Life cycle assessment of Napier Pakchong 1 grass as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion to produce electricity: A case study in Thailand

This study investigates the environmental impact of producing electricity by using Napier grass as a feedstock. Three alternative options of Napier plantation and two options of feeding raw material to biogas system were considered as multi-scenarios. The scenarios were analyzed and compared by LCA methodology. The results indicated that the stage of Napier grass plantation was a hotspot of environmental impact through life cycle assessment. From all six scenarios analysis, the best environmental performance was given by Napier grass plantations with no fertilizer application (scenario I and II), while the best yield of Napier grass was occurred by using chemical fertilizer application. The results obtained from this work suggested that the analysis of optimal fertilizer quantity of Napier crop should be conducted as the best way to reduce environmental impacts.

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