Sustainable mobility - Transport emissions

Title

The life cycle assessment of alternative fuel chains for urban buses and trolleybuses

Reference

Journal of Environmental Management
Volume 99, 30 May 2012, Pages 98-103

Author(s)

L. Kliucininkas, J. Matulevicius, D. Martuzevicius

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

This paper describes a comparative analysis of public transport alternatives in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. An LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) inventory analysis of fuel chains was undertaken using the midi urban bus and a similar type of trolleybus. The inventory analysis of fuel chains followed the guidelines provided by the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The ReCiPe Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodology was used to quantify weighted damage originating from five alternative fuel chains. The compressed biogas fuel chain had the lowest weighted damage value, namely 45.7 mPt/km, whereas weighted damage values of the fuel chains based on electricity generation for trolleybuses were 60.6 mPt/km (for natural gas) and 78.9 mPt/km (for heavy fuel oil). The diesel and compressed natural gas fuel chains exhibited considerably higher damage values of 114.2 mPt/km and 132.6 mPt/km, respectively. The comparative life cycle assessment of fuel chains suggested that biogas-powered buses and electric trolleybuses can be considered as the best alternatives to use when modernizing the public transport fleet in Kaunas.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Transport emissions
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Transport emissions
Sustainable mobility >> Environmental impacts of transport >> Transport emissions – Greenhouse gases

Keywords

Life cycle analysis; Alternative fuel chains; Bus; Trolleybus; Weighted damage

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479712000138
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Contact the study author at:

linas.kliucininkas@ktu.lt