Fuel

Last changed: 05 November 2021

Over the last few years the increased interest for issues related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions from traffic have led to an increased interest in biofuels.

Biofuels can be described as all energy carriers that are produced by biological systems to temporarilly store the energy we use, no matter if they are liquid (such as biodiesel) or gaseous (such as biogas). In our research we study how the flows between the human technosphere and the rest of nature affects the environment.

We study how the cultivation, harvest and use of agricultural products can be integrated and use LCA to answer questions about choices needed in the energy systems of the future.

Much of the debate on the environmental impact of biofuels is based on LCA studies that have came to very different conclusions based on apparently equal systems. Much of the differences arise from different assumptions, system boudaries and how questions have been formulated. Such issues tend to exist when complex systems are studies and whilst LCA does not remove such issues it clarifies the impact of such assumptions. It also allows us to study how the complex systems work and produce results that are useful for a more enlightened discussion on the topics it covers.