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Fionnuala Murphy
School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

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Journal article
Published: 27 July 2021 in Science of The Total Environment
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Despite providing important ecological functions, seagrass accumulation causes environmental and economic issues, including eutrophication and tourism reduction. Nowadays, seagrass wrack is commonly removed from the beaches and landfilled, which is considered the least desirable practice according to the European Union (EU) Waste Framework Directive In this study, different management strategies for seagrass valorisation, including anaerobic digestion (AD), composting and ecological restoration, were considered using a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. The aim of the work was to evaluate more ecological and economic alternatives to landfill and to provide a robust evaluation method for public and private companies. An economic assessment was subsequently conducted, considering both direct and indirect impacts with a life cycle costing (LCC) approach. A selected beach located in the Northeast Mediterranean Sea was considered as a relevant case-study. The environmental impacts of the seagrass management scenarios were evaluated with the method ReCiPe 2016H, using both midpoint and endpoint levels. LCA results showed that ecological restoration and AD were the best alternatives in terms of environmental performances because of biogas production used as a renewable energy source. The impacts of the alternative management strategies were significantly lower than the current landfill strategy, -70% considering the categories of human health, ecosystems and resources, and -95% considering global warming potential category. The LCC analysis proved that composting was the best alternative (NPV > 1.27 M€), due to lower operating costs and higher fertilizer value. The obtained results can help beach management companies and public administrations to select the best operational strategies to reduce the environmental and economic impact of seagrass collection and treatment.

ACS Style

Matia Mainardis; Francesca Magnolo; Carmen Ferrara; Charlene Vance; Gloria Misson; Giovanni De Feo; Stijn Speelman; Fionnuala Murphy; Daniele Goi. Alternative seagrass wrack management practices in the circular bioeconomy framework: A life cycle assessment approach. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 798, 149283 .

AMA Style

Matia Mainardis, Francesca Magnolo, Carmen Ferrara, Charlene Vance, Gloria Misson, Giovanni De Feo, Stijn Speelman, Fionnuala Murphy, Daniele Goi. Alternative seagrass wrack management practices in the circular bioeconomy framework: A life cycle assessment approach. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 798 ():149283.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matia Mainardis; Francesca Magnolo; Carmen Ferrara; Charlene Vance; Gloria Misson; Giovanni De Feo; Stijn Speelman; Fionnuala Murphy; Daniele Goi. 2021. "Alternative seagrass wrack management practices in the circular bioeconomy framework: A life cycle assessment approach." Science of The Total Environment 798, no. : 149283.

Journal article
Published: 17 May 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Concentrated land spreading of poultry litter has the potential to cause nutrient build-up in soils, eutrophication of water bodies, air pollution and the spread of pathogens. As a result, alternative routes for the disposal of poultry litter are being sought. A consequential life cycle assessment was conducted to examine several scenarios where biogas produced from poultry litter is used to generate heat and electricity or is upgraded to biomethane which can substitute natural gas. For all of the scenarios considered in this study, diverting poultry litter to anaerobic digestion leads to reduced environmental impacts for global warming, fine particulate matter formation and terrestrial acidification. However, the extent to which environmental impacts are reduced varies significantly across the scenarios. Displaced processes including electricity or natural gas, peat moss production and avoided land spreading of litter contribute the most to reducing environmental impacts. Consequential life cycle assessment is a suitable tool to inform decision-makers about the impact of introducing a new multifunctional technology like anaerobic digestion when considering the systems which are displaced. The results show the range of potential environmental outcomes, rather than predicting a single most-likely outcome. The results of this study indicate that anaerobic digestion is a suitable disposal route for poultry litter which may lead to reduced environmental impacts. This type of analysis is recommended when considering alternative feedstocks and valorisation pathways in the circular economy.

ACS Style

Ciara Beausang; Kevin McDonnell; Fionnuala Murphy. Anaerobic digestion of poultry litter – A consequential life cycle assessment. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 735, 139494 .

AMA Style

Ciara Beausang, Kevin McDonnell, Fionnuala Murphy. Anaerobic digestion of poultry litter – A consequential life cycle assessment. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 735 ():139494.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ciara Beausang; Kevin McDonnell; Fionnuala Murphy. 2020. "Anaerobic digestion of poultry litter – A consequential life cycle assessment." Science of The Total Environment 735, no. : 139494.

