Resumen

BONGIOVANNI, Rodolfo  y  TUNINETTI, L.. Huella de carbono y huella energética del etanol anhidro producido en una mini destilería “minidest” en origen. RIA. Rev. investig. agropecu. [online]. 2021, vol.47, n.2, pp.273-284.  Epub 10-Nov-2021. ISSN 1669-2314.

This study assesses the carbon footprint and the energy footprint of anhydrous corn ethanol, produced in a small-scale distillery (minidest) of a producer indicated as representative by the Chamber of Grain Industrialists and Biofuel Producers in Origin (CIGBO), based in Cordoba, Argentina. The carbon footprint represents all greenhouse gases emitted, while the energy footprint comprises the total energy consumed in the production of ethanol. A representative plant located in Buena Esperanza, San Luis was evaluated, which produces its own corn for the production of ethanol, and which uses the by-products (burlanda and vinasse) for beef production, in an attached feedlot. In this model the manure recovered from the feedlot, together with corn silage, are used in a bio digester to generate electricity and heat, which allows to supply the needs of the minidest and to sell electricity to the grid. In turn, the digestate, a byproduct of the biodigester, is used as a replacement for field fertilizer. The functional unit is 1 MegaJoule (MJ) of ethanol, and the scope covers from the cradle to the door of the distillery, in the 2018/2019 crop season. Different allocation methods were analyzed and the allocation method by energy content was reported. The results indicate a carbon footprint of 19.9 g CO2 equivalent / MJ and an energy balance of 0.23 MJ of energy invested per MJ of ethanol produced. The carbon footprint means a 76% reduction with respect to reference fossil fuel of the Directive 2018/2001 of the European Union (European Union, 2018). Environmental hotspots were detected in primary production and distillery, and sensitivity analysis were performed.

Palabras clave : life-cycle assessment; bioethanol; biofuels; emissions; greenhouse gases.

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