on local data. This analysis demonstrates that the perception of biofuels as being sustainable versus fossil fuels is not as absolute as it seems. Their sustainability strongly depends on the actions taken to mitigate the environmental impact of the biofuel production chain.