Journal article
Published: 12 May 2020 in Energies
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To manage greenhouse gas emissions, directives on renewable energy usage have been developed by the European Commission with the objective to reduce overall emissions by 40% by 2030 which presents a significant potential for renewable energy sources. At the same time, it is a challenge for these energy technologies which can only be solved by integrated solutions. Carbon capture and storage combined with geothermal energy could serve as a novel approach to reduce CO2 emissions and at the same time facilitate some of the negative impacts associated with fossil fuel-based power plants. This study focuses on the technical and economic feasibility of combining these technologies based on a published model, data and market research. In the European Union, Germany is the most energy intensive country, and it also has an untapped potential for geothermal energy in the northern as well as the western regions. The CO2 plume geothermal system using supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid can be utilized in natural high porosity (10–20%) and permeability (2.5 × 10−14–8.4 × 10−16 m2) reservoirs with temperatures as low as 65.8 °C. The feasibility of the project was assessed based on market conditions and policy support in Germany as well as the geologic background of sandstone reservoirs near industrialized areas (Dortmund, Frankfurt) and the possibility of carbon capture integration and CO2 injection. The levelized cost of electricity for a base case results in € 0.060/kWh. Optimal system type was assessed in a system optimization model. The project has a potential to supply 6600/12000 households with clean energy (electricity/heat) and sequester carbon dioxide at the same time. A trading scheme for carbon dioxide further expands potential opportunities.

ACS Style

Kevin McDonnell; Levente Molnár; Mary Harty; Fionnuala Murphy. Feasibility Study of Carbon Dioxide Plume Geothermal Systems in Germany−Utilising Carbon Dioxide for Energy. Energies 2020, 13, 2416 .

AMA Style

Kevin McDonnell, Levente Molnár, Mary Harty, Fionnuala Murphy. Feasibility Study of Carbon Dioxide Plume Geothermal Systems in Germany−Utilising Carbon Dioxide for Energy. Energies. 2020; 13 (10):2416.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kevin McDonnell; Levente Molnár; Mary Harty; Fionnuala Murphy. 2020. "Feasibility Study of Carbon Dioxide Plume Geothermal Systems in Germany−Utilising Carbon Dioxide for Energy." Energies 13, no. 10: 2416.

Advanced review
Published: 11 May 2020 in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment
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As the global population increases and becomes more affluent, biomass demands for food and biomaterials will increase. Demand growth is further accelerated by the implementation of climate policies and strategies to replace fossil resources with biomass. There are, however, concerns about the size of the prospective biomass demand and the environmental and social consequences of the corresponding resource mobilization, especially concerning impacts from the associated land‐use change. Strategically integrating perennials into landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture can, for example, improve biodiversity, reduce soil erosion and nutrient emissions to water, increase soil carbon, enhance pollination, and avoid or mitigate flooding events. Such “multifunctional perennial production systems” can thus contribute to improving overall land‐use sustainability, while maintaining or increasing overall biomass productivity in the landscape. Seven different cases in different world regions are here reviewed to exemplify and evaluate (a) multifunctional production systems that have been established to meet emerging bioenergy demands, and (b) efforts to identify locations where the establishment of perennial crops will be particularly beneficial. An important barrier towards wider implementation of multifunctional systems is the lack of markets, or policies, compensating producers for enhanced ecosystem services and other environmental benefits. This deficiency is particularly important since prices for fossil‐based fuels are low relative to bioenergy production costs. Without such compensation, multifunctional perennial production systems will be unlikely to contribute to the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Systems and Infrastructure Bioenergy > Climate and Environment Energy Policy and Planning > Climate and Environment

ACS Style

Oskar Englund; Ioannis Dimitriou; Virginia H. Dale; Keith L. Kline; Blas Mola‐Yudego; Fionnuala Murphy; Burton English; John McGrath; Gerald Busch; Maria Cristina Negri; Mark Brown; Kevin Goss; Sam Jackson; Esther S. Parish; Jules Cacho; Colleen Zumpf; John Quinn; Shruti K. Mishra. Multifunctional perennial production systems for bioenergy: performance and progress. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment 2020, 9, 1 .

AMA Style

Oskar Englund, Ioannis Dimitriou, Virginia H. Dale, Keith L. Kline, Blas Mola‐Yudego, Fionnuala Murphy, Burton English, John McGrath, Gerald Busch, Maria Cristina Negri, Mark Brown, Kevin Goss, Sam Jackson, Esther S. Parish, Jules Cacho, Colleen Zumpf, John Quinn, Shruti K. Mishra. Multifunctional perennial production systems for bioenergy: performance and progress. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 2020; 9 (5):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oskar Englund; Ioannis Dimitriou; Virginia H. Dale; Keith L. Kline; Blas Mola‐Yudego; Fionnuala Murphy; Burton English; John McGrath; Gerald Busch; Maria Cristina Negri; Mark Brown; Kevin Goss; Sam Jackson; Esther S. Parish; Jules Cacho; Colleen Zumpf; John Quinn; Shruti K. Mishra. 2020. "Multifunctional perennial production systems for bioenergy: performance and progress." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment 9, no. 5: 1.

