Environmental sustainability assessment of biofuel production from oil palm biomass

Abstract

With the aim of minimizing the dependency on fossil fuels whilst improving the economic viability and environmental performances of oil palm production for biofuels production, emission control from these systems become invincible. However, with best management practices couples with stringent adherence to basic environmental sustainability principles, these hurdles may be surmounted. The environmental sustainability dimension of impact assessment for this chapter is based on life cycle assessment for common palm biofuels like biodiesel, bioethanol, bio-methanol via BtL route, biogas and bio-electricity from oil palm biomass. Possible improvement options are also outlined in this chapter to ensure more positive energy balance and almost zero emissions from each of the biofuels production systems considered. © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2013.