Life cycle assessment of hexanoic acid production via microbial electrosynthesis and renewable electricity
Future opportunities
Jisiwei Luo (TU Delft - Energy and Industry)
M. Pérez-Fortes (TU Delft - Energy and Industry)
Adrie J J Straathof (TU Delft - BT/Bioprocess Engineering)
Andrea Ramírez Ramirez (TU Delft - ChemE/Chemical Engineering)
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Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a novel carbon utilisation technology aiming to contribute to a circular economy by converting CO2 and renewable electricity into value-added chemicals. This study presents a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of hexanoic acid (C6A) production using MES, comparing this production with alternative technologies. It also includes a cradle-to-grave LCA for potentially converting C6A into a neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). On a cradle-to-gate basis, MES-based C6A exhibits a carbon footprint at 5.5 t CO2eq/tC6A, similar to fermentation- and plant-based C6A. However, its direct land use is more than one order of magnitude lower than plant-based C6A. On a cradle-to-grave basis, MES-based neat SAF emits 325 g CO2eq/MJ neat SAF, which is significantly higher than the counterparts from currently certified routes and conventional petroleum-derived jet fuel. However, its negligible indirect land use change emissions might potentially make it competitive against neat SAFs originating from first-generation biomass.
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