Journal article
Published: 02 December 2019 in Energy
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District heating is an efficient method of delivering thermal energy to buildings. The latest, 4th generation of the technology, can be applied to integrate multiple renewable and low-carbon energy sources in the thermal energy mix. Domestic heat demand in Ireland is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, prominently oil and gas. Despite the proven benefits of district heating, it has been underutilized in Ireland. Opportunities lie for the implementation of district heating networks alongside newly built buildings in Ireland. This study determines the cost-optimum design of a secondary district heating network, serving an Irish apartment block, built to the most recent building energy standards. Supply temperature, return temperature, and pipe diameter are varied to minimise lifetime cost of the network. Mathematical modelling is applied, through MATLAB software, to achieve this cost-optimisation. 1 × 1010 possible pipe configurations are examined for a range of thirty different supply and return temperatures. The optimum supply and return temperatures are calculated to be 61 °C and 27 °C respectively.

ACS Style

Patrick Harney; Donna Gartland; Fionnuala Murphy. Determining the optimum low-temperature district heating network design for a secondary network supplying a low-energy-use apartment block in Ireland. Energy 2019, 192, 116595 .

AMA Style

Patrick Harney, Donna Gartland, Fionnuala Murphy. Determining the optimum low-temperature district heating network design for a secondary network supplying a low-energy-use apartment block in Ireland. Energy. 2019; 192 ():116595.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Patrick Harney; Donna Gartland; Fionnuala Murphy. 2019. "Determining the optimum low-temperature district heating network design for a secondary network supplying a low-energy-use apartment block in Ireland." Energy 192, no. : 116595.

Journal article
Published: 04 February 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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Bioenergy crops are forecast to play a significant role if Ireland is to reach the 2020 and beyond targets set by the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the cultivation of bioenergy crops in Ireland including land-use change (LUC) emissions by using geographical information systems (GIS) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In this study, GIS is used to identify, and measure LUC changes associated with cultivation of Miscanthus and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) willow. An LCA study was carried out to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the LUC caused by the cultivation of bioenergy crops. The results find that miscanthus caused 86% of all LUC with SRC Willow accounting for 14%. The LCA results identify two major processes that contribute to total GHG emissions; field operations and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Land preparation, harvesting and the production of synthetic fertiliser are found to be the most significant contributors to field emissions. SOC emission for the conversion of pasture to SRC willow accounts for a large proportion of the overall GHG emissions. Conversion of arable land to miscanthus and SRC willow both cause a net reduction of GHG emissions. Sensitivity analysis on the type of fertilisers used and the inclusion of indirect land-use changes (iLUC), highlight the impacts that these have on the overall system performance. The replacement of synthetic fertiliser with biogenic fertiliser reduced overall GHG emissions. The inclusion of general iLUC data results in a large increase in total GHG emissions because of displaced food crops that must be grown elsewhere. The study shows that conversion of arable to miscanthus and SRC willow is preferable when cultivating bioenergy crops while conversion of pasture to SRC willow should be avoided.

ACS Style

Robbie Clarke; Amanda Sosa; Fionnuala Murphy. Spatial and life cycle assessment of bioenergy-driven land-use changes in Ireland. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 664, 262 -275.

AMA Style

Robbie Clarke, Amanda Sosa, Fionnuala Murphy. Spatial and life cycle assessment of bioenergy-driven land-use changes in Ireland. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 664 ():262-275.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robbie Clarke; Amanda Sosa; Fionnuala Murphy. 2019. "Spatial and life cycle assessment of bioenergy-driven land-use changes in Ireland." Science of The Total Environment 664, no. : 262-275.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
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ACS Style

Mert Satir; Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. Feasibility study of an offshore wind farm in the Aegean Sea, Turkey. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2018, 81, 2552 -2562.

AMA Style

Mert Satir, Fionnuala Murphy, Kevin McDonnell. Feasibility study of an offshore wind farm in the Aegean Sea, Turkey. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2018; 81 ():2552-2562.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mert Satir; Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. 2018. "Feasibility study of an offshore wind farm in the Aegean Sea, Turkey." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 81, no. : 2552-2562.

