Life Cycle Analysis and Modelling (LCAM) of Jatropha as Biofuel in Dynamic Economic Environment of Newly Emerging Economies

Abstract

The geographic location of new emissions is shifting from the industrialised countries to the newly emerging economies, expanding at a pace of over 5% per annum despite global economic slowdown. India, the 6th largest consumer of energy would spend US$ 19.4 billion (@ US$ 100/barrel) on importing gasoline by 2020, if viable renewable sources of energy are not developed. Biofuels are credible supplement for liquid fossil fuels even at present. They are easy to transport and fall in zero emission category. Biodiesels derived from Jatropha can be locally produced in rural areas for agricultural purposes. Jatropha is being promoted as biofuel crop in India through large scale plantations and nurseries and by women's self-help groups who use a system of microcredit to ease poverty among semiliterate Indian women. The Life Cycle Analysis was done for a typical arid area, Panna, M.P. (India) for Jatropha cultivation on wasteland, poor agricultural land, scantily planted forest land. The LCA investigation scope includes four landuse change scenarios with four input change scenario in cultivation stage. The economic return to farmers at different selling price of Jatropha seeds have also been studies with carbon mitigation option in diesel replacement in transportation.