Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in Colombia
Globally, aviation operations contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily due to Jet A-1 fuel, creating sustainability challenges. This is highlighted by an 80% increase in GHG emissions following the economic recovery post-COVID-19. Colombia has the potential to produce ap...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Chemical Engineering Transactions |
| Online Access: | https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/15308 |
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| Summary: | Globally, aviation operations contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily due to Jet A-1 fuel, creating sustainability challenges. This is highlighted by an 80% increase in GHG emissions following the economic recovery post-COVID-19. Colombia has the potential to produce approximately 250 million gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) annually. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was developed for SAF production in Colombia using SimaPro® software. Three types of residual biomass were selected via a multi-criteria analysis of energy indicators: Pinus Patula (PP), Empty Fruit Bunches of Palm Oil (EFBPO), and Used Cooking Oil (UCO), corresponding to the production routes of Alcohol to Jet (ATJ), gasification with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FT), and Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA). Life cycle inventory (LCI) data were consolidated to quantify potential environmental impacts, identifying critical points in each route using the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) methodology. The use of hydrogen in the ATJ route accounted for 99.7% of impacts in the Global Warming (GW) category, while heat requirements for HEFA contributed 77.13% to Water Scarcity (WS). In the FT route, 99.97% of impacts were associated with Acidification (AC) due to hydrogen supply. The LCA illustrates that despite efforts to reduce GHG emissions, strategies to enhance sustainability in SAF production processes in Colombia are imperative. |
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| ISSN: | 2283-9216 |