Journal article
Published: 01 May 2017 in Energy Policy
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A criticism of production-based reporting and accounting of greenhouse gas emissions, as implemented under the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, is the risk of mitigation measures adoption in one country to reduce national emissions, leading consequentially to the displacement of the source activity to other jurisdictions, thus resulting in an increase in net global emissions referred to as 'carbon leakage'. An important outcome of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 UNFCCC may be 'plugging' of carbon leakage. This study examined the bioenergy industry in Ireland to determine the extent of existing carbon leakage due to national energy policy and to establish if measures identified within the relevant intended nationally determined contributions will result in plugging of carbon leakage. The study focused on co-firing of biomass with peat, the major use of biomass for energy generation in Ireland. The results show that significant levels of carbon leakage occur due to reliance on imported biomass feedstocks to meet co-firing targets under Irish energy policy. In the post-COP21 scenario, one of the three Intended Nationally Determined Contributions analysed contains a measure which has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from imported biomass by 32%, highlighting the potential of the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon leakage

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. Investigation of the potential impact of the Paris Agreement on national mitigation policies and the risk of carbon leakage; an analysis of the Irish bioenergy industry. Energy Policy 2017, 104, 80 -88.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Kevin McDonnell. Investigation of the potential impact of the Paris Agreement on national mitigation policies and the risk of carbon leakage; an analysis of the Irish bioenergy industry. Energy Policy. 2017; 104 ():80-88.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. 2017. "Investigation of the potential impact of the Paris Agreement on national mitigation policies and the risk of carbon leakage; an analysis of the Irish bioenergy industry." Energy Policy 104, no. : 80-88.

Journal article
Published: 18 February 2017 in Sustainability
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Photovoltaic (PV) power generation is one of the cleanest sources for producing renewable energy; however uptake on the Irish renewable energy market to date has been low. There is a lack of support for solar PV systems in Ireland; there is currently no solar PV energy feed-in-tariff as there are for other renewable energy systems in Ireland. Despite the current lack of support, the Government has indicated that support for the uptake of solar PV installations will be provided through the provision of a feed-in tariff in the future. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of installing PV systems under Irish climatic conditions at a location based in Dublin, Ireland, from a technical, environmental and economic point of view. This was achieved by carrying out a life cycle assessment of potential environmental impacts, and analysis of energy and economic payback times relating to the proposed PV system. Four possible renewable feed-in-tariffs (based on existing feed-in-tariffs for other renewable energy systems) were considered to determine the effect of such tariffs on the overall economics of the proposed PV system. Results show that life cycle GHG emissions are 69 g CO2-eq per kWh generated by the system, significantly lower than the current electricity grid mix emissions of 469 g CO2-eq per kWh. It will take 5.23 years of operation of the solar plant to generate the same amount of energy (in terms of primary energy equivalent) that was used to produce the system itself. The economic payback time varies from 19.3 and 34.4 years depending on the rate of renewable energy feed-in-tariff applied. The costs for the production of PV electricity in this study are higher than is usual in countries where the solar PV market is more developed, e.g., Germany, due to constraints with building integration and lack of experienced PV installers. As more PV is deployed, the Irish PV installer base will increase and ‘learning by doing’ effects will allow installers to install projects more efficiently and quickly under Irish conditions, leading to significantly reduced costs.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. A Feasibility Assessment of Photovoltaic Power Systems in Ireland; a Case Study for the Dublin Region. Sustainability 2017, 9, 302 .

