Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production in Italy from anaerobic co-digestion of pig slurry and energy crops

This study aims to evaluate the environmental consequences and energy requirements of a biogas production system and its further conversion into bioenergy by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. To do so, an Italian biogas plant operating with pig slurry and two energy crops (maize and triticale silages) as feedstock was assessed in detail in order to identify the environmental hotspots. The environmental profile was estimated through six impact categories: abiotic depletion potential (ADP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), global warming potential (GWP), ozone layer depletion potential (ODP) and photochemical oxidation potential (POFP). An energy analysis related to the cumulative non-renewable fossil and nuclear energy demand (CED) was also performed, considering this indicator as an additional impact category.

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