Life cycle assessment comparing the use of Jatropha biodiesel in the Indian road and rail sectors

Original publisher: Golden, Colorado : National Renewable Energy Laboratory, [2010] OCLC Number: (OCoLC)630189434 Subject: Biodiesel fuels -- Research -- India. Excerpt: ... vehicles with B20 from one location while beginning to address the transportation sector with the greatest near-term potential absolute reductions. As more biodiesel becomes available and fueling infrastructure investments increase, the focus can transition to the availability of roadside B20 fueling stations that could provide fuel to the freight-road transportation sector. It is anticipated that by 2020 the greatest absolute reductions in both GHG emissions and petroleum consumption will be achievable from the substitution of B20 for petroleum diesel in the freight-road sector. Sensitivity Analyses Scenario sensitivity analyses evaluate alternative plausible scenarios for the cultivation, processing, transport, and use of Jatropha biodiesel. The base case scenario conditions are based on projections by the Planning Commission ( 2003 ) that may be considered optimized as they anticipate yields of 3,750 kg dry seed / ha and oil contents of 35 % by weight on lands that are marginal but require moderate maintenance. However, with a program of this scale, it is important to analyze whether the substantial benefits for sustainability and energy security projected in the base case scenario of this study ( Tables ES-1, ES-2, and ES-3 ) can be maintained even if the anticipated cultivation and processing conditions are not met. See Section 7.1 for a detailed description of the analyzed sensitivity scenarios and their full results. The summary results discussed in this section compare GHG emissions and petroleum consumption for B100 to conventional diesel for each scenario. Three alternative cultivation scenarios were explored: 1. " Marginal Land, Low Irrigation " models the impact of reduced yields resulting from reduced cultivation inputs on low quality, poorly maintained land. 2. " Marginal Lan...