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Kevin McDonnell. A Feasibility Assessment of Photovoltaic Power Systems in Ireland; a Case Study for the Dublin Region. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (2):302.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell. 2017. "A Feasibility Assessment of Photovoltaic Power Systems in Ireland; a Case Study for the Dublin Region." Sustainability 9, no. 2: 302.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Energy
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The energy sector is the major contributor to GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) in Ireland. Under EU Renewable energy targets, Ireland must achieve contributions of 40%, 12% and 10% from renewables to electricity, heat and transport respectively by 2020, in addition to a 20% reduction in GHG emissions. Life cycle assessment methodology was used to carry out a comprehensive, holistic evaluation of biomass-to-energy systems in 2020 based on indigenous biomass supply chains optimised to reduce production and transportation GHG emissions. Impact categories assessed include; global warming, acidification, eutrophication potentials, and energy demand. Two biomass energy conversion technologies are considered; co-firing with peat, and biomass CHP (combined heat and power) systems. Biomass is allocated to each plant according to a supply optimisation model which ensures minimal GHG emissions. The study shows that while CHP systems produce lower environmental impacts than co-firing systems in isolation, determining overall environmental impacts requires analysis of the reference energy systems which are displaced. In addition, if the aims of these systems are to increase renewable energy penetration in line with the renewable electricity and renewable heat targets, the optimal scenario may not be the one which achieves the greatest environmental impact reductions.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Amanda Sosa; Kevin McDonnell; Ger Devlin. Life cycle assessment of biomass-to-energy systems in Ireland modelled with biomass supply chain optimisation based on greenhouse gas emission reduction. Energy 2016, 109, 1040 -1055.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Amanda Sosa, Kevin McDonnell, Ger Devlin. Life cycle assessment of biomass-to-energy systems in Ireland modelled with biomass supply chain optimisation based on greenhouse gas emission reduction. Energy. 2016; 109 ():1040-1055.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Amanda Sosa; Kevin McDonnell; Ger Devlin. 2016. "Life cycle assessment of biomass-to-energy systems in Ireland modelled with biomass supply chain optimisation based on greenhouse gas emission reduction." Energy 109, no. : 1040-1055.

Book chapter
Published: 18 December 2015 in Advances in Bioenergy
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ACS Style

Egle Gusciute; Ger Devlin; Fionnuala Murphy. Transport Sector in Ireland: Can 2020 National Policy Targets Drive Indigenous Biofuel Production to Success? Advances in Bioenergy 2015, 419 -430.

AMA Style

Egle Gusciute, Ger Devlin, Fionnuala Murphy. Transport Sector in Ireland: Can 2020 National Policy Targets Drive Indigenous Biofuel Production to Success? Advances in Bioenergy. 2015; ():419-430.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Egle Gusciute; Ger Devlin; Fionnuala Murphy. 2015. "Transport Sector in Ireland: Can 2020 National Policy Targets Drive Indigenous Biofuel Production to Success?" Advances in Bioenergy , no. : 419-430.

Journal article
Published: 26 May 2015 in Sustainability
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The combustion of peat for energy generation accounts for approximately 4.1% of Ireland’s overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with current levels of combustion resulting in the emission of 2.8 Mt of CO2 per annum. The aim of this research is to evaluate the life cycle environmental impacts of peat use for energy generation in Ireland, from peatland drainage and industrial extraction, to transportation, combustion, and subsequent after-use of the cutaway area, utilising Irish-specific emission factors. The environmental impacts considered are global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential. In addition, the cumulative energy demand of the system is evaluated. Previous studies on the environmental impact of peat for energy in Ireland relied on default Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission factors (EFs). This research utilises Irish-specific EFs and input data to reduce uncertainty associated with the use of default IPCC EFs, and finds that using default IPCC EFs overestimates the global warming potential when compared to Irish-specific EFs by approximately 2%. The greatest contribution to each of the environmental impacts considered arises from emissions generated during peat combustion, which accounts for approximately 95% of each of the environmental impact categories considered. Other stages of the life-cycle, such as impacts emanating from the peat extraction area, fossil fuel usage in harvesting and transportation machinery, and after-use of the cutaway area have much smaller effects on overall results. The transformation of cutaway peatlands to different after-use alternatives has the potential to mitigate some of the effects of peatland degradation and peat combustion.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. Benchmarking Environmental Impacts of Peat Use for Electricity Generation in Ireland—A Life Cycle Assessment. Sustainability 2015, 7, 6376 -6393.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Kevin McDonnell. Benchmarking Environmental Impacts of Peat Use for Electricity Generation in Ireland—A Life Cycle Assessment. Sustainability. 2015; 7 (6):6376-6393.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. 2015. "Benchmarking Environmental Impacts of Peat Use for Electricity Generation in Ireland—A Life Cycle Assessment." Sustainability 7, no. 6: 6376-6393.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2015 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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The timber industry in Ireland is an important producer of wood products for export and indigenous use, and supplies significant volumes of sawmill co-products as biomass for energy generation. This research expands existing knowledge on the environmental impacts of wood supply chains in Ireland by widening the analysis to incorporate the wood processing stage. The study determines and analyses energy and material inputs in the production of several timber products; sawnwood, wood chip, wood-based panel (WBP) boards and wood pellets, with an analysis of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Forestry operations and transportation make an important contribution to overall emissions. Electricity usage is responsible for the majority of emissions in sawmilling. Integration of combined heat and power (CHP) systems with sawmilling and pellet manufacture reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The penetration of renewables in the Irish national grid mix is forecast to increase by 2020 in line with EU renewable energy targets. Analysis shows that the forecast fall in the carbon intensity of the grid will have a positive effect on the reduction of GHG emissions from the wood processing supply chains. Wood energy products compare favourably with other sources of biomass energy and with fossil fuels

