This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions dominate the carbon footprints of most product systems, where petroleum is one of the main types of energy sources. This is consumed as a variety of refined products, most notably diesel, petrol (gasoline) and jet fuel (kerosene). Refined product carbon footprints are of great importance to regulators, policymakers and environmental decision-makers. For instance, they are at the heart of current legislation, such as the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive or the United States’ Renewable Fuels Standard. This study identified 14 datasets that report footprints for the same system, namely, petroleum refinery operations in Europe. For the main refined products, i.e., diesel, petrol and jet fuel, footprints vary by at least a factor of three. For minor products, the variation is even greater. Five different organs of the European Commission have estimated the refining footprints, where for the main products, these are relatively harmonic; for minor products, much less so. The observed variation in carbon footprints is due mainly to differing approaches to refinery modelling, especially regarding the rationale and methods applied to assign shares of the total burden from the petroleum refinery operation to the individual products. Given the economic/social importance of refined products, a better harmony regarding their footprints would be valuable to their users.
Eric Johnson; Carl Vadenbo. Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9316 .
AMA StyleEric Johnson, Carl Vadenbo. Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9316.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson; Carl Vadenbo. 2020. "Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9316.
Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions dominate the carbon footprints of most product systems, and petroleum is one of the main types of energy sources. This is consumed as a variety of refined products – most notably diesel, petrol (gasoline) and jet fuel (kerosene). Refined product carbon footprints are of great importance to regulators, policymakers and environmental decision-makers. For instance, they are at the heart of legislation such as the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive or the United States’ Renewable Fuels Standard. This study identified 14 datasets that report footprints for the same system, European petroleum refining. For the main refined products – diesel, petrol and jet fuel – footprints vary by at least a factor of three. For minor products, the variation is even greater. Five different organs of the European Commission have estimated refining footprints: for main products these are relatively harmonic; for minor products much less so. The footprint variation is due mainly to differing approaches to refinery modelling, especially regarding the rationale and methods applied to assign shares of the total burden from the petroleum refinery operation to the individual products. Given the economic/social importance of refined products, a better harmony of their footprints would be valuable to their users.
Eric Johnson; Carl Vadenbo. Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleEric Johnson, Carl Vadenbo. Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson; Carl Vadenbo. 2020. "Modelling Variation in Petroleum Products’ Refining Footprints." , no. : 1.
Liquified petroleum gas (LPG)—currently consumed at some 300 million tonnes per year—consists of propane, butane, or a mixture of the two. Most of the world’s LPG is fossil, but recently, BioLPG has been commercialized as well. This paper reviews all possible synthesis routes to BioLPG: conventional chemical processes, biological processes, advanced chemical processes, and other. Processes are described, and projects are documented as of early 2018. The paper was compiled through an extensive literature review and a series of interviews with participants and stakeholders. Only one process is already commercial: hydrotreatment of bio-oils. Another, fermentation of sugars, has reached demonstration scale. The process with the largest potential for volume is gaseous conversion and synthesis of two feedstocks, cellulosics or organic wastes. In most cases, BioLPG is produced as a byproduct, i.e., a minor output of a multi-product process. BioLPG’s proportion of output varies according to detailed process design: for example, the advanced chemical processes can produce BioLPG at anywhere from 0–10% of output. All these processes and projects will be of interest to researchers, developers and LPG producers/marketers.
Eric Johnson. Process Technologies and Projects for BioLPG. Energies 2019, 12, 250 .
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Process Technologies and Projects for BioLPG. Energies. 2019; 12 (2):250.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2019. "Process Technologies and Projects for BioLPG." Energies 12, no. 2: 250.
An important question for policy-makers is how the main automotive fuels – diesel, gasoline, LPG (and increasingly, electricity) – compare in terms of ground-level ozone formation. Based on recent, equivalent emissions data, the study compares ozone formation on a per-kilometre basis of the main fuels: gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and electricity (the latter in the United Kingdom). Considering tailpipe emissions only, gasoline’s and LPG’s per-kilometre ozone impact is 44–88% of diesel’s, while LPG’s is slightly lower than gasoline’s. If fuel production and tailpipe emissions are added together, the liquid fuels generate 48–80% of electricity’s impact, i.e. the electric car’s ozone impact is highest. The liquids’ ozone-impact rankings are the same as for tailpipe only, from most to least: diesel, gasoline, LPG. Changing the fuel/energy type of a passenger car changes its emission inventory, so this could be a useful policy in combating ozone, i.e. governments could encourage some fuels/energies and discourage others. Based on the results shown above, a priority ranking of the main types, from best to worst in the United Kingdom, is: LPG, gasoline, diesel and battery electric. For electric, this ranking will vary in other regions, depending on the emissions of the power-generation grid. For the liquid fuels, the rankings are valid for Europe and North America in general. Impact assessment of ozone is complex, because the chemistry of its formation is complex. This complexity is only partially incorporated in existing impact assessment methods.
