Use of Liquefied Biomethane (LBM) as a Vehicle Fuel for Road Freight Transportation: A Case Study Evaluating Environmental Performance of Using LBM for Operation of Tractor Trailers

The environmental performance of Liquefied Biomethane (LBM) and Diesel operated Tractor Trailer (TT) is compared using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study. In this study we consider, raw biogas produced from an anaerobic digestion process of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Umea, Sweden, which is then upgraded and liquefied to LBM and used as a fuel for TTs. Currently, the WWTP in Umea is utilizing biogas, produced onsite for cogeneration of heat and electricity, thereby meeting its energy needs. A system expansion approach is applied where electricity and heat equivalent to amount of biogas displaced for LBM production is supplied from Swedish grid (SE) mix and incineration of wood chips respectively. Correspondingly, the biogas avoided for cogeneration of electricity and heat is accounted in the study. The equivalent functional unit chosen for the LCA study is “16,000,000 ton-km of a TT transporting products and goods”. The study is modelled using SimaPro LCA Software. The ReCiPe Midpoint (H) impact assessment methodology is used to quantify ten selected and relevant midpoint environmental impacts. When compared with Diesel TT system, LBM TT exhibits superior environmental performance in seven out of ten impact categories measured than the Diesel TT system. The highest reduction is seen in Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Fossil Depletion Potential (FDP) impacts thereby suggesting that LBM derived from raw biogas of WWTP an environmentally preferred alternative to diesel for operation of TTs. However, this value proposition can have other trade-offs such as increase in eutrophication and ecotoxicity impacts. Further, replacing diesel with LBM for TT operation may not have any significant environmental benefits when electricity is drawn from carbon intensive grid mixes (e.g. coal).