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. Greenhouse gas and energy based life cycle analysis of products from the Irish wood processing industry. Journal of Cleaner Production 2015, 92, 134 -141.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Kevin McDonnell. Greenhouse gas and energy based life cycle analysis of products from the Irish wood processing industry. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2015; 92 ():134-141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. 2015. "Greenhouse gas and energy based life cycle analysis of products from the Irish wood processing industry." Journal of Cleaner Production 92, no. : 134-141.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2014 in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
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The biofuels penetration rate target in Ireland for 2013 is 6% by volume. In 2012 the fuel blend reached 3%, with approximately 70 million litres of biodiesel and 56 million litres of ethanol blended with diesel and gasoline respectively. For January and February 2013, the blend rate had only reached 2.7%. The target of 10% by 2020 remains which equates to approximately 420 million litres. Achieving the biofuels target would require 345 ktoe by 2020 (14,400 TJ). Utilising the indigenous biofuels outlined in this paper leaves a shortfall of approximately 12,000 TJ or 350 million litres (achieving 17% of the 10% target) that must be either be imported or met by other renewables. 70% of indigenous production from one biodiesel plant is currently from TME and UCOME. If this remains for 2020 then only 30% remains equating to approximately 10 million litres indigenous production for a second biodiesel plant (30% of 21+13 million litres) which has planned capacity of 40 million litres (36,000 t). In terms of the EU biofuels sustainability criteria, up to 2017, a 35% GHG emissions reduction is required compared to fossil fuels. From 2017 onwards, a 50% GHG reduction is required for existing installations and a 60% reduction for new installations

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Rory Deverell; Kevin McDonnell. Potential to increase indigenous biodiesel production to help meet 2020 targets – An EU perspective with a focus on Ireland. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2014, 35, 154 -170.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Rory Deverell, Kevin McDonnell. Potential to increase indigenous biodiesel production to help meet 2020 targets – An EU perspective with a focus on Ireland. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2014; 35 ():154-170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Rory Deverell; Kevin McDonnell. 2014. "Potential to increase indigenous biodiesel production to help meet 2020 targets – An EU perspective with a focus on Ireland." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 35, no. : 154-170.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2014 in Physiotherapy
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To provide a snapshot of current activities, barriers and perceived training needs for the assessment and management of behavioural risk factors in physiotherapy practice in primary care settings in the Republic of Ireland. Cross-sectional survey of primary care physiotherapists. Two hundred and twenty primary care physiotherapists were invited to participate. Each received a questionnaire, consisting of 23 questions, within five key sections. Its main focus was the risk factor management practices of physiotherapists. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyse the data. A response rate of 74% (163/220) was achieved. Level of physical activity was the most common risk factor assessed at initial and follow-up visits (78%, 127/163), followed by dietary status (55%, 90/163). Few respondents included smoking status and alcohol consumption in their assessment; however, the majority considered them as risk factors that should be addressed. The main reasons why smoking status and alcohol consumption were not assessed were lack of time, limited knowledge and expertise, not traditionally viewed as the physiotherapist's role, and patient's lack of interest in changing their unhealthy behaviour. The findings highlight an untapped potential in relation to physiotherapists addressing lifestyle-related risk factors. A number of strategies are required to improve the systematic assessment and management of these risk factors.

ACS Style

G. O’Donoghue; C. Cunningham; F. Murphy; C. Woods; Jens Aagaard-Hansen. Assessment and management of risk factors for the prevention of lifestyle-related disease: a cross-sectional survey of current activities, barriers and perceived training needs of primary care physiotherapists in the Republic of Ireland. Physiotherapy 2014, 100, 116 -122.

AMA Style

G. O’Donoghue, C. Cunningham, F. Murphy, C. Woods, Jens Aagaard-Hansen. Assessment and management of risk factors for the prevention of lifestyle-related disease: a cross-sectional survey of current activities, barriers and perceived training needs of primary care physiotherapists in the Republic of Ireland. Physiotherapy. 2014; 100 (2):116-122.

Chicago/Turabian Style

G. O’Donoghue; C. Cunningham; F. Murphy; C. Woods; Jens Aagaard-Hansen. 2014. "Assessment and management of risk factors for the prevention of lifestyle-related disease: a cross-sectional survey of current activities, barriers and perceived training needs of primary care physiotherapists in the Republic of Ireland." Physiotherapy 100, no. 2: 116-122.

