California board updates, reduces sugarcane ethanol emissions

In California, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) updated its calculations of sugarcane ethanol’s emission reductions. Earlier this year, CARB approved its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the first in the world, which aims at reducing the “carbon intensity” of all fuels used in the state. Beginning in 2011, California’s LCFS will reduce the carbon intensity of fuels, reaching at least a 10% reduction by 2020.

CARB’s original calculations stipulated that sugarcane ethanol had an intensity of 27 gCO2/MJ, plus other estimated indirect land use emissions of 46 gCO2/MJ, bringing the biofuel’s total intensity to 73 gCO2/MJ.  The new analysis released by CARB allow Brazilian ethanol to receive a credit of more than 15 gCO2/MJ, due to the use of bioelectricity from sugarcane cogeneration (7 gCO2/MJ) and the mechanization of sugarcane harvest  (8.2 gCO2/MJ).  Originally, CARB determined that the carbon intensity of gasoline is about 95 grams of carbon dioxide per mega joule (gCO2/MJ), which means that the fuel will need be reduced to a carbon intensity of 86 gCO2/MJ by 2020 to comply with the new regulations.

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