Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of energy generation from waste wood and forest residues: The effect of resource-efficient additives
Open accessAbstract
Combustion of waste wood can cause slagging, fouling and corrosion which lead to boiler failure, affecting the energy efficiency and the lifetime of the power plant. Additivation with mineral and sulfur containing additives during waste wood combustion could potentially reduce these problems. This study aims at understanding the environmental impacts of using additives to improve the operational performance of waste wood combustion. The environmental profiles of four energy plants (producing heat and/or power), located in different European countries (Poland, Austria, Sweden and Germany), were investigated through a consequential life cycle assessment (LCA). The four energy plants are all fueled by waste wood and/or residues. This analysis explored the influences of applying different additives strategies in the four power plants, different wood fuel mixes and resulting direct emissions, to the total life cycle environmental impacts of heat and power generated. The impacts on climate change, acidification, particulate matter, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity and cumulative energy demand were calculated, considering 1 GJ of exergy as functional unit. Primary data for the operation without additives were collected from the power plant operators, and emission data for the additives scenarios were collected from onsite measurements. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the expected increase of energy efficiency. The analysis indicated that the use of gypsum waste, halloysite and coal fly ash decreases the environmental impacts of heat and electricity produced (average of 12% decrease in all impacts studied, and a maximum decrease of 121%). The decrease of impacts is mainly a consequence of the increase of energy generation that avoids the use of more polluting marginal technologies. However, impacts on acidification may increase (up to 120% increase) under the absence of appropriate flue gas cleaning systems. Halloysite was the additive presenting the highest benefits.
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In the last decade, an emphasis away from a linear economy to a CE has been prominent as a research trend for timber recovery.
“In the last decade, an emphasis away from a linear economy to a CE has been prominent as a research trend for timber recovery [43,48,49].”
From Circular Economy of Construction and Demolition Wood Waste—A Theoretical Framework Approach (2022) · cites this paper as [48]
The Introduction says waste wood is gaining interest as a bioenergy feedstock and reports substantial recycling and energy recovery of wood waste. It does not describe a shift from a linear to a circular economy or establish that such a shift was a prominent research trend for timber recovery over the last decade. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDeveloping new materials from wood waste recycling reduces GHG emissions substantially.
“Several studies suggested that developing new materials from wood waste recycling reduces GHG emissions substantially [48,50].”
From Circular Economy of Construction and Demolition Wood Waste—A Theoretical Framework Approach (2022) · cites this paper as [48]
Section 4.4 estimates substantial CO₂-equivalent savings from using additives when wood waste is burned for energy. The paper does not attribute those savings to developing new materials through wood-waste recycling; its Conclusions identify increased heat and electricity generation as the main reason for the reduction. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPotential ecological impacts analysed were climate change, acidification, particulate matter, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity, and cumulative energy demand.
“Potential ecological impacts analysed were climate change, acidification, particulate matter, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity, and cumulative energy demand.”
From Circular Economy of Construction and Demolition Wood Waste—A Theoretical Framework Approach (2022) · cites this paper as [48]
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Circular Economy of Construction and Demolition Wood Waste—A Theoretical Framework Approach
Jahan, I., Zhang, G., Bhuiyan, M., & Navaratnam, S. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su141710478 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
- Authors
- Corona, B., Shen, L., Sommersacher, P., & Junginger, M.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- BEST - Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies (Austria) (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Corona, Blanca
- Venue
- Journal of Cleaner Production
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-06
- Volume
- 259
- Pages
- 120948
- ISSN
- 0959-6526 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3012028487
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 4.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Cleaner Production (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Keywords
- forest residues, combustion additives, gypsum waste, halloysite, coal fly ash, heat and power generation, environmental impact, acidification, particulate matter, climate change, cumulative energy demand, flue gas treatment, resource efficiency
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