Book chapter
Published: 11 April 2014 in Food Processing
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The primary focus of this chapter is food processing. The chapter presents motivating factors that are driving the sustainable food processing agenda. It outlines three different methodological approaches commonly used in estimating the environmental impacts associated with the production of food products based on life cycle thinking. The methods consist of carbon footprint (CF), ecological footprint (EF), and life cycle assessment (LCA). Environmental impacts of green technologies are evaluated by LCA by considering land use, raw material consumption, atmospheric emissions, and water‐borne pollutants. Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important to companies. The co‐management of safety, quality, and sustainability issues will ensure that quality and safety are maintained while ensuring improved sustainability.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell; Colette Fagan. Sustainability and Environmental Issues in Food Processing. Food Processing 2014, 207 -232.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Kevin McDonnell, Colette Fagan. Sustainability and Environmental Issues in Food Processing. Food Processing. 2014; ():207-232.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Kevin McDonnell; Colette Fagan. 2014. "Sustainability and Environmental Issues in Food Processing." Food Processing , no. : 207-232.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2014 in Applied Energy
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The demand for wood for energy production in Ireland is predicted to double from 1.5 million m3 over bark (OB) in 2011 to 3 million m3 OB by 2020. There is a large potential for additional biomass recovery for energetic purposes from both thinning forest stands and by harvesting of tops and branches, and stumps. This study builds on research within the wood-for-energy concept in Ireland by analysing the energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions associated with thinning, residue bundling and stump removal for energy purposes. To date there have been no studies on harvesting of residues and stumps in terms of energy balances and greenhouse gas emissions across the life cycle in Ireland. The results of the analysis on wood energy supply chains highlights transport as the most energy and greenhouse gas emissions intensive step in the life cycle. This finding illustrates importance of localised production and use of forest biomass. Production of wood chip, and shredded bundles and stumps, compares favourably with both other sources of biomass in Ireland and fossil fuels

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. Forest biomass supply chains in Ireland: A life cycle assessment of GHG emissions and primary energy balances. Applied Energy 2014, 116, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Kevin McDonnell. Forest biomass supply chains in Ireland: A life cycle assessment of GHG emissions and primary energy balances. Applied Energy. 2014; 116 ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. 2014. "Forest biomass supply chains in Ireland: A life cycle assessment of GHG emissions and primary energy balances." Applied Energy 116, no. : 1-8.

Review
Published: 04 December 2013 in Energies
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Under the Biofuels Obligation Scheme in Ireland, the biofuels penetration rate target for 2013 was set at 6% by volume from a previous 4% from 2010. In 2012 the fuel blend reached 3%, with approximately 70 million L of biodiesel and 56 million L of ethanol blended with diesel and gasoline, respectively. Up to and including April 2013, the current blend rate in Ireland for biodiesel was 2.3% and for bioethanol was 3.7% which equates to approximately 37.5 million L of biofuel for the first four months of 2013. The target of 10% by 2020 remains, which equates to approximately 420 million L yr−1. Achieving the biofuels target would require 345 ktoe by 2020 (14,400 TJ). Utilizing the indigenous biofuels in Ireland such as tallow, used cooking oil and oil seed rape leaves a shortfall of approximately 12,000 TJ or 350 million L (achieving only 17% of the 10% target) that must be either be imported or met by other renewables. Other solutions seem to suggest that microalgae (for biodiesel) and macroalgae (for bioethanol) could meet this shortfall for indigenous Irish production. This paper aims to review the characteristics of algae for biofuel production based on oil yields, cultivation, harvesting, processing and finally in terms of the European Union (EU) biofuels sustainability criteria, where, up to 2017, a 35% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction is required compared to fossil fuels. From 2017 onwards, a 50% GHG reduction is required for existing installations and from 2018, a 60% reduction for new installations is required.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Rory Deverell; Kevin McDonnell. Biofuel Production in Ireland—An Approach to 2020 Targets with a Focus on Algal Biomass. Energies 2013, 6, 6391 -6412.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Rory Deverell, Kevin McDonnell. Biofuel Production in Ireland—An Approach to 2020 Targets with a Focus on Algal Biomass. Energies. 2013; 6 (12):6391-6412.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Rory Deverell; Kevin McDonnell. 2013. "Biofuel Production in Ireland—An Approach to 2020 Targets with a Focus on Algal Biomass." Energies 6, no. 12: 6391-6412.

