Speaker
Shutaro Takeda
(Institute of Advanced Energy)
Description
In previous studies, the authors proposed a novel nuclear fusion biomass gasification plant concept as an alternative to conventional nuclear fusion power plants. This gasification plant concept utilizes the heat from fusion blanket to convert biomass into synthetic gas (H2 + CO), and then convert it into liquid fuels, e.g. methanol or diesel. Through this nuclear fusion gasification plant concept, the authors believe that a highly efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly liquid fuel production could be achieved.
In this study, through life cycle assessment (LCA), the authors quantitatively assessed and compared the environmental impacts of this plant concept for the first time against conventional gasification plants. Assessed impact categories were: acidification, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, global warming, human health – carcinogenic, human health – non-carcinogenic, ozone depletion, photochemical ozone formation, resource depletion and respiratory effects.
The subject process is a methanol production from wood chip via synthetic gas, at the process rate of 2,000 odt/day. Fluidized bed gasifiers were assumed at the plants. The system boundary of the LCA was set to cradle-to-gate of the methanol, with the functional unit of kg-methanol production. TRACI 2.1 method was adopted for the impact assessment, and Ecoinvent Version 3 was used for foreground data.
LCA results indicated that the nuclear fusion biomass gasification plant would reduce the GHG emissions by 2.26 kg CO2-eq per 1 kg of methanol production, or as large as 43%, when compared to the conventional gasification plants. Therefore, it was concluded that this novel nuclear fusion biomass gasification plant would have a great potential as an alternative, sustainable source of liquid fuel in the future.
Co-authors
Ryuta Kasada
(Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan)
Satoshi Konishi
(Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan)
Shigeki Sakurai
(Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Yoshidanakaadachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan)
Shutaro Takeda
(Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan)
Yasushi Yamamoto
(Faculty of Engineering Science, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan)