Eric Johnson. Cars and ground-level ozone: how do fuels compare? European Transport Research Review 2017, 9, 47 .
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Cars and ground-level ozone: how do fuels compare? European Transport Research Review. 2017; 9 (4):47.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2017. "Cars and ground-level ozone: how do fuels compare?" European Transport Research Review 9, no. 4: 47.
Biopropane made by hydrogenating vegetable or animal oil/fat is being commercialized as a biofuel alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Its carbon footprint has been calculated from field to tank, using public data for each process in the supply chain, for six main feedstocks: palm oil, palm oil fatty acid distillate, tallow, used cooking oil, rape oil, and soy oil. Scenarios have been applied to the calculations using four main variables: allocation method, i.e., economic or energy; methane capture at the oil mill (or not); application of indirect land‐use change (or not); and classification of the feedstock as a residue (or not). HVO biopropane's carbon footprint varies, depending on the feedstock and the four variables, from as low as 5 g CO2e/MJ to as high as 102 g. In most cases, this qualifies for government support, i.e., financial credits and biofuel mandates enacted by EU member states under the Renewable Energy Directive. © 2017 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eric Johnson. A carbon footprint of HVO biopropane. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2017, 11, 887 -896.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. A carbon footprint of HVO biopropane. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. 2017; 11 (5):887-896.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2017. "A carbon footprint of HVO biopropane." Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 11, no. 5: 887-896.
Previous studies of cellulosic-ethanol production have shown that the cost of producing cellulase is surprisingly significant, and that reducing this cost is key to making cellulosic-ethanol economically viable. This study confirms that finding, and compares the costs of the three approaches for producing cellulase: off-site, on-site, and integrated. It finds that the integrated method is the lowest cost, primarily because it substitutes an inexpensive feedstock, biomass, for a relatively expensive one, glucose. This substitution also makes the ethanol a 100% second-generation biofuel, i.e., it uses no ‘food for fuel’. This study also compares the activity of cellulase produced by the integrated method versus that produced by the off-site method. Laboratory trials of the two show the ‘integrated’ cellulase to be better or equal to commercially available ‘off-site’ cellulase in converting cellulose to sugar. © 2016 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eric Johnson. Integrated enzyme production lowers the cost of cellulosic ethanol. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2016, 10, 164 -174.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Integrated enzyme production lowers the cost of cellulosic ethanol. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. 2016; 10 (2):164-174.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2016. "Integrated enzyme production lowers the cost of cellulosic ethanol." Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 10, no. 2: 164-174.
LPG will soon see commercial availability of its own bio-alternative. Biopropane ‘drops in’ to substitute its fossil sibling, sports an extraordinarily low carbon footprint, and could reach volumes of several hundred thousand tonnes. Eric Johnson considers its potential. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eric Johnson. New biofuel debut: biopropane. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2015, 9, 627 -629.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. New biofuel debut: biopropane. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. 2015; 9 (6):627-629.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2015. "New biofuel debut: biopropane." Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 9, no. 6: 627-629.
For European homes without access to the natural gas grid, the main fuels-of-choice for heating are heating oil and LPG. How do the carbon footprints of these compare? Existing literature does not clearly answer this, so the current study was undertaken to fill this gap. Footprints were estimated in seven countries that are representative of the EU and constitute two-thirds of the EU-27 population: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and the UK. Novelties of the assessment were: systems were defined using the EcoBoiler model; well-to-tank data were updated according to most-recent research; and combustion emission factors were used that were derived from a survey conducted for this study. The key finding is that new residential heating systems fuelled by LPG are 20% lower carbon and 15% lower overall-environmental-impact than those fuelled by heating oil. An unexpected finding was that an LPG system's environmental impact is about the same as that of a bio heating oil system fuelled by 100% rapeseed methyl ester, Europe's predominant biofuel. Moreover, a 20/80 blend (by energy content) with conventional heating oil, a bio-heating-oil system generates a footprint about 15% higher than an LPG system's. The final finding is that fuel switching can pay off in carbon terms. If a new LPG heating system replaces an ageing oil-fired one for the final five years of its service life, the carbon footprint of the system's final five years is reduced by more than 50%.