Journal article
Published: 11 September 2013 in GCB Bioenergy
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Willow Salix sp. is currently cultivated as a short rotation forestry crop in Ireland as a source of biomass to contribute to renewable energy goals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the energy requirements and environmental impacts associated with willow (Salix sp.) cultivation, harvest, and transport using life cycle assessment (LCA). In this study, only emissions from the production of the willow chip are included, end‐use emissions from combustion are not considered. In this LCA study, three impact categories are considered; acidification potential, eutrophication potential and global warming potential. In addition, the cumulative energy demand and energy ratio of the system are evaluated. The results identify three key processes in the production chain which contribute most to all impact categories considered; maintenance, harvest and transportation of the crop. Sensitivity analysis on the type of fertilizers used, harvesting technologies and transport distances highlights the effects of these management techniques on overall system performance. Replacement of synthetic fertilizer with biosolids results in a reduction in overall energy demand, but raises acidification potential, eutrophication potential and global warming potential. Rod harvesting compares unfavourably in comparison with direct chip harvesting in each of the impact categories considered due to the additional chipping step required. The results show that dedicated truck transport is preferable to tractor‐trailer transport in terms of energy demand and environmental impacts. Finally, willow chip production compares favourably with coal provision in terms of energy ratio and global warming potential, while achieving a higher energy ratio than peat provision but also a higher global warming potential.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. Energy requirements and environmental impacts associated with the production of short rotation willow (Salixsp.)chip in Ireland. GCB Bioenergy 2013, 6, 727 -739.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, Ger Devlin, Kevin McDonnell. Energy requirements and environmental impacts associated with the production of short rotation willow (Salixsp.)chip in Ireland. GCB Bioenergy. 2013; 6 (6):727-739.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; Ger Devlin; Kevin McDonnell. 2013. "Energy requirements and environmental impacts associated with the production of short rotation willow (Salixsp.)chip in Ireland." GCB Bioenergy 6, no. 6: 727-739.

Journal article
Published: 12 July 2013 in The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal
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The production of synthetic fuels from alternative sources has increased in recent years as a cleaner, more sustainable source of transport fuel is now required. The European Commission has outlined renewable energy targets pertaining to transport fuel which must be met by 2020. In response to these targets Ireland has committed, through the Biofuels Obligation Scheme of 2008, to producing 3% of transport fuels from biofuels by 2010 and 10% by 2020. In order to be suitable for sale in Europe, diesel fuels and biodiesels must meet certain European fuel specifications outlined in the EN 590:2009 standard. The aim of this paper was to prepare blends of varying proportions of synthetic diesel (Cyn-diesel) fuel, produced from the pyrolysis of plastic, vs regular fossil diesel. The flash point (°C) and cold filter plugging point (°C) of these blends as well as of the conventional petroleum diesel fuel were analysed in relation to compliance with the European fuel standard EN 590. The results confirmed that blending of Cyn-diesel with conventional petroleum diesel has a highly significant effect on the properties of the resulting fuel blend. The results show that by increasing the Cyn-diesel content of the blend, the flash point of the blend decreases and the cold filter plugging point increases. Furthermore, comparing the fuel blends to EN 590 specifications has highlighted significant trends. The cold filter plugging points of all of the fuel blends are in compliance with EN 590 specifications. However, only blends of up to, and including, 40% Cyn-diesel are in compliance with EN 590 specifications for flash point. This analysis shows that a blend of 40% Cyndiesel is in compliance with all of the EN 590 specifications examined, and as such could be placed on the European fuel market (provided that the blend meets the requirements for the other properties in the EN 590 specification). This finding highlights the potential for Cyn-diesel blends to be incorporated into the European and national renewable energy targets.

ACS Style

Fionnuala Murphy; G. Devlin; K McDonnell. The Evaluation of Flash Point and Cold Filter Plugging Point with Blends of Diesel and Cyn-Diesel Pyrolysis Fuel for Automotive Engines. The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal 2013, 6, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Fionnuala Murphy, G. Devlin, K McDonnell. The Evaluation of Flash Point and Cold Filter Plugging Point with Blends of Diesel and Cyn-Diesel Pyrolysis Fuel for Automotive Engines. The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal. 2013; 6 (1):1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fionnuala Murphy; G. Devlin; K McDonnell. 2013. "The Evaluation of Flash Point and Cold Filter Plugging Point with Blends of Diesel and Cyn-Diesel Pyrolysis Fuel for Automotive Engines." The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal 6, no. 1: 1-8.