Obtaining bioLPG via the HVO Route in Brazil: A Prospect Study Based on Life Cycle Assessment Approach

Abstract

BioLPG is a partially renewable fuel that can be produced by different conversion routes, with vegetable oil hydrotreatment (HVO) being one of the most promising processes. This study uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to assess the environmental impacts associated with this processing. The analysis considered the conditions practiced in Brazil with soybean oil (SO) as raw material, different hydrogen sources, and raw materials’ feed rates in the reaction system. The model was based on secondary data collected for the 2020–2021 biennium, and the environmental impacts were determined for Global Warming Potential, Primary Energy Demand, Terrestrial Acidification, Fine Particulate Matter Formation, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, and direct Land Use Change. The results show that the SO produced by soybeans grown in Paraná/BR and hydrotreated with H2 obtained by electrolysis ([SO/H2]mol/mol = 1:30) had the best environmental performance in four of the six impact categories analyzed. A complementary analysis also identified the best environmental performances for bioLPG obtained from blending SO from different sources to avoid supplier dependence. Even accumulating worse environmental performance than fossil LPG, renewable fuel has promising prospects for deployment in Brazil. Nevertheless, for this to occur, some actions must be implemented in its production cycle.