Eric P. Johnson. Carbon footprints of heating oil and LPG heating systems. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 2012, 35, 11 -22.
AMA StyleEric P. Johnson. Carbon footprints of heating oil and LPG heating systems. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 2012; 35 ():11-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric P. Johnson. 2012. "Carbon footprints of heating oil and LPG heating systems." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 35, no. : 11-22.
Eric Johnson. Get on Sustainability’s Bandwagon, But Not Blindly or Blithely. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 137 -144.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Get on Sustainability’s Bandwagon, But Not Blindly or Blithely. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():137-144.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Get on Sustainability’s Bandwagon, But Not Blindly or Blithely." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 137-144.
Eric Johnson. Is There a Non-Sustainable Option? Green Biocomposites 2012, 133 -135.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Is There a Non-Sustainable Option? Green Biocomposites. 2012; ():133-135.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Is There a Non-Sustainable Option?" Green Biocomposites , no. : 133-135.
Eric Johnson. Appendix 2: Quantity Versus Quality – How Experts and Laypeople Disagree About Technology Risks. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 171 -173.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Appendix 2: Quantity Versus Quality – How Experts and Laypeople Disagree About Technology Risks. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():171-173.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Appendix 2: Quantity Versus Quality – How Experts and Laypeople Disagree About Technology Risks." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 171-173.
Eric Johnson. How Chemical Companies Define Sustainability, in Practice. Green Biocomposites 2012, 49 -101.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. How Chemical Companies Define Sustainability, in Practice. Green Biocomposites. 2012; ():49-101.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "How Chemical Companies Define Sustainability, in Practice." Green Biocomposites , no. : 49-101.
Eric Johnson. Evaluating Sustainability: Is It Necessary, and Does It Pay? Green Biocomposites 2012, 119 -131.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Evaluating Sustainability: Is It Necessary, and Does It Pay? Green Biocomposites. 2012; ():119-131.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Evaluating Sustainability: Is It Necessary, and Does It Pay?" Green Biocomposites , no. : 119-131.
Eric Johnson. Summary: Sustainability Is Advancing, with More Changes to Come. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 15 -22.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Summary: Sustainability Is Advancing, with More Changes to Come. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():15-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Summary: Sustainability Is Advancing, with More Changes to Come." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 15-22.
Eric Johnson. How Others Define Sustainability. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 43 -48.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. How Others Define Sustainability. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():43-48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "How Others Define Sustainability." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 43-48.
Eric Johnson. Why the Chemical Industry Turned to Sustainability. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 25 -42.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Why the Chemical Industry Turned to Sustainability. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():25-42.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Why the Chemical Industry Turned to Sustainability." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 25-42.
Eric Johnson. Introduction: Sustainability’s Bandwagon Has Left the Station, But Where Is It Headed? Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 23 -24.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Introduction: Sustainability’s Bandwagon Has Left the Station, But Where Is It Headed? Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():23-24.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Introduction: Sustainability’s Bandwagon Has Left the Station, But Where Is It Headed?" Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 23-24.
Eric Johnson. Appendix 1: Company Classification. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 145 -169.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Appendix 1: Company Classification. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():145-169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Appendix 1: Company Classification." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 145-169.
Eric Johnson. Foreword: Why this Book? Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 1 -14.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. Foreword: Why this Book? Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():1-14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "Foreword: Why this Book?" Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 1-14.
‘Greenwash’ is a potential backlash of sustainability. It ranges from outright lying to spinning sympathy out of ordinary compliance.
Eric Johnson. The Thin Green Line: Between Sustainability and Greenwash. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2012, 113 -117.
AMA StyleEric Johnson. The Thin Green Line: Between Sustainability and Greenwash. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2012; ():113-117.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEric Johnson. 2012. "The Thin Green Line: Between Sustainability and Greenwash